Lisa Perrotti Brown, October 2017, 100P: Bottled in July 2017 and composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the Dominus 2015 Proprietary Red Wine leaps from the glass with notes of fresh wild blueberries, crushed blackberries and black currant juice with touches of wild thyme, underbrush, iron ore and aniseed with wafts of lavender and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has incredible energy and vivacity, with the firm, pixelated tannins and lively backbone skillfully framing the muscular fruit, finishing with wonderful length and depth. Christian Moueix began our tasting of the 2015 vintage with a big smile. “We loved the vintage from the beginning,” he commented simply. Dominus winemaker Tod Mostero explained why 2015 was special: “We had a lot of winter rain—15 inches in December 2014. But then we had a very dry spring—just two inches in March and April. This equated to less vegetative growth, because when you have very little rain in spring, the vegetative growth tends to be limited. This means you need less water in the summer, since the vines prepare themselves for a dry growing season. Because we dry farm, the roots grow deeper and access water that normally wouldn’t be available. We had a similar profile in 2013. The 2015 temperatures were higher than normal but not excessive. Yields were about the same as 2013—smaller than average. The grapes were small. We experienced an early budburst, flowering and harvest, with harvest starting on September 2nd and finished by September 30th." Antonio Galloni, December 2017 - 97P: The 2015 Dominus is fabulous. Explosive and alluring on the palate, the 2015 possesses stunning texture and intensity. Blueberry jam, cloves, menthol, licorice and graphite are some of the many nuances that develop over time. In 2015 Dominus artfully balances the richness of the year with the classic structural elements that are such a signature of this wine. Dominus notes: Tasting Notes: Dominus 2015, with its remarkably complex nose, is an utterly seductive wine. It displays red and black fruits and an ethereal aroma of deep cherry, warm citrus and marzipan. Finely polished tannins on a beautiful, weightless nish are accompanied by great depth and length. Vintage summary: 2015 was characterized by a wet winter, which replenished the soil’s water reserve, followed by a dryspring. A sudden cooling of temperatures in May aected the bloom and reduced the size and numberof berries per cluster. e remaining growing season was consistently warm with a three-day heat waveduring harvest that sent temperatures above 102 F from September 8-10. General info: Dominus, produced in Yountville, Napa Valley by Christian Moueix and Tod Mostero, is one of California's iconic wines. Since its debut with the 1983 vintage, it has expressed the unique terroir of the historic Napanook Vineyard, celebrated for its complexity and elegance. Moueix emphasizes that winemaking begins in the vineyard. Despite Napanook's hot and dry microclimate, he employs French techniques similar to those at Château Petrus. Unique practices include washing grape clusters before harvest and picking grapes on the sunny side of the vine up to a week earlier than those on the shady side. Upon arrival at the winery, stems are removed, and grapes are sorted using advanced optical equipment and by hand to ensure only perfect grapes reach the stainless steel tanks. Grape skins and seeds are removed after a few days to enhance red fruit flavors and avoid overripe notes. The wine matures for 18 months in French barrels (40% new) before being clarified with egg whites and bottled without further treatment.
