Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This almost 100% Cabernet Franc single-vineyard wine is perfumed and ripe. The velvet tannins and ripe black fruits are fine, structured and with enormous potential. The wine is generous, opulent and worthy of serious aging. Drink from 2027.
Cellar Selection -
Decanter
Made with 80% Cabernet Franc. Possibly the most elegant and poised Le Dôme to date. Vibrant, perfumed nose with blueberry, cassis and violet notes. Pure and fresh on the palate with finely grained tannins. Lovely balance and tremendous length.
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James Suckling
Forthright vanilla oak announces this wine’s intentions right away. Floral, too. It’s generous and rather supple and chewy on the finish. Give it two or three years to soften.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Le Dôme was tasted directly after its lieutenant, the Vieux Château Mazerat, and to be frank I found that the latter had overtaken the Le Dôme in its slipstream. Sure, the Le Dôme comes replete with attractive black cherry, allspice and black truffle aromas, although I discerned more complexity conferred upon the Vieux Château Mazerat. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded, generous opening, quite rich and heady as usual, although the acidity keeps a rein on the things. It is a voluminous Le Dôme, but I still uphold that this would have benefited from a shorter cuvaison period.
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Wine Spectator
This has a pronounced tobacco leaf note out front, backed by a solid core of black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit. Shows a loamy hint on the broad, smoldering finish, where a light chalk echo adds range and cut. Best from 2020 through 2028.
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.