Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
An estate readers need to have on their radar, the 2019 Château La Dominique is a beautiful Saint-Emilion coming from the northern sector of the region, not far from the Pomerol Bordeaux, which might explain why I always find a Pomerol-like elegance in this wine. Redcurrants, black raspberries, sappy flowers, sandalwood, tobacco, and hints of damp earth all define the nose, and the wine is medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. Best after 2026.
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James Suckling
This is very perfumed, with dried flowers, chocolate and hints of nuts to the dark fruit, following through to a full body with layers of fruit and a ripe, rich finish. Plush and ripe, yet still formed and pointed. Needs time to open and come together. Try after 2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The third vintage produced by the new team that is trying to take this irregular estate adjacent to Cheval Blanc to new heights is the 2019 La Dominique. Offering up aromas of sweet berries, cherries, mocha and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, with juicy acids, supple tannins and an elegantly gourmand profile. This is a terrific effort that shows that this estate's fine performance in vintages such as 1998, 1990 and 1989 is not a thing of the past. Best After 2021
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.