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1990 was the first vintage (4,756 cases produced) and one of the most abundant before the replanting became essential because of phylloxera, and was again made at Robert Pepi. However, the percentage of Cabernet Franc jumped to 10% in the final blend. Mia Klein, who worked with Tony Soter, was part of the winemaking team. This wine performed beautifully, and had that Château Margaux-like finesse, elegance and richness. Beautiful blackcurrant notes, graphite, rose petal and licorice, were all present in this deep ruby/plum-colored wine that came across like a Napa version of a first-growth Médoc. It is medium to full-bodied, with beautiful, integrated tannin, acidity and wood. This should continue to drink well for another 10-15-plus years.Robert Parker | 95 RPStill young and firm, this delivers spicy plum and chocolate flavors; it’s polished, balanced and intense. Approachable now.--Spottswoode vertical. Best after 2000. 4,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dalla Valle’s 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a worthy successor to the blockbuster 1990 and 1991. Huge, sweet aromas of black fruits, spices, and oak are followed by a wine with great fruit extraction, full body, layers of richness, and that multidimensional, layered feel that this producer routinely obtains. The flattering personality of the 1992 has resulted in a more unctuous and voluptuous wine than even the 1991 or 1990. Moreover, it will have 15+ years of aging potential.Robert Parker | 95 RPIntense and dark-colored, with deeply concentrated currant, anise, pencil lead and cedary oak flavors. Continues to reveal exceptional depth and concentration, with a long, fruity finish and firm tannins.--’92 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2010. 2,700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 1992 Dominus, of which there are 7,000 cases made from a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, and the remainder Petit Verdot, is an opulent, opaquely concentrated wine with great ripeness of fruit, and a huge nose of earth, black-cherries, mocha, and herbs. Full-bodied, with a layered, multidimensional personality, adequate acidity, and a super finish, this should prove to be another fabulous Dominus for drinking over the next 20-25 years. It is more forward than the 1991 or 1990.Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 1992 Dominus is gorgeous, bursting from the glass in a blaze of mentholated black cherries, loamy soil and forest floor, and following through on the palate with a compelling marriage of bright fruit and a supple, expansive texture. The cooler vintage has made for a great deal of aromatic complexity and capacity to refresh, without losing any Napa generosity. Delicious wine. Drinking Window 2016 - 2025Decanter | 93 DECVery deep red-ruby. Very complex aromas of raspberry, licorice, road tar, lead pencil and mint; a faint vegetal nuance adds to its complexity. Fat, supple, sweet and mouthfilling, but can’t match the ’94 for sheer substance, nuance or depth. Finishes powerful and very ripe, with dusty, substantial tannins and a hint of alcohol. This will age more on its tannins than on its rather soft acidity.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon, which I have drunk with great pleasure despite its backwardness, possesses a full-bodied, multi-layered personality, with plenty of tannin, but sufficient earthy, black currant/plum-like fruit to balance out the wine’s structure. With an opaque purple color, a high tannin level, and gorgeous layers of fruit and intensity, it will be at its peak after 4-6 years of cellaring, and will last for 20-25 years. I don’t think I need to reinforce the fact that these offerings are extremely difficult to find, but isn’t that the way it always is with such extraordinary wines?Robert Parker | 94 RPImpressive for its richness, depth and concentration, this is a tightly wound, well-focused Cabernet that exhibits a wonderful pure core of currant, black cherry and blackberry fruit that’s remarkably youthful. For all its depth and complexity, it ends up being elegant and sophisticated.--California Cabernet ’74/’84/’94 retrospective. Drink now through 2014. 2,800 cases made. — JLWine Spectator | 94 WS(13.5% alcohol): Full dark red. Pure but subdued aromas and flavors of currant, leather and balsamic cedar, plus a hint of dried flowers. Sweet, lush and suave in texture but with nicely integrated acidity giving shape and lift to the middle palate. Finishes with sweet, granular tannins and excellent energy and lift. Delicious now but there’s no rush to drink it.Vinous Media | 92 VM

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!Dominus's production has grown to approximately 8,000 cases of their flagship wine, Dominus.Robert Parker | 95 RPReally impressed how balanced and refined the wine is. The texture is so silky and beautiful, and the fruit pure, even more satisfying. Perfect to drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSFull, saturated red-ruby. Dusty black cherry, plum, game, woodsmoke, herbs and a suggestion of leafy cabernet franc on the nose. Thick and lush in the mouth, with the extravagant sweetness of the best '96s. This has good structure and grip, but there plenty of deep fruit to buffer the substantial tannins. This wine and the '97 were both vinified by David Ramey before he moved on to Rudd Estate.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is the first release of Napanook, the second wine from Dominus. It has lovely, approachable fruit in the red-cherry, red-plum spectrum; the finish is medium length and silky. It's tasting very good now, and should improve in bottle over the next three to five years. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 13% Petit Verdot.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEComplex, with mature herb, currant, anise and sage notes that are reminiscent of an aged Bordeaux. Ends with a supple texture, fine-grained tannins and good length.--1996 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Close to perfection, the saturated blue/black-colored 1997 Maya exhibits complex aromatics of creme de cassis, smoke, spice box, iron, and espresso. The wine has a viscous texture, huge, concentrated, ripe fruit, remarkable body, and a seamless, multi-layered finish. The tannin, acidity, and alcohol are all beautifully integrated. This is profound stuff! Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.Robert Parker | 99 RPSaturated full ruby. Explosive aromas of blackberry, black cherry, bitter chocolate, camphor, black licorice and violet. Extremely dense and thick without being heavy. Superb flavor intensity and depth. The thoroughly ripe tannins coat the entire palate. The slow-mounting, extremely long finish offers wonderful grip and vibrancy. A great vintage for Maya.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Saturated ruby-red. Multidimensional nose offers a panoply of scents: black plum, currant, leather, smoked meat, cigar ash, lead pencil, sandalwood, dark chocolate, licorice, brown sugar. Very bright and sharply defined; flavors of plum, leather, hot stones and lead pencil. An impeccably balanced wine of compelling sweetness, but rather dominated today by its structure. Strong, thoroughly ripe tannins spread out to coat the entire palate. Very long and subtle. This was bottled last June, a couple months later than the Napanook wine.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 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 | 94 RPDeep berry, cinnamon, briar and mint aromas. Firm, even backwards, it is trim and elegant, yet solid. Black fruit and bitter-chocolate flavors abound. The finish is especially tight, with dry tannins and complex mineral and earth elements. Huge but refined, the quintessential iron fist in a velvet glove; it needs time.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA wine of substance and depth. Dark, rich and polished, with complex notes of earthy, meaty currant, anise, spice, cedar and leather, fanning out on the finish. Young and concentrated. Better than previously reviewed. Best from 2002 through 2012. 8,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A brilliant showing for Christian Moueix’s well-known Napanook Vineyard, the 2001 Dominus is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. A classic in the making, this is a flawless, seamless example of elegant, complex Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that possesses a Bordeaux-like personality. This gorgeous, sexy, opulent, dense ruby/purple-colored wine reveals sweet caramel, mocha, creme de cassis and kirsch notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast as well as underbrush. Ripe, long and full-bodied with well-integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood, this prodigious 2001 is drinkable now and over the next 25+ years given this estate’s longevity track record. A virtually perfect wine, it is one of the most complex 2001s at present.Robert Parker | 98 RPAs good as the 2001 Napanook is, this wine is more intense. The fruit is lusher, the oak newer, the control more complete, but the kicker is the tannins. They’re powerful and dusty, and conceal the flamboyance, for now. Needs time.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEGood ruby-red. Superripe aromas of plum, cherry, licorice, mocha, smoke and minerals. At once sweet and gripping, with very intense, nuanced flavors of cherry, plum, currant, tobacco, minerals and currant leaf. Despite the very high pH of 4.01, this shows no shortage of energy in the mouth. A muscular, firmly tannic, serious wine for aging. (A second sample that had been decanted for four hours prior to my visit was sweeter and more seamless, but still showed solid tannic spine.)Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) 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 savoury wine that is surprisingly mature for such a large-scaled, structured vintage. (Drink between 2016-2021)Decanter | 92 DECThis is very precise and focused with red fruits with polished and round tannins. One note to it. But beautiful and delicious. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JS

The 2002 boasts an inky/purple color along with notes of graphite, violets, blackberries, creme de cassis and hints of charcoal and barbecue in addition to a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel that builds incrementally with great purity, staggering fruit concentration, and a long, velvety, 50+-second finish. This prodigious effort should continue to drink well for 20+ years.One of my all-time favorite vintages for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 was warmer overall than 2001, but was cooler in May and throughout the summer. Unusually foggy conditions were apparent in July and August, and by September, when a warming trend began, the weather became remarkably dry and beautiful. That was followed by cool weather in early October, which allowed the grapes to be harvested under textbook conditions. Napa’s 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines tend to be flamboyant, All-American, juicy and extroverted with relatively high alcohols. There are 15,000 cases of the 2002 Insignia, a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec that hit 14.4% alcohol. Eighty-five percent of the fruit came from the estate vineyards and the balance from growers. I wish I had purchased more of this spectacular wine for my personal collection.Robert Parker | 100 RPRich flavors fan out, the way you hope for, coating the palate with layers of currant, fresh earth, mineral, cedar, tobacco, mocha, black licorice and espresso. The tannins are firm and the structure built for a longer haul. Very much in its infancy still at age 10, it finds that unusual bridge between dense Napa fruit and a Bordeaux build. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.--2002 California Cabernet blind retrospective (May 2012). Drink now through 2032. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA luscious vintage of Insignia, this ’02 has the sleek feel of fine Napa Valley cabernet. There’s fragrant red berry and forest-floor character at the center of the wine, then blacker currant flavors and tannin softened by luxurious oak in the end. Touches of super-ripeness add to the richness without diminishing the wine’s freshness. Readily enjoyable now, and balanced to mature through 2010.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S(from a year featuring three heat spikes in September): Full red-ruby. Slightly roasted, high-toned black raspberry nose show a slightly pruney ripeness (the VA here was a relatively elevated 0.85). Creamy, plush and sweet, displaying excellent breadth and still-considerable baby fat. This was quite flashy on release but now seems to be in an adolescent phase. Big, building tannins saturate the tongue and front teeth. Winemaker Hepworth described it as "like a teenager, and without the suavity of tannins of the 2001." I’d leave it alone for at least a couple more years, at which point it may well merit a higher score.Vinous Media | 92+ VMThis celebrated wine is not mind-blowing right now. It’s dry, oaky, tannic and soft. There’s a wealth of cassis and moo shu pork flavors, and huge new oak. Yet it holds itself back, teasing but withdrawing into its tannic cloak. Collectors, be reassured it’s worth stashing. Drink now through 2010, but after that, it’s a gamble.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2002 Opus One is a big step up from the 2001. Freshly cut flowers, juicy raspberries, anise and sweet spices literally jump from the glass in an Opus One that is all about opulence and huge, voluptuous fruit. Juicy, vibrant and impeccably balanced, the 2002 is firing on all cylinders today. The creamy, layered finish is simply impeccable. This is a fabulous showing. In 2002 Opus One is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 95 VMI tend to think that recent vintages of Opus One are even greater than vintages made during this era, but the 2002 is certainly one of the top wines Opus has produced during the early part of this century. It boasts a dense plum/purple hue along with a striking bouquet of graphite, toasty oak, creme de cassis and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, opulent and young, it offers accessibility as well as silky tannins. A thoroughly complete wine that is pure and rich, it tastes like a hypothetical blend of a great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon married to a Bordeaux Pauillac. Bravo! It will benefit from 2-3 more years of cellaring and should keep for 20-25 thereafter.Robert Parker | 94 RPConcentrated, rich layers of black cherry fruit, with savoury spice, anise and ground coffee bean, black chocolate and deep blackcurrant and bilberry fruits. This is intense, perhaps a little too much in that it ends a touch abruptly. Lowest yield of the decade, which explains this tight feel. It's got years ahead of it, will be interesting to see it evolves from here. 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 32 days skin contact. Drinking Window 2019 - 2034.Decanter | 93 DEC

The nearly perfect 2002 Proprietary Red Wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the rest dollops of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. This exotic, full-throttle, nearly over-the-top red wine’s intensity, richness and smoky coffee notes intermixed with notions of chocolate, graphite, and jammy blackberry and black currant fruit ooze from the glass. This rich, concentrated beauty tastes more like a top-notch, young Right Bank Bordeaux from a vintage such as 2009 than a wine dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. With stunning purity and awesome potential, it can be drunk now or cellared for another two decades.Robert Parker | 99 RPDisplaying extraordinary aromatics, this shows a wealth of flavor, finesse, richness and grace. Pure, sleek cherry, berry and pomegranate notes are woven together with enticing floral scents. Keeps gaining depth and dimension without weight. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. -- 2002 California Cabernet blind retrospective (May 2012). Drink now through 2022. 2,621 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(75% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot and 1% each cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec) Full medium ruby. Brooding, medicinal aromas of black fruits. Sweet, chewy and deep, with flavors of dark berries, violet, minerals and game freshened by harmonious acidity. Finishes long and ripe, with fine, sweet, building tannins. Green notes that the merlot in this blend is actually tighter and less fleshy than the cabernet.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2004 St. Eden, which comes from a valley floor vineyard in Oakville, is another dead ringer for a great Pauillac, possibly a young Mouton. Dense bluish/purple in color with stunning notes of cedarwood, unsmoked high-quality cigar tobacco, crème de cassis and espresso roast, this wine has fabulous fruit, density and a full-bodied, youthful mouthfeel, wonderful balance and purity, and a terrific finish that goes on for close to a minute. This is also relatively open, but slightly more structured than the Melbury. There’s no sense deferring gratification, so I would suggest drinking it over the next 15-20 years, possibly longer.Robert Parker | 98 RPBrilliant aromatics here, just stupendously attractive. Among the sweetest and most approachable of Harlan’s current stable, it’s also complex and ageworthy. Fairly tannic now, with a refined sandpapery grittiness coating pure flavors of ripe cherries, plums and blackberries and their associated liqueurs. The finish is so long, balanced and harmonious. It’s hard to imagine that this won’t be one to age 12–15 years.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDark red. Very ripe aromas of plum, currant and cocoa powder, complicated by a balsamic note and dusty minerality. At once savory and sweet, with the element of balsamic development carrying through onto the palate. Suave in texture but doesn’t show the energy or delineation of the 2005 version. These tannins are finer-grained than I recall but the finish is a touch warm.Vinous Media | 93 VMSuperripe yet supple and balanced, with deep, enticing blackberry, ripe plum and wild berry fruit that’s rich and concentrated, with a long, persistent finish. The tannins are firm and structured. Best from 2009 through 2015. 600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Like so many 2004s, the 2004 Dominus is a full-bodied wine showing brilliantly at age ten, with loads of complex cedar, kirsch, Christmas fruitcake, black currants and spice box. It has a creamy, opulent texture, but remains light on its feet. This sexy wine is showing exceptionally well and is best drunk over the next 10-15 years. Not one of the longest-lived wines from Dominus, but it is certainly at a wonderful point in its evolution right now.Robert Parker | 97 RP(14.1% alcohol): Bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Superripe but highly complex nose exudes scents of blueberry, violet, minerals, licorice, game and cocoa powder. Plush and seamless on the palate, conveying a wonderfully silky mouth feel to the dark fruit, coffee and licorice flavors; less animal in character than some other very ripe vintages of Dominus. This wonderfully suave, sweet, youthful wine finishes with slowly mounting, very fine-grained tannins and considerable class.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is fleshed-out, engagingly seductive, creamy-textured and rich in flavor, with purity, focus and depth, made special by supple, graceful nuances. Long, intricate and delicate on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.—2004 California Cabernet blind retrospective (August 2014). Drink now through 2022. 5,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Hobbs was one of the first to recognize the brilliance of Oakville’s Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard, and he has produced several wines that were either perfect, or pushing perfection. This 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard reveals that haunting, almost indescribable bouquet of red and black fruits, spring flowers, and subtle hint of lead pencil shavings that aromatically blows away the taster. If one could have a 100-point bouquet, this is it. Moreover, the flavors don’t let the taster down. Nearly as powerful and rich as the 2002, this full-bodied 2004 is a glorious, classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that has been flawlessly vinified. The enormity of the mid-palate, texture and skyscraper-like mouthfeel with no heaviness result in a prodigious effort that is one of the top four or five wines of the vintage. This spectacular wine can be drunk now or cellared for another two decades.Robert Parker | 99 RPThis pushes ripeness to the edge, yet it’s balanced, with spicy currant, cedary oak and hints of anise and cassis that are complex and deep without being heavy. The tannins are ripe and polished. Best from 2008 through 2015. 534 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(14.8% alcohol): Deep, bright ruby. Wild, high-toned, slightly funky aromas of black raspberry, truffle, herbs and mocha. Sweet and a bit truffley on the palate. Ultimately a bit drier than the Stagecoach Vineyard example, with dusty tannins that are not quite as well supported by mid-palate ripeness of fruit. More sweetness emerges with air, though.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot (note that rarely is any Merlot utilized at the historic Napanook Estate in Yountville). The alcohol, by California standards, is a relatively modest 14.1%. Blending the best of French savoir faire with the brilliant fruit purity and ripeness of Napa Valley, Moueix has turned in another tour de force that seems far superior today than it did when it was first released. This is one of the vintage’s greatest wines. Dense purple and youthful, with a glorious nose of earth, blackcurrants, sweet black cherries and incense, the oak is pushed way in the background, as it is in all of the Moueix wines, and the result is a wine of terroir, of great originality and authenticity. This full-bodied classic from Dominus can be drunk now, but really won’t hit its prime for another 4-5 years and last at least another two decades or more.Robert Parker | 98 RPDark red-ruby. Knockout nose combines raspberry, plum, mocha, game, minerals and tobacco. Offers alluring Right Bank sweetness but also superb energy and definition; a lovely combination of Old World nuance and dark Napa Valley fruit. As suave and fine-grained as this wine is, it’s also penetrating and gripping, stony and high-pitched. Finishes with terrific tannic spine and mineral reserve. This very youthful wine still has upside.Vinous Media | 95 VMMore balanced than the overripe 2004, the ’05 Dominus is marked by dryness and firm tannins. It’s an obvious cellar candidate. Those tannins, along with unresolved acidity, give the wine a tough, almost rustic grittiness now. But there’s an enormous core of black currants, crushed blackberries, anise and cedar that’s deep and balanced. Should develop bottle complexity over many years, perhaps as long as 15.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEI appreciate the subtle complexity here. Aromas of dried herbs, currant bush, and sweet tobacco. Full bodied, with a lovely balance of fruit and spices. Very long and refined. This is open and pretty right now, no need to wait.James Suckling | 91 JSThis vintage produced a more feminine style than is typical of Dominus. It’s bright, sweet and floral, with scents of candied violets over chocolate-rich tannins. There is a grit and detail to those tannins, but it is masked for now in youthful fruit. There’s also a zest to the wine that implies it has the energy to live long into maturity.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

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 JSThere 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 RPBright 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+ VMUnless 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 WEYouthfully 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

A very opulent, yet fresh nose. Perfumed with fresh mushrooms, currants, and blackberries. Full bodied with an amazing density of fruit, and ripe velvety tannins. So big and compacted, with a superb structure. Very 2006 in style but with much more intensity. The fruit amazing and intense. Leave this for another five or six years. 900 cases. Pull the cork after 2016. 15+25+24+34. Find the wineJames Suckling | 98 JSPotentially a candidate for perfection, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the finest Bryant Family wine since the aforementioned 1997. Striking aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, flowers, smoke, truffles, and sweet berries lead to a wine with profound concentration, a silky, layered mouthfeel, perfect integration of tannin and wood, and remarkable depth, intensity, and balance. The finish lasts nearly a minute. This stunning Cabernet should age nicely for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPAt points rustic and rough-hewn, but also enormously complex and layered, with dense, elegant herb, olive, cedar, blackberry and wild berry fruit that is full-blown and tightly focused, rich and layered, gaining velocity on the finish while retaining a sense of wildness. Best from 2012 through 2024. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(14.9%): Healthy ruby-red. Wild plum, dark berries, musky espresso, mocha and graphite on the varietally expressive nose. Shows wonderful mineral verve but this utterly seamless wine still conveys a musky suggestion of reduction. It's also more red than black fruit in style and shows its site more than the vintage character. Really lovely inner-mouth aromatic perfume here. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely slowly building lift. This wine blew away many of the portier, clunkier examples in my 2007 group tastings but it may need earlier drinking than some vintages of Bryant. The silky, seamless finish features a light touch and terrific spice and mocha lift.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Made in a more masculine style, the 2008 Dominus has all of that along with bigger body and more structure, fat, density and texture. Both are brilliant wines and they represent the finest back-to-back vintages for Dominus since 2001 and 2002 or 1990 and 1991. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years.This estate, owned by Christian Moueix, includes the famed Napanook Vineyard that was the base of so many of the historic Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignons of the 1950s and 1960s. Interestingly, they have completely eliminated Merlot from the bottling. The 2007 Dominus is a 5,400-case blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There are 4,200 cases of the 2008 Dominus which is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Lower yields resulted in a denser, more concentrated wine. The remarkable thing about these cuvees is that they smell like a hypothetical blend of a top Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and a serious Bordeaux, possibly a cross blend of a Pomerol and Pauillac. Both wines possess silky sweet tannins, which is the big difference between Dominus post-1990 and the first seven vintages, where the tannin content was relatively high. About 40% new oak is used in their upbringing.P.S. In a couple of years, readers should be on the look-out for a new estate wine from Christian Moueix. One mile north of the Napanook Vineyard, Moueix has purchased a 36-acre, already planted parcel known as the Schmidt Ranch. I tasted some of the 2009 barrel samples and this appears to be another promising venture with a completely different personality a more obviously Napa Valley/Cabernet Sauvignon, ripe style of wine than the more elegant, complex Dominus. I’m not sure what the name will be, but it will definitely not be called the Schmidt Ranch.Robert Parker | 99 RPNow 30 years old, this venture is a Californian classic. But the real success is how Christian Moueix, proprietor of Pétrus, so fine-tuned his approach with Cabernet while turning his back on Merlot. The 2008 is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. While oak may be Napa’s mainstay, Dominus sees just 40% new barrels, leaving its fate more to a relentless focus on sorting and the Napanook vineyard’s sublime soils. A sweet floral edge enlivens creamy blackberry, sandalwood and gravelly mineral, with wellrobed tannins that only appear at the finish. For all the flesh, this has long-lived savoury nuance. Drinking Window 2013 - 2028Decanter | 97 DECThis is very pure fruit for Dominus. This will be interesting to see how it develops in the future. 2008 was a very small crop. Very perfumed and beautiful, with currants, flowers, and notes of mint. Full-bodied, with round velvety tannins that lead up to a chocolate and ripe berry finish. This is showing great fruit, and a great finish. Structurally this is like a 2005 La Mission. Best after 2014.James Suckling | 95 JSVery Bordeaux-like in its makeup and structure, this firm wine offers good acidity and tight tannins, delivering complex flavors of loamy earth, vivid dried currant and berry, with anise and mineral notes sprinkled in. My favorite young Dominus of late. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2022. 4,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(a blend of 83% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot): Good full red-ruby. Fresher on the nose than the Napanook, showing raspberry, plum, mocha and tobacco aromas. Round and plummy in the mouth, with a restrained sweetness to the flavors of milk chocolate, mocha and licorice. A wine of moderate ripeness for the vintage, and in a shell today. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and notes of plum, mocha and chocolate. I don’t find quite the structure or grip of the best years.Vinous Media | 93 VMA short crop of concentrated berries produced this grand vintage of Dominus, one that will need long aging to show its best. Decant it if you open the bottle now, allowing the initial cabernet franc scent of green herbs to integrate—Josiah Baldivino of Michael Mina in San Francisco described it as “adding a fine detail, like a pocket square in a suit.” Air brings out the full stature of the wine, its black cherry richness, violet scents and silken texture. For provençal lamb.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SAnother fine Dominus, dry, well-structured and ageworthy. Lacks the flashiness of the dramatic 2007, but is still ripe and rich enough to drink now, and should develop over the next six years. Rewards for the depth of blackberries, cassis, blueberries and cedar, wrapped into plush tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2008 Sloan Estate is racy and totally elegant from start to finish. It shows gorgeous freshness and vibrancy in its expressive dark red fruit, flowers, licorice and tobacco. Today the 2008 comes across as a relatively understated, subdued vintage for this wine. It should be absolutely fabulous in another few years. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP(14.8% alcohol): Bright medium ruby. Pure and high-pitched if reticent on the nose, offering aromas of blackberry, licorice, violet, menthol and sweet oak lifted by an element of dusty stone. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained and light on its feet, with a sexy oak element complementing the black raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Very dense but not at all heavy, showing terrific floral energy and a light touch for this bottling, with no sign of dehydrated berries. The fruit still conveys a distinctly primary character but the wine’s verve makes it delicious already--in fact, I’m tempted to say that anyone who doesn’t love this is a spoilsport or a masochist. Wonderfully harmonious wine with the underlying spine to support a long evolution in bottle. The substantial dusty tannins show some obvious new oak.Vinous Media | 95 VMA rich, maturing Napa cabernet sauvignon with rich redcurrant-jelly character and a lot of subtle notes, ranging from cedar to savory chocolate caramel. Then comes a much more serious structure on the palate than the nose suggested, the tannins firm but well integrated. Long finish with some mineral character. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

Phenomenal aromas and flavors of pure fruit with stones and rock. Turns to mint and eucalyptus. Full body, with powerful yet polished tannins. Creamy and fresh. Changes continually. The finish goes on for minutes Savory. And juicy.James Suckling | 99 JSComposed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2009 IX Estate exhibits a flowery bouquet with notes of subtle smoke, blackberries, black currants, kirsch and baking spices. Rich, deep and full-bodied, this voluptuous, sensational blend boasts an inky/purple color. While approachable, it should hit its stride in 4-5 years and last for two to three decades.Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 2009 IX Estate is deep garnet in color. It needs a swirl or two to bring out notes of creme de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, and blueberry preserves, followed by suggestions of cigar box, graphite, red loam, and tapenade. The palate is rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully bold, with bright, slow-maturing black fruits and firm, ripe grainy tannins, finishing long with saline and gentle herbal layers.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIFull, deep ruby. Deep aromas of dark fruits, spices, smoky oak and flowers, plus a whiff of game. Utterly plush and mouthfilling but not at all heavy, showing serious thickness and high-altitude density to its sweet blue and black fruit, spice and chocolate flavors. And yet this wine’s floral element gives it an almost light touch, if that’s possible. Some subtle soil tones reminded me of the outstanding Syrah from this site on Pritchard Hill. Finishes with substantial but noble tannins and terrific length.Vinous Media | 96 VMA muscle-bound effort, tight, dense and chewy, with tar, blackberry, cedar and tobacco flavors. Ends with a pleasant wall of tannins and a persistent push of flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2030. 1,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2009 Dominus is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet colored, it rolls easily, sensuously out of the glass with evolving fruit notes of baked blackcurrants, plum preserves, mulberries and fruitcake plus underlying suggestions of charcuterie, camphor, chocolate-covered cherries and candied violets with just a touch of cast iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in balance, with loads of emerging black fruit and earthy layers and a solid line of finely grained tannins, finishing very long with a perfumed lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDeep ruby opaque colored, the 2009 Dominus is a killer bottle of wine made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot. Loaded with notions of black currants, black cherries, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and crushed flowers, this beauty is full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and decadent. Perfectly balanced, pure and layered, it’s a sensational wine and you should count yourself lucky if you have bottles of this in the cellar. It will keep for another two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDStunning nose of lavender and flowers. Currants and raspberries. Subtle and intriguing. Full and dense but wonderfully balanced with firm and silky tannins and a persistent finish. Dusty texture. A wine so balanced that you want to drink it already. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 98 JSBright, full ruby-red. Highly complex, thoroughly ripe scents of black raspberry, cassis, dark plum, tar, tobacco, mocha and minerals, lifted by a violet topnote. Wonderfully suave and fine-grained but still quite youthful, spreading out to coat the palate without leaving any undue impression of weight. Shows a distinct black cherry medicinal reserve. This very smooth wine finishes with a broad dusting of ripe tannins and steadily building length. Approachable now owing to its successfully integrated acidity and tannins, but I'd rather give this beauty a bit more time in the cellar.Vinous Media | 94 VMDelightfully harmonious given its intensity, with complex aromas of savory herbs, flowers, ripe and dried currant and berry, crushed rock and cedar flavors. Well-proportioned, focused and persistent. Very youthful and vibrant. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2030. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWhile this is not the best Dominus vintage, it does show elegantly smooth tannins, dryness and earthiness that accompanies the black­berry and cassis fruit. It's curiously soft, which might limit its ageability. Shows an uncanny similarity to the 2000.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard gives up bold blackcurrant cordial, blackberry compote and raspberry pie scents with hints of chocolate-covered cherries, roses and lilacs plus hints of charcuterie and yeast extract. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant, with wonderful vivacity and perfume and a satiny texture with a very long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPPure sensuality in the glass, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard is going to be nearly impossible to resist in its youth. At the same time, the Kayli Morgan has a track record of developing beautifully in bottle, and I imagine that is exactly what will happen here. Cedar, spice box, cassis and plums burst from the glass in this impressive, layered wine. A hint of mocha develops later, but it is pretty clear the 2009 is playing its cards close to the vest. There is enough inner tension to make me think the 2009 has a very bright future. Jayson Woodbridge describes 2009 as a year with a tiny crop and equally small berries. It is also the year Woodbridge brought in a helicopter to dry out the fruit after the mid-October typhoon dropped a huge amount of rain on Napa Valley.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGPure and understated, with a charming mix of elegant ripe black cherry and plum, subtle fresh earth, tobacco and cedar, ending with fleshy, fine-grained tannins. Less opulent than prior vintages. Drink now through 2024. 600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS