Dominus Dinner

Formento's - Chicago IL
Tasted Thursday, January 9, 2020 by Burgundy Al with 384 views

Introduction

A great event, thanks to Ken for buying most of these wines at release.

Flight 1 - To Start (2 Notes)

Flight 2 - 2001-2004 (4 Notes)

  • 2001 Dominus Estate 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Enticing black cherry aromas with savory spice, earth and anise. Nose and palate and both complex, layered and elegant throughout. Great when poured, great when revisited a few hours later. Best bottle of this wine I have ever tasted. Clearly my favorite wine of the night for current pleasure.

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  • 2002 Dominus Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Similar to the 2001 in the next glass, but slightly riper and less complex or nuanced. I haven't had this wine since shortly after release, and am very happy with how it has developed.

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  • 2003 Dominus Estate 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Very ripe, very fleshy, very dense. Certainly enjoyable and powerful, but too much of that modern styled character too often found in Napa, but not often found in Dominus. Enjoyable, but not a highlight of tonight's 12 vintage vertical.

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  • 2004 Dominus Estate Flawed

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    An odd bottle, clearly off kilter. Almost bretty, but not quite, clearly dirty, with a particularity odd, tinny character. Some wondered if slightly corked given faded/ stripped fruit, and maybe so, but not quite like any form of corked wine I've experienced before. But clearly incorrect.

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Flight 3 - 2005-2008 (4 Notes)

  • 2005 Dominus Estate 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Savory black fruit is ripe but perfectly balanced and ever-so-elegant. Good power, very good length with a finessed, spiced, charming finish. Great nose, very good palate. So good now through the next decade.

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  • 2006 Dominus Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Dense and powerful with lots of black fruit, maybe slightly lacking in complexity vs the best vintages tonight. Very good now, probably limited upside. My least favorite of the very good flight.

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  • 2007 Dominus Estate 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Ripe black plum and cherry with licorice, black pepper and liqueur hints. Very impressive weight while also (almost) elegantly balanced, showing some charming Old World character I particularly enjoyed, without ever letting you forget it has New World boldness and ripeness.

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  • 2008 Dominus Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Lots here. Black and meaty fruit with sweet spice and eucalyptus. Very ripe and fleshy, yet bright enough and structured enough to also remain very interesting.

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Flight 4 - Younger Vintages (4 Notes)

  • 2009 Dominus Estate 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Ultra modern in context of tonight's 12 vintages. Rich and ripe black fruit with sweet spice. Very enjoyable, but lacking the nuance of the vintages that did thrill me tonight.

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  • 2010 Dominus Estate 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    An engaging combination of black plum and cherry with even more complex sweet and savory spice. Ripe while balanced with Old World character. Good weight to start, but bigger and more dense towards finish. So good now, with clear upside.

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  • 2012 Dominus Estate 89 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Plenty of black fruit, espresso and liqueur. Even riper than most vintages to start, but I found it somewhat hollow in the middle, especially in context of the overall vertical. Others liked this more.

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  • 2013 Dominus Estate

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Black currant and cherry with anise and allspice with every element in excellent proportion for Napa Cabernet. Still slightly backward now, and clearly ripe, but wonderfully harming with such textural dexterity that this easy to adore. Probably 93 point wine right now, but I think this has the potential to be the best wine of everything we tasted tonight, 95-96+ point potential. If only more Napa wines could be like this.

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