Dominus Masterclass with Edouard Moueix

Excellent masterclass, with the very loquacious Edouard Moueix, He really loves his wines, and loves talking about them - so much so that the other panelists, Lisa Perotti-Brown MW and Dr. NK Yong, could not get a word in edgewise. Still though, it was a real pleasure to here someone so frankly and honestly talking about his family's wines, about California, Napa and even Bordeaux. And he certainly has a lot to be proud off. The Dominus wines were all outstanding, amongst the very best I have had out of Napa. I thought they were the most Bordeaux-like of any new world wines I have ever had. However, Edouard Moueix says that they are far from "new" world, with the first wines being planted in the area in the 1880s. He also eschews any comparison with Bordeaux, preferring to say that his wines, even though not coming from the very best terroir in Napa, is the essence of Napa wines. If this is indeed so, I can only imagine how great Napa wines can be given the right respect of terroir and good winemaking.

• 2003 Dominus Napanook Red 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Not knowing what to expect, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine. Nose was very attractive and complex, with deep scents of cranberries, cassis and plums, along with a touch of white peppery spice, some bramble, toasty vine stems, tobacco, boiled herb sand subtle oak. Plenty of interesting bits - only whiffs of high alcohol marred it. More savoury boiled herbs on the rich palate, with plums, spice and warm cassis - sweet fruit that was well balanced with some fresh acidity. Some cool year elegance here. There were little brambly undercurrents moving into the finish full of prickly spice. Slightly bitter at the end, slightly short, with firm but velvety tannins and some smokey cedar wood fading into a short alcohol burn. Alcohol aside, a pretty decent wine for its price. Edouard Moueix says this is not a "second wine", but rather a different bottling. If "different" meant "equally good", then you could sure have fooled me. This was overshadowed in every way by the "grand vin". That aside though, it was very decent in its own right.

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• 2005 Dominus Napanook Red 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Not bad, but a shade poorer than the 2003 that I tasted alongside. Like its older sibling, this had clear alcohol notes on the nose, with spice, earth, plums, sweet cassis, and cherries. More noticeably Californian than the Dominus bottlings or even the more elegant 2003 Napanook. Palate had a layer of fine, but teeth-coating tannins and nice fresh balance that provided relief to its rich cassis fruit. Some elegance here - this was no brute. Finish was a little drying, with bramble, tobacco, a touch of green stems and a burst of alcohol. A little short. Not bad for what it is, but far from the experience on the "grand vin".

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• 1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Amazingly good - this was just sweet seduction. Absolutely haunting nose. Clear, ringingly high-toned notes of leather, loamy earth, tobacco, scented sweet cherries, elegant plums and flowery hints. Almost orgasmic. Palate was showing beautifully as well, with wonderfully ringing flavours of truffles, earth, leather, smoke, sweet cherries, cassis wrapped in the sheerest of silky robes. Lacking maybe in sheer power, but with super clean, clear tones of great purity, all singing with joy. Long, long finish too. The mid-palate feints to dip slightly, before flooding back in gentle layers of smoke and tobacco just filling the mouth. Supreme elegance. Superb drinkability. Sweet seduction. Bordeaux class blended with Californian sass. A brilliant wine, and easily the best wine out of Napa I have yet had the pleasure of tasting.

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• 1996 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Completely excellent. Often neglected amongst the great 1991 and 1994 Dominus wines, this was showing incredibly well on the day. Edouard Moueix even said that he preferred this particular bottle to the usually better 1994. I personally thought the 1994 was more immediately pleasing, but this was every bit as good. Deep, deep nose, slightly more recessed than the aromatically exuberant 1994. At first, just loamy earth, plums, cassis, but with time, it opened up into cream of mushroom notes, coffee, rich cassis, berries, stewed cherries and kirsch. Very nice, though not quite the dead ringer for Bordeaux the older vintage was. The palate was lacked some of the stunning purity and elegance of the 1994, but was still oozing class and elegance in its own right, with a bit of dirty in it. Sexy and alluring, it had rich, concentrated notes of cassis and darker fruits wrapped in a beautiful velvety structure. It had a beautiful focus, with power in its fruit pulling away into a long finish with hints smoke, warm stewed cherries, meat and fresh acidity. Mindblowingly delicious - and will probably get even better with some time.

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• 1999 Dominus Estate 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A very good wine in its own right, just completely put in the shadows by the 1994 and 1996 that preceded it. Really tight on the nose, with some undergrowth, plums and vanillin laced oak and little else. Palate had plenty of depth -at once was muscular and firm, yet finely balanced and elegantly shaped, with nice cassis flavours and a long, smoky finish with bits of herb and spice. Lacks the stunning complexity and grace of great vintages and just a bit punishing at the moment without food, but clearly a wine of some quality.

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• 2005 Dominus Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Really good, better than the 1999, but far from ready. Nose was more clearly Californian than any of the other wines on show. High-toned cherries, herbs, oregano, thyme, perfumed flowers, spiced cedar, a hint of animale, but very charming. Lovely pure flavours on the palate - cassis, spice, roasted herbs presented in a package of tight-grained tannins and great balance. Finish had a nice long linger of licorice and cherries. I found this a very complete young wine and rated it very highly on potential. 93-94

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