From: Napa Valley, CA
Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Taste & Critical Acclaim: "This is fantastic on the nose with blackberries and forest flowers. Very aromatic. Full body with soft, well-integrated and medium-grained tannins. Undertones of black olives. Love the hints of sandalwood." –James Suckling, 96 points (2/2018)
"Brought up in 20% new barrels, the 2015 Napanook is an awesome wine in its own right, offering classic cassis, tobacco, leafy herbs, and violets notes, with an almost Bordeaux-like earthiness. Full-bodied, incredibly pure and seamless on the palate as well as impeccably balanced, it’s more than worth your time and money." –Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points (1/2019)
"Bottled in July 2017, Dominus’ more approachable, less tannic sister wine, Napanook, is a blend this year of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Napanook Proprietary Red Wine is redolent of crème de cassis, potpourri, plum preserves and violets with hints of dark chocolate, menthol, licorice and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is densely packed with black fruit preserves and earthy layers, supported by firm, ripe, fine-grained tannins and finishing with great length." –Wine Advocate, 93 points (LPB) 93+ (10/2017)
"The 2015 Napanook is dark, plush and inviting, all of which make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, spice and licorice notes are all pushed forward in a decidedly lush, open-knit Napanook that will be ready to go pretty much upon release. (AG) (3/2018)" –Vinous, 92 points
From the same vineyards as the 100-point Dominus 2015, Napanook is thrilling in this vintage. Robert Parker says the '15s from the estate "are certainly going to be one of (Moueix's) all-time great vintages, rivaling 2013, 2012, 2007, 2002, 2001 and his earliest classics, such as 1994 and 1991."
About. In the late 1960s, while attending the University of California at Davis, Christian Moueix fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. Son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer from Libourne, France, Moueix returned home in 1970 to manage the family vineyards, including Châteaux Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion.
His love of Napa Valley lingered and, in 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook vineyard, a 124-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest napa valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership to develop the vineyard and, in 1995, became its sole owner. He chose the name 'Dominus' or 'lord of the estate' in latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.
Located at the foothills of the Mayacamas, the vineyard was planted in 1838 and continues to evolve under the stewardship of Christian Moueix. The estate’s Bordeaux varietals benefit from the Yountville microclimate where temperatures are moderated by cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The resulting wines are each uniquely refined expressions of this special terroir.
Napanook Vineyard
Napanook is a historic vineyard that dates back to 1836 and is the oldest in the Napa Valley. The vineyard is a total of 124 acres with each parcel vinified separately. The Napanook vineyard’s volcanic, well-draining soils are specifically suited to growing cabernet sauvignon and the other Bordeaux varietals, which compose the Dominus Estate wines.
The Architecture of Dominus
Dominus’ winery is the first project realized in the United States by the design architects, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Based in Basel, Switzerland, they are well-known for their numerous European projects, including the London Tate Gallery’s new Bankside facilities.
Set back in the vineyard, the dark green basalt rock building integrates into the landscape. It is a linear construction 462 feet)long, 82 feet wide and 27 feet high. The exterior is composed of walls of gabions, which are essentially galvanized baskets containing stones. Commonly round retaining river banks or earthwalls, this application as a building’s exterior facade is unique and provides protection from the scorching heat by day and the cold at night. The baskets have no ‘mortar’ and the spaces between the rocks act as a ‘filigree,’ allowing the passage of natural light into the rooms during the day and artificial light to radiate out at night.
Winemaking Style
The wines are made from grapes grown exclusively in the Napanook vineyard, giving them a specific identity. They are estate-bottled in the spirit of the Bordeaux châteaux. To express the unique terroir, the classic Bordeaux grape varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are planted with different rootstocks that are best suited for the varying soil composition of gravel, heavy clay and loam.
The property is dry-farmed to allow natural stress and good concentration of fruit. This minimal intervention allows the terroir to fully express itself in the wine. The grape clusters are crop-thinned to allow sun and air to pass in between, helping to achieve full maturation and soften the tannins. Only 20% to 40% new French oak barrels are used in order to limit the extraction of oak notes.
This wine. Napanook is made solely from grapes grown at the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, Napa Valley. The wine is blended from blocks in the vineyard that were carefully selected for their lively fruit, soft tannins and early maturing characteristics.
Winemaking. Enjoying a temperate climate, the vineyard’s volcanic, well draining soils are specifically suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon and the other Bordeaux varietals which compose the Dominus Estate wines. The soil is gravelly and clay loam. Meticulous efforts are made throughout the seasons to produce grapes of the highest quality for
Dominus Estate wines.
During the winter season, precise cane pruning ensures ideal cluster spacing for optimal fruit ripening. Dry farming relies on a deep root system to take advantage of natural water sources from rain and underground supplies. Cluster thinning optimizes quality through yield regulation.
Rinsing the grapes 10 to 15 days before harvest removes dust and enhances the purity of the fruit. Hand-picking with small french shears instead of harvest knives minimizes bruising and vine damage. Small harvest baskets preserve the integrity of the clusters as they are transported to the winery. The sunny side of the vines is picked a few days before the shady side respecting perfect maturity.
Minimal intervention and restraint throughout the process of grape berry selection, fermentation and aging preserve the character of the fruit. The resulting wines convey the very personality of the vineyard. Dominus winemaking includes separate lot-by-lot fermentation. Cluster sorting by hand is complemented by an optical berry sorting system. Gentle pumping-over extracts aromas, color and tannins. Vertical wine press at low pressure delicately releases components from the skin. Racking barrel to barrel in 100% french oak removes sediment and assures clarification of the wine during aging.