2006 Dominus Proprietary Blend

2006 Dominus

96 RP

From the critics:

96 JS

94+ VM

93 WE

93 W&S

Featured Review

There are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005's. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years. Christian Moueix, Dominus’ owner, has purchased the 35-acre Swanson Vineyard, which is situated between the well-known California bistros, Brix and Mustard’s. I suspect that will result in a third label from Dominus. At present, the production from these large holdings in Yountville is approximately 10,000-12,000 cases, with the second wine, Napanook, representing 3,500-4,000 cases, depending on the vintage. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the great Merlot specialist at his flagship chateaux in Pomerol, especially Petrus, prefers the other Bordeaux varietals at his Napa property. Interestingly, when I visit Dominus, they always open a fresh bottle and serve it alongside a bottle that has been decanted for 24 hours. On each occasion, the more complex, open wine is the one that has had 24 hours of aeration, something buyers of this wine should take into consideration. These are the two strongest back to back vintages for Dominus since 1990-1991 and 2001-2002. Robert Parker

Robert Parker | 96 RP

Starting to take on the tertiary character of ripe fruit and savory components with dusty tannins. Full and round with a lovely texture and a light salty, meaty and tobacco character. Forest floor. Sweet and sour. Just opening.

James Suckling | 96 JS

There are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005’s. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years.

Christian Moueix, Dominus’ owner, has purchased the 35-acre Swanson Vineyard, which is situated between the well-known California bistros, Brix and Mustard’s. I suspect that will result in a third label from Dominus. At present, the production from these large holdings in Yountville is approximately 10,000-12,000 cases, with the second wine, Napanook, representing 3,500-4,000 cases, depending on the vintage. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the great Merlot specialist at his flagship chateaux in Pomerol, especially Petrus, prefers the other Bordeaux varietals at his Napa property. Interestingly, when I visit Dominus, they always open a fresh bottle and serve it alongside a bottle that has been decanted for 24 hours. On each occasion, the more complex, open wine is the one that has had 24 hours of aeration, something buyers of this wine should take into consideration. These are the two strongest back to back vintages for Dominus since 1990-1991 and 2001-2002.

Robert Parker | 96 RP

Bright red-ruby. Lovely floral lift contributes precision to the aromas of raspberry, rose petal and licorice. Sweet, high-pitched and sharply delineated; velvety but not thick. There’s a juicy quality to the ripe red fruit, mineral and graphite flavors, not to mention a firm underlying spine, that promises a long and positive evolution in bottle. Quite young but not austere, finishing with building tannins and lovely lift. The lingering perfume of red fruits, pepper, flowers and licorice is unusually complex. A really superb 2006, seemingly every bit as good as the sensational 2005.

Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Unless you knew that this was Dominus and had tasted older vintages, you might not be impressed. In its youth the wine is tannic and dry and linear. However, it is Dominus and it does need cellaring. Right now it shows blackberry, black currant, cedar and baker’s chocolate flavors. Will slowly open and reach maturity after 2011, and could easily develop for far longer.

Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Youthfully floral and tight, this vintage of Dominus is a big wine that holds all of its weight behind a powerful structure. And it’s the power of that structure that is front and center-red apple-skin acidity and walnut-skin tannin-needing a ribeye with plenty of fat to bring the fruit out of its cage. Stay with it and the wine’s earthiness begins to meld with the blueberry and chocolate richness. But it’s all completely primary. Put this away for ten years, and drink the Napanook while it matures.

Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.
Subregion	Napa Valley
Appellation	Yountville
Climat/Vineyard	Napanook Vineyard

Producer	Dominus : With an Estate motto, “Napa terroir, Bordeaux spirit,” it’s safe to assume that Dominus is where Old World crashes into New World winemaking. The saying is fitting as there is a rich history in both the 103-acre vineyard West of Yountville, as well as the proprietor who has a deep family tradition of winemaking in Bordeaux. The site that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940’s and 1950’s has become a Napa Valley giant with the power, style and finesse of a classic Bordeaux. The historic Napanook Vineyard dates back to the 1850’s when the land was first cultivated. Many vintners’ hands have been in the soil here, but it most notably became of incredible quality in the 1940’s when Inglenook enjoyed great success in Napanook. John Daniel, a well-known vintner and pioneer in Napa, purchased the property in 1946 and the fruit from Napanook was integral to Inglenook wines between 1946 and 1964. Inglenook sold, but the Napanook Vineyard was retained and ultimately handed down to his daughters, Robin Lail and Marsha Smith. During this time, a young Christian Moueix, who had been studying Oenology at Davis had fallen in love with California. With an already impressive resume and family heritage of wine making, Moueix, mostly due to his work in Pomerol and family Chateaux of Petrus, Trotanoy, and La Fleur Petrus, began working at Beaulieu Vineyards in an attempt to learn more about viticulture practices in the Golden State. In 1982, through an introduction via Robert Mondavi, Moueix and the daughters of John Daniel come into a partnership and Dominus bottled its first vintage in 1983. By 1995 Moueix had become the sole proprietor. Moueix chose the name Dominus or “Lord of the Estate” in Latin, to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land. The property consists of 3 unique soil types; gravel based volcanic soil, clay and loam on a rolling terroir. The vineyard is dry-farmed allowing the vines to draw deeply on the land’s unique geology. Moueix is meticulous in his viticulture and winemaking strategy, with the objective of producing wines that are pure, balanced and complex. His minimal intervention and restraint throughout the process of grape berry selection and fermentation preserves the fruit. This results in tremendous potential for aging, and for conveying the personality of the historic vineyard. Both the Flagship, Dominus Estate and the Napanook second wine are primarily comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to round out a well-balanced Bordeaux styled wine bred in the soil of Napa Valley. While the flagship certainly has potential to age 20 plus years, the Napanook has earned its own personality known for its ability to drink early and being food friendly. It too however, over the years has developed into a more complex wine earning the potential of aging at least 10 years. Between the two bottlings there is an annual production rate of 12,000 cases, though the flagship rarely produces over 5,000 of those cases due to a strict and diligent picking process. Christian Moueix, “The Lord of the Estate,” over a well committed period of time has developed one of Napa’s greatest Estates. Hailing from California, having roots in France, Dominus Estate has risen to the forefront of Napa Valley. This clashing of New and Old World winemaking has created a unique niche and one that collectors and enthusiasts have become elated over. Napa terroir, Bordeaux Spirit… how can there be a more accurate depiction of this incredible Estate.

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