Buying options
Tasting notes
A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 40% new oak, the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is deep purple-black in color and quite reticent at this youthful stage to begin, offering up subtle notions of potpourri, Indian spices, cigar box and iron ore over a core of crushed blackberries and black cherries with intermittent wafts of black and red currants, new leather and smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a densely packed mid-palate and oodles of freshness framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and laced with compelling earthy accents. It offers incredible vibrancy with tons of black and red fruit sparkle in the mid-palate leading to a provocative mineral element on the very long finish. If I could give more than 100 for this one, I would.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Dominus is a dark, somber wine. I don't quite see the explosive energy of the 2013 or 2010, not the seductiveness of the 2012, but the 2016 has a distinct charm that is all its own. Quite frankly, I can't remember a young Dominus with this combination of fruit density, freshness and polished tannins. A huge center of fruit emerge with time in the glass in a big, large-scaled Dominus that should provide readers with a long drinking window of pure pleasure once some of the baby fat wears off.
A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Dominus is deep garnet-purple in color. Pow! It erupts from the glass with powerful black and blue fruit notes of blueberry preserves, crème de cassis, juicy blackberries, and crushed plums, followed by hints of lilacs, cardamom, baking spices, and fragrant soil. The palate is full-bodied, youthful, bright, and pure with so many fruit, spice, and floral layers and a fantastically ripe, soft texture, finishing so bright that it shines. Incredible!
About the producer
Dominus Estate – the Napa property owned by Christian Moueix of Pétrus and La Fleur-Pétrus – has rapidly earned cult status.