Dominus Estate Vertical: Our top wines
William Kelley has been catching up on the back vintages of this iconic Napa Estate. Below, you can find his vertical tasting notes of this highly rated wine owned by Christian Moueix.
Dominus Estate is one of the best known in California and is owned by Christian Moueix, of Pétrus fame. It produces Bordeaux-style blends in Yountville, Napa Valley.
The top Dominus wines are taken from vines grown on volcanic soil in the estate’s Napanook vineyard.
Christian Moueix at a glance
Born 1946
Family Wife Cherise, and son Edouard (38),who has worked for Jean-Pierre Moueix in Bordeaux for 10 years, and Charlotte (36) a wildlife vet in South Africa.
How does he buy a vineyard? In winter, in the rain, to see what the drainage is like.
Interests Art, opera, architecture, literature, horse racing
Other companies: Autres Rivages, developed by Edouard. It handles the classed growths of the Médoc, and imports Dominus.
Tasted: Top Dominus Estate wines from this vertical
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Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 1992
The 1992 Dominus is gorgeous, bursting from the glass in a blaze of mentholated black cherries, loamy soil and forest floor, and following through on...
1992
Dominus EstateNapa Valley
Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 1994
Still a youthful, deep, ruby-black, the 1994 Dominus explodes with blackberry, cassis and truffle notes, along with some rustic sous bois and leather. This Bordeaux-styled...
1994
Dominus EstateNapa Valley
Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 1995
The 1995 Dominus is very much cut from the same cloth as the 1994, with a deep bouquet of baked black cherry, cassis, truffle and...
1995
Dominus EstateNapa Valley
Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 1998
The Napanook Vineyard does seem to have suffered a little in the sodden 1998 vintage, and while the team at Dominus have turned in a...
1998
Dominus EstateNapa Valley
Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2001
A mature and somewhat torrefied bouquet of ripe plum, dark berries, scorched earth, licorice, grilled meat and coffee is the prelude to a fleshy, richly...
2001
Dominus EstateNapa Valley
Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2010
A brooding bouquet of cassis, wild berries, pencil shavings and exotic spice is followed by a deep, layered and intense wine, framed by fine tannins...
2010
Dominus EstateNapa Valley
