Le Dome 2015
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Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James - Decanter
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Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Le Dome has a drop dead gorgeous perfume of violets, black forest cake, rose hip and red jelly with touches of lavender, spice cake and earth. The palate is medium to full-bodied and super intense with super ripe, super fine-grained tannins, wonderful freshness and a very long perfumed, mineral-laced finish.
Rating: 98+ -
Wine Enthusiast
This is a densely concentrated wine with dark plum and spice flavors. It has so much perfumed character from the dominant Cabernet Franc. It will develop into a beautiful wine with charm and richness yet for now it will need to age. Barrel Sample: 96-98
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Jeb Dunnuck
What could be considered the flagship wine of the estate (although most wines are single vineyards raised identically), the 2015 Le Dome is the normal blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot that's from a parcel located down on the slopes of the Saint Emilion plateau. This beauty boasts a deep, saturated purple color to go with a huge, exotic notes of blueberry and cassis fruit intermixed with notions of crushed flowers, mint, violets, and cassis, crushed flowers, violets, and hints of earth. With full-bodied richness, phenomenal purity of fruit, and a sexy, seductive texture, it's another knockout wine from this estate.
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James Suckling
Very suave and attractively cast aromas of violets, blueberries, plums and dark chocolate with spicy, cedary notes and slate-like nuances. The palate’s velvety, fleshy and smooth with dark berries, chocolate and roasted-coffee flavors set in ribbon-like, silky tannins. Try from 2022.
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Decanter
80% Cabernet Franc. Fresh, floral and perfumed. A long way from its original (concentrated, oaky) style. Lovely, refined, velvety texture and carefully matted tannins. Freshness and persistence on the finish. Elegance and harmony.
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Wine Spectator
A solid version, in the extracted style, with plum and fig paste flavors laced with notes of ganache, warm tobacco and licorice. Offers a toasty finish, but the fruit pushes through well enough, showing a nice swath of loam. A little cellaring will stretch this out further. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.