Dominus Estate 2003

The 2003 Dominus is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot (14.1% alcohol). Remarkably, it is the 20th vintage for Christian Moueix. Always a Bordeaux-inspired wine with restraint yet substance as well as a textured richness, the 2003 exhibits a deep plum/ruby/purple color, a creamy, opulent texture, no hard edges, and a wonderful sweetness of foresty, black currant and cherry fruit mixed with underbrush and hints of Chinese black tea. Well-proportioned and full-bodied, yet never over-stated or out of balance, this is another beauty from Moueix. Drink it over the next 15+ years.

Complexing touches of dusty earth, pepper and nicely fit oak are comfortably tied to a good dose of clean, clearly defined curranty fruit in the nose of this fairly fleshy young Cabernet, and, while quite rich, the wine is never beholden to ripeness and is at once both weighty and exceptionally well-balanced. It is built along claret-like lines, but is rife with generous fruit, and its relative lack of bluster should not be taken as a sign that it somehow lacks the potential for age. Let it sit for three of four years, and do not be surprised if it improves for twice as long.