Dominus Estate (6 Liter Bottle) 2007

Professional Ratings

• 98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The soon-to-be-released 2007 Dominus is a 5,400-case blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the practitioner of utterly profound Merlot-based wines from St.-Emilion and Pomerol, eschews Merlot from his Napa vineyard, recognizing that it is Cabernet Sauvignon, and to a lesser extent Cabernet Franc, that hits the high notes in Napa. A prodigious example of Dominus, the 2007 represents a hypothetical blend of a Pomerol, Pauillac, and a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-colored with a sweet nose of incense, cedar wood, black currants, black cherries, licorice, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs, it is an expansive, savory, opulent wine with a full-bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, and sensational concentration. A legend in the making, it should evolve for 25-30 years, possibly longer given the fact that his vintages from the early eighties are still going strong, and the wines today are better made given Moueix-s Napa experience and the estate winery he did not have 25 years ago.

  Perhaps the finest vintage at Dominus since their historic 1994s and 1991s is 2007, although I am also a big fan of what they achieved in 2001, 2002, and 2006. Lastly, when I visit this winery they always open a fresh bottle and also have a bottle that has been decanted for an hour or two. The decanted bottles definitely reveal more aromatic complexity and breadth of flavor, so readers may wish to aerate the wines prior to service.

• 97 Wine Enthusiast
  Easily the greatest Dominus in memory. Comes down on the drier, lower alcohol and less ripe side than many Cabs in its league, yet lacks for nothing in complexity and sheer deliciousness. Tantalizes with blackberry tart, cherry, carob bean and a Pinot Noir-esque cola-rhubarb richness that retreats behind rich tannins and an earthiness sugessting sweet blond tobacco and dried sage.Clearly ageable, it will develop bottle complexity over the next 12 years, at least. It's 94% Cabernet Sauvignon with a few drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
• 96 Wine & Spirits
  Pure cabernet in its curranty blackness, this is a top vintage of Dominus: It has a precision and elegance of a wine from a great vineyard. the aromas of currants and Black figs meld with the mineral tightness of the tannin; there's a suppleness to the tannin that points up red tones in the fruit, seeiming to glow from within. The wine is comfortint and challenging at once, holding its freshness and bearing as it evolves over the course of several days. this should thrive in the cellar for two decades or more.
• 93 James Suckling
  Lots of forest berries and flowers in the nose. On the palate it is thick and very rich, with big plummy fruit and a light raisin aftertaste. Chewy, round, and very generous on the palate. This still needs some time to come together. Leave this alone for another three to four years. Pull the cork in 2014.