Dominus Estate - Napa Valley 2021 (750ml)
Price: $375.00
#96 James Suckling Top 100 of 2024
| Producer | Dominus Estate |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Napa Valley |
| Varietal | Bordeaux Blend |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 8245 |
| Size | 750ml |
The Wine Independent: 100 Points
The 2021 Dominus 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc is opaque purple-black in color. It needs a lot of coaxing to lure out scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants blackberry preserves stewed plums and boysenberries giving way to subtle nuances of violets licorice and tar plus a touch of cedar in the background. The full-bodied palate is taut with densely laden muscular black fruits framed by a firm grainy texture and well-played tension finishing on a lingering ferrous note. A stunning vinous record of time and place this is a 50-year+ Napa Cabernet to be experienced across generations. 3700 cases were made. Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
jdJeb Dunnuck: 100 Points
One of the legendary Dominus the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is unquestionably in the same league as the 2018 2016 2015 2013 2010 and 1991 and to my mind wine simply doesn't get any better. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as an incredible perfume of blackcurrants crushed stone cedar pencil smoke tobacco and baking spices it s rich full-bodied and voluptuously textured with ripe yet building tannins. It reminds me slightly of the 2010 (maybe the 2013) and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it will evolve gracefully for 30+ years. Hats off to the team of Christian Moueix and director Tod Mostero.
James Suckling: 99 Points
The purity of the cabernet fruit is so enticing with blackcurrant rose petals nettles and subtle graphite. Touches of terra cotta and licorice. Full-bodied with super integrated tannins that are wonderfully polished giving a cashmere texture that is really luxurious to taste at this early stage. It is quenching and so delicious already. 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. Needs three to four years to come around but already a joy to taste. Try after 2027.
Vinous: 98 Points
The 2021 Dominus is a powerful tightly-coiled wine that is holding back quite a bit of reserve. There's real depth and resonance waiting to emerge as the wine matures. Floral overtones and bright acids confer energy to a core of red/bluish fruits. Readers will find a Dominus built more on linear precision rather than opulence. It is hugely impressive in this tasting with a long chalky finish. - By Antonio Galloni on December 2023 Dominus and Ulysses winemaker Tod Mostero is one of the most articulate and thoughtful winemakers in Napa Valley. ?The 2021 growing season was consistently warm but we had no real heat spikes to speak of in 2021 just a day or two where temperatures were above 100 degrees nothing more than that? Mostero explained. ?Yields were average
Wine Advocate: 98+ Points
The 2021 Dominus is a 3700-case blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc with 40% of the wine matured in new French oak. Black cherries and cassis lead the way accented by scents of crushed stone and pencil shavings. It's full-bodied rich and concentrated dark and intense with ample tannins but those tannins are ripe and well-rounded without being overly soft or creamy gliding easily into a long mocha-tinged finish. As a whole the wine exhibits wonderful balance even if it will benefit from 5 or 10 years in the cellar. Followers of the Napa Valley scene will no doubt already be aware that Dominus didn't release a 2022. The extreme heat that struck Napa around Labor Day and extended for a week or so took its toll on the dry-farmed vines in the Napanook Vineyard surrounding the winery. "There's nothing we won't do to make the wine as good as we can" said Director of Viticulture and Winemaking Tod Mostero. Ultimately he didn't feel the wines were up to the estate's exacting standards. In contrast Mostero said "Twenty-one is one of those vintages that's easy to talk about because we can characterize it pretty simply. It was a dry vintage. ? Drought years are usually our best years?because we're dry farmed the plants set less foliage. The summer was warm not hot. ? Post-veraison was moderate without heat spikes. In August and September we had a couple of low-100-degree days but nothing dramatic. Harvest extended from September 16 through October 1." The three wines reviewed here roughly represent three different sectors of the vineyard with Othello being drawn from the front portion of the property with the highest proportion of silt and clay. Napanook derives from the blocks just behind the winery while Dominus itself comes from the stoniest blocks furthest from Highway 29 pushed up against the Mayacamas. Published: Feb 27 2025
Wine Spectator: 96 Points
A restrained style this offers a focused beam of red and black currant fruit lined with warm stone tobacco and savory accents and allied to a long iron spine. Marries density and freshness through the finish. A wine of precision that feels as if it will expand with time in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2042. ?J.M.
