Winemaker Notes
#58 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
Domus Aurea is the the result of skillful winemakers and the best possible natural conditions. Neither its texture nor its flavor, round and pleasant tannins, will ever be forgotten. So much, so that the happy drinkers of this piece of art do feel they know the secrets of the Maipo Valley.
Among the promises of Domus Aurea are its eucalyptus notes, the balance and freshness of its cherries and its delicate orange zest wrapped in subtle chocolate. Nevertheless, the fact that the whole process is oriented by the same respect for tradition and the terroir, makes every vintage a unique wine.
This wine is unfiltered to preserve the original flavor and integrity, which will be much appreciated if you guard it for a long time.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2019 was warmer and especially drier than 2018, and the 2019 Domus Aurea, produced with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, hits the scale at 15.5% alcohol and retained 3.69 grams of unfermented sugar. The grapes underwent a five-day cold soak and fermented in stainless steel, and the wine went through full malolactic in new oak barrels (the best lots) and stainless steel and matured in 225-liter French oak barrels, 80% of them new, for 20 months. It has the textbook notes of mint and eucalyptus, intermixed with exotic spices (cola nut and Jamaica pepper), quite aromatic, with notes of crème de cassis and good ripeness. It has the Domus character from the mountains and the stones with that dry sensation and austere palate.
-
Tasting Panel
Dried heather and black peppercorn add to the savory boldness of this single-vineyard, old-vine cab. With dusty tannins and a chewy texture, it possesses a meaty middle of blackberry, balsamic, and plum skin that leads to a remarkably generous and lengthy finish.”
-
Wine Enthusiast
Aniseed, cumin and black fruit aromas are found in the glass of this aromatic red. On the palate, it's smooth, balanced, and flavorful. It displays intense notes of blackberry and plum, with hints of spices. Silky tannins and vibrant acidity provide a good structure. The finish is long and delicious.
-
Wine Spectator
Aromatically engaging, with eucalyptus and briny olive notes paving the way, while river mint nuances dance around a rich core of blackberry and cassis. Lengthens out nicely midpalate, with iron-tinged minerality, singed orange peel and cocoa notes arriving on the finish around thick but well-integrated tannins. Distinctive for its savory qualities, but will have fans.
-
Wine & Spirits
The Quebrada de Macul vineyard often gives a strong eucalyptus note to its young cabernet, apparent in this 2019. The fruit has a sweet tobacco and cherry character, edged for now with pyrazines that need to integrate. Domus has a track record of aging into an elegant wine in eight to 20 years.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.