Winemaker Notes
The wine, estate bottled, calls to mind "authenticity, purity and radiance."
Ulysses is a distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It should be decanted prior to serving.
The first vintage, Ulysses 2012, is a finely sculpted wine with elegance and lift.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Subtle aromas of crushed berries and tile. Mushrooms. Almost dusty. Full to medium body, powdery tannins and mouthfeel. Bright acidity that gives the wine beautiful and enticing freshness. Gentle and ethereal red. The first vintage of the new wine from the owners of Dominus. The vineyard is located in Oakville near Vine Hill. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Ulysses (800 cases) is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest other Bordeaux varietals. A structured, dense purple wine that displays plenty of cedar wood, crème de cassis, licorice and graphite, the wine is full-bodied, rich, backward and dense, but beautifully pure fruit and an almost Pontet-Canet-like purity and density are hallmarks of this brilliant wine. Forget it for 4-5 years and drink it over the following 20-25.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.