Dominus Estate 2023 Proprietary Red Napa Valley

100 pts                                                                                                                              The new vintage of Dominus Estate Cabernet Sauvignon now available. 100 Points Lisa Perotti-Brown (The Wine Palate): "The 2023 Dominus is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Opaque purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal a powerful core of blackcurrant jelly, ripe black plums, and fresh blueberries, followed by hints of menthol, crushed rocks, dried sage, black truffles, and black olives. The full-bodied palate is both generous and energetic, displaying an impressive array of savory and earthy nuances among the dense black fruit layers and a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and beautiful tension, finishing with epic length." 98 Points Decanter: "The 2023 Dominus Estate is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. In this vintage, the wine beautifully captures the spirit of 2023 in Oakville, offering pure red-berry and cherry fruit alongside blackberry, all threaded with an expressive ironstone-mineral core, with black olive pit and pressed-floral notes. Hints of sage and loamy earth add dimension. Ultra-fine, powdery tannins provide ample structure and an approachability rarely encountered at this early stage for this label." 98 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The only one of the Dominus wines to show more than a hint of wood, the 2023 Dominus matured in 40% new French oak, leaving it marked by caramel and cedar overtones. Yet that oak aging is balanced by plenty of black cherry fruit and loamy earth notes, blending easily into a harmonious whole. Medium- to full-bodied, this rich, almost creamy blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot finishes with velvety tannins borne on a finish that unfolds to reveal incredible persistence and complexity. " Since its inaugural vintage in 1983, the wines of Dominus Estate have been crafted in a traditional and terroir-driven style by the luminous Christian Moueix of Chateau Petrus fame. Unable to pass up the change to make what he called the “Haut-Brion of Napa”, Moueix came to own the legendary Napanook Vineyard. Moueix eschews irrigation, acidification, and the heavy usage of oak common amongst his Napa colleagues. The exceptional terroir of Napanook in combination with his skillful viticulture and traditional winemaking techniques have repeatedly resulted in some of the most broadly enjoyable Napa Cabs available and clearly place Dominus in the upper echelon of this genre.