Above 4 double-magnums per lot
Details
DOMINUS AND THE NAPANOOK VINEYARD
Napanook is on the west side of the Napa Valley facing the town of Yountville, approximately one-third of the way up the valley. Historical records show that in 1836 George Yount, who gave his name to Yountville, planted the first vines of the valley on the location of Napanook vineyard, before selling the land in 1850 to Charles Hopper.
Since then, Napanook has had several owners, including Hugh La Rue, one of the pioneers in the use of rootstock and John Daniel, famous for the Inglenook Cask Selection.
Christian Moueix fell in love with the valley and its wines while studying at U.C. Davis in 1968 and 1969. After many years of searching the ideal vineyard location, in 1982 he entered into a joint venture with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, John Daniel's two daughters.
This was the birth of Dominus, and its first vintage was harvested in 1983, however, it was felt that the 1983's structure was such that it needed further time in bottle to resolve a stout tannic structure. As such the team at Dominus initiated a break from tradition and released the 1984 vintage as the first commercial release. Since then, Christian Moueix has worked to restore the unique character of the original vineyard. He became full owner in 1995.
Dominus
Napa Valley
--Vintage 1994double magnum (1)
"Christian Moueix and his talented winemaking team continue to rewrite the definition of a Napa Valley reference point wine. I have had a difficult time keeping the corks in my bottles of 1994 Dominus. Eight-thousand cases were produced from a blend of 70 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 Cabernet Franc, 12 Merlot, and 4 Petit Verdot. In this vintage, 174 days passed between bud break and the harvest, a remarkable period of time for any wine region in the world. The 1994 is a strikingly thick, compellingly rich wine with the texture of a great Pomerol, despite being made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine exhibits a dense purple color, and an incredibly fragrant nose of jammy black fruits, spice, smoke, and loamy, truffle-like scents. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, with thrilling levels of extract and richness, but no sense of heaviness or harshness. This seamless Dominus possesses no hard edges, as its acidity, tannin, and alcohol are beautifully meshed with copious quantities of ripe fruit. This wine offers early drinking, yet has the potential to last for 30+ years." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #Wine Advocate #114 (Dec 1997)
--Vintage 1995double magnum (1)
"The 1995 Dominus (6,000 cases produced from a blend of 80 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Cabernet Franc, 6 Petit Verdot, and 4 Merlot) is a ripe, plummy, supple, expansively-flavored wine with copious quantities of black currant fruit. Full-bodied and low in acidity, it possesses exceptional concentration and purity. Qualitatively, it is built along the lines of the 1992 and 1990. While it is not as powerful or intense as the 1996 or 1994, the 1995 is a large-scaled, rich, concentrated wine that should provide splendid drinking for two decades." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #114 (Dec 1997)
--Vintage 1996double magnum (1)
"The 1996 Dominus, a blend of 82 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Cabernet Franc, 4 Merlot, and 4 Petit Verdot, tips the scales at 14.2 alcohol. Although this offering lacks the power, intensity, and compelling characteristics of the 1991 and 1994, it is not far off the pace of those two monumental wines. A super nose of roasted coffee, chocolate, dried herbs, black fruits and kirsch is both intense and persuasive. The wine displays terrific richness, medium to full body, low acidity, a succulent, opulent texture, and superb purity. This beautifully made 1996 is one of the few wines that has successfully tamed the vintage's elevated tannin level. It should be relatively drinkable upon its release, yet evolve nicely for two decades. Impressive!" Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #120 (Dec 1998)
--Vintage 1997double magnum (1)
"The 1997 Dominus, a blend of 86.5 Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 Cabernet Franc, and 4.5 Merlot, is showing fabulously well. With 14.1 alcohol and a pH that would make many New World oenologists shudder (about 3.95), this wine is a fleshy, silky-textured, opulent wine with a gorgeous nose of roasted herbs, coffee, jammy black cherry and plum-like fruit. Asian spice, licorice, and blackberry and cherry notes with tobacco spice all add to this complex, very involved, yet gorgeously symmetrical Dominus. The wine is medium to full-bodied, very concentrated, and silky-textured. It is gorgeous to drink now, but should age easily for 10-15 years." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #132 (Dec 2000)
All original wooden cases
Above 4 double-magnums per lot
Napanook is on the west side of the Napa Valley facing the town of Yountville, approximately one-third of the way up the valley. Historical records show that in 1836 George Yount, who gave his name to Yountville, planted the first vines of the valley on the location of Napanook vineyard, before selling the land in 1850 to Charles Hopper.
Since then, Napanook has had several owners, including Hugh La Rue, one of the pioneers in the use of rootstock and John Daniel, famous for the Inglenook Cask Selection.
Christian Moueix fell in love with the valley and its wines while studying at U.C. Davis in 1968 and 1969. After many years of searching the ideal vineyard location, in 1982 he entered into a joint venture with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, John Daniel's two daughters.
This was the birth of Dominus, and its first vintage was harvested in 1983, however, it was felt that the 1983's structure was such that it needed further time in bottle to resolve a stout tannic structure. As such the team at Dominus initiated a break from tradition and released the 1984 vintage as the first commercial release. Since then, Christian Moueix has worked to restore the unique character of the original vineyard. He became full owner in 1995.
Dominus
Napa Valley
--Vintage 1994double magnum (1)
"Christian Moueix and his talented winemaking team continue to rewrite the definition of a Napa Valley reference point wine. I have had a difficult time keeping the corks in my bottles of 1994 Dominus. Eight-thousand cases were produced from a blend of 70 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 Cabernet Franc, 12 Merlot, and 4 Petit Verdot. In this vintage, 174 days passed between bud break and the harvest, a remarkable period of time for any wine region in the world. The 1994 is a strikingly thick, compellingly rich wine with the texture of a great Pomerol, despite being made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine exhibits a dense purple color, and an incredibly fragrant nose of jammy black fruits, spice, smoke, and loamy, truffle-like scents. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, with thrilling levels of extract and richness, but no sense of heaviness or harshness. This seamless Dominus possesses no hard edges, as its acidity, tannin, and alcohol are beautifully meshed with copious quantities of ripe fruit. This wine offers early drinking, yet has the potential to last for 30+ years." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #Wine Advocate #114 (Dec 1997)
--Vintage 1995double magnum (1)
"The 1995 Dominus (6,000 cases produced from a blend of 80 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Cabernet Franc, 6 Petit Verdot, and 4 Merlot) is a ripe, plummy, supple, expansively-flavored wine with copious quantities of black currant fruit. Full-bodied and low in acidity, it possesses exceptional concentration and purity. Qualitatively, it is built along the lines of the 1992 and 1990. While it is not as powerful or intense as the 1996 or 1994, the 1995 is a large-scaled, rich, concentrated wine that should provide splendid drinking for two decades." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #114 (Dec 1997)
--Vintage 1996double magnum (1)
"The 1996 Dominus, a blend of 82 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Cabernet Franc, 4 Merlot, and 4 Petit Verdot, tips the scales at 14.2 alcohol. Although this offering lacks the power, intensity, and compelling characteristics of the 1991 and 1994, it is not far off the pace of those two monumental wines. A super nose of roasted coffee, chocolate, dried herbs, black fruits and kirsch is both intense and persuasive. The wine displays terrific richness, medium to full body, low acidity, a succulent, opulent texture, and superb purity. This beautifully made 1996 is one of the few wines that has successfully tamed the vintage's elevated tannin level. It should be relatively drinkable upon its release, yet evolve nicely for two decades. Impressive!" Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #120 (Dec 1998)
--Vintage 1997double magnum (1)
"The 1997 Dominus, a blend of 86.5 Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 Cabernet Franc, and 4.5 Merlot, is showing fabulously well. With 14.1 alcohol and a pH that would make many New World oenologists shudder (about 3.95), this wine is a fleshy, silky-textured, opulent wine with a gorgeous nose of roasted herbs, coffee, jammy black cherry and plum-like fruit. Asian spice, licorice, and blackberry and cherry notes with tobacco spice all add to this complex, very involved, yet gorgeously symmetrical Dominus. The wine is medium to full-bodied, very concentrated, and silky-textured. It is gorgeous to drink now, but should age easily for 10-15 years." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #132 (Dec 2000)
All original wooden cases
Above 4 double-magnums per lot