Dominus Estate 2018

#1 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2021

In the world of wine, few have the experience of Christian Moueix.  With over fifty years of producing wines in Bordeaux’s Right Bank and thirty-eight in the Napa Valley, his record in both the old and new worlds has given him unrivaled insights. Dominus abides by Moueix's pledge of meticulous winemaking as seen in this exceptional vintage.  "We produce wines that reflect the purity, complexity and character of grapes grown exclusively from the Napanook vineyard. This unique provenance qualifies our wines as estate-bottled, a rarely found designation."  The Estate is located in Napa Valley’s Yountville AVA (American Viticultural Area).

A vivid expression of its unique site, Dominus is a profound and powerful wine, exemplifying purity.  With articulated fruit and polished tannins, the wine has elegance, complexity, great length and improves with age.

Perfectly balanced, Dominus maintains focus on the palate with aromas of sweet blue fruit, jasmine, cardamom, layers of plum and caramel. The wine finishes very long with lift and acceleration.  

100 Points - James Suckling   

This is incredible on the nose, offering hot stones, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. Full-bodied with a tight center palate, then it opens with a tannin structure that is weightless and spreads across the palate. Totally integrated on the palate. This is a magic-carpet wine. Really incredible. One of the reference points for the vintage. Drinkable now and please try a bottle, but it’s one for the cellar.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck   

With an essence of Cabernet-like character in its darker currants, green tobacco, cedar, graphite, and floral aromas and flavors, this gorgeous wine is full-bodied and has bright yet integrated acidity, polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s just gorgeously put together and a magical, flawless wine. It's going to take a decade to hit maturity but will evolve for 40-50 years in cold cellars. It is as good as it gets in classic, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon!

99+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate   

Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Dominus slowly emerges from the glass with profound notes of blackcurrant cordial, ripe black plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with hints of violets, star anise, cracked black pepper, raspberry leaves and pencil lead, plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit layers, creating a beguiling sense of richness that is beautifully countered by invigorating freshness and great poise, framed by super ripe, plush tannins and beautiful tension, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note and, finally, lots of mineral sparks.

97 Points - Wine Spectator   

This is tightly packed, with sleek, pure, driven notes of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry puree allied to an iron spine, while subtle alder, juniper, sweet bay leaf and tobacco notes peek in throughout. Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a very long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040.