Double decanted for an hour and then tasted over the following hour. Dark red color showing no age. Ripe dark fruits on the nose. Great fruit on the palate. This wine is concentrated, and with a long finish. Maybe not yet some more interesting secondaries to come but this is drinking well with the decant and red meat and might improve slightly with time but no harm in drinking now with the decant. There were some very good to excellent 2009 Bordeaux in this evening and while this still shows it's New World fruit it does have a nice mix and certainly was among my favorites along with '09 Montrose and Pontet Canet (they too will get better with more time but the Pontet Canet seemed closer to ready than the Montrose). A-/A
Aktuell leider enttäuschend, dee Wein ist verschlossen und zeigt keine grosse Spannung. Relativ viele Tannine spürbar und damit eher hart und kantig Sich er 3-4 Stunden zu dekantieren oder noch besser den Wein weitere 5 Jahre ruhen lassen
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I was opening this with a cork pop, as I have done with hundreds of bottles, when it blew a hole in the side of the bottle...glass and wine all over the place...not a great experience with guests invited for dinner...other than a hole in the side of the bottle there was no other signs of damage...no other cracks or damage other than a very startled and upset host! Florida 2/24
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Extremely disappointing. I criticized the 2014 and 2015 for being simply concentrated and rich but uninteresting. This one did not even have that going for it. Those were fantastic compared to this. Took a very long time to open up and even then was not very open or full. I do not recommend this to anyone. Unfortunately I also bought it at a restaurant hence overpaid enormously, which is a big factor in my disappointment. (We took it home and aired it for hours.) But still this is the worst Dominus I ever had, the only one that did not impress at all. Of course conceivably it may be temporarily closed, and become excellent in 5 more years, but I would not gamble on that.
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Second time trying this wine and both times has been a disappointment especially when compared to Vintages like 2013, 2015 and 16 2018. There is some red fruits and muted aromas.
My first experience with Dominus was one to remember. Refined and polished with undeniable pedigree. It was so smooth and balanced once it opened up but very approachable even right after opening. The nose was a bit understated but on the palette is where you could really see how strong this wine is. Tannic structure was smoothly integrated and overall tremendously balanced. Decanted for ~3.5hrs checking in every 45min or so, your patience will be rewarded at this stage of the game.
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Did not really begin to open until 4 hours after being decanted. Smooth and rich with fairly soft tannins, but still primary with little secondary action beyond a nice smoky note.
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Out of magnum, this is fully resolved with a soft and layered texture and delicious flavors of black fruits and graphite minerals. Such a gorgeous wine and so good with food. Dinner at Dominus.
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Tasting: This was young even after 2 hours in the glass. I have tried multiple vintages of this wine but I'm not convinced - there are better US wines out there, especially at this pricepoint. Try the cheaper Dominus Napanook 2009 instead. Ready to drink and therefore a lot more "bang for the buck", at least for now (93-94 pts).
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Nice three hour decant. Plum and blackberry, integrated with some vanilla and( maybe butterscotch richness not sweetness). Mouth coating tannins. Perfect with lamb.
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2 hour decant in glass. Opaque purple w/ ruby edge in color. Nose of blackberry, stewed plum, espresso and tomato soup. On the palate: blackberries, espresso, glints of five spice powder and a beam of graphite. Tannins are silky smooth, perceived on gums. Long, lovely finish of blackberries and graphite. Was a superlative pair with board steak and boursin mashed potatoes.
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Decanted for 1 hour and put back in bottle and brought to a restaurant. Should have decanted for 2-3 hours. I think that it would have shown better. 91.
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Beautifully weighted on the palate, round, smooth tannins, elegant and with great structure, floral and fruity in such a refreshing way, blueberries, cherry, raspberry, plum. With a lingering aftertaste of dried plum
This wine should continue to age gracefully for at least the next 10 years and should drink well many more years after that.
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NYE 2022 bottle. Needs a good decant. Velvety tannins, a little sweeter than I expected but not unpleasant. Just the right balance of fruit against a hint of tar, charcoal and leather.
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Brought to a nice dinner. Decanted for 40 minutes before drinking. Surprisingly light on fruit at the start, more Bordeaux than California. The age may be catching up to this one. Luckily, with food and a bit of time the fruit presented itself.
On the nose blue and red fruit, mellow and quiet. The palate brings beautiful layers of blue and red fruit, balanced by leather, graphite and a very gentle tannin. It's most certainly ready drink now, quite possibly on the beginning of its downslope. Delicious!
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one of the best dominus i have tried. likely because hit an ideal drinking window. minus2 pts as wasn't as robust as other years. regardless trully exceptional!
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Great nose of leather, floral shop, vanilla, and cassis. Lots of sweet fruit, blackberry and black cherry. Some sage and pepper too. Nice integrated fine tannin with plenty of puckering grip and a long finish that puts a smile on your face. Maybe a bit sweet for my taste and could use a little more acidity. But really pretty. Blew the Caymus Special Selection I had the night before out of the water.
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2.5 hour decant. Still super tight. Should have waited another 5 years + to open this bottle. Primary fruit only. Typical Yountville profile. Pepper, tobacco and old leather. Do not open until at least 2027. My guess it will be a completely different experience. Wants to get freaky but still wearing its chastity belt. 93 now with upside potential.
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A gorgeous half bottle, cellar stored since release, decanted for 40 minutes before consumption. Near black, still very young, but in this format, ready to drink if allowed to open a bit. Dark chocolate , new leather, blackberry, iron and copper shavings on the nose. Rich,viscous, a texture and balance to easily age 30 years. Tannins beautifully subdued within the ample chewy black fruits. Tannins actually show more on the 50 second plum pit and brazil nut finish, as the fruit fades from the palate. Held up perfectly tonight with lamb shoulder mole, a symbiotic dance of dark chocolate and mace in both.
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Young, ripe with mocha, dark red fruit, salinity, some tobacco, nice acidity and verve; good Length and youthful dry but attractive tannins. Good length and balance. Upside from here but youthful, fresh and enjoyable today with decant
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Going from memory, but really enjoyed this. Opened and let breath in the bottle about 6 hours and then double decanted 2 hours before consuming.
While still youthful with beautiful dark fruit, this is showing some spice and earth and was totally enjoyable. We drank this along side an 09 Pontet-Canett, and the Dominus was an old soul in comparison!
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Nose - cranberry, sour red fruit nose Mouth - complex bitter red fruit, actually quite young. Lots of tannins. Not a ton of complexity at this stage, which is amazing at age 12, but still lovely fruit. Hold
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black currant, pencil shavings, tobacco, blackberries, cedar, mocha, spiced plum, dried herbs and blue florals.
The dark fruit is quite dense on the palate, with the secondary spice and earth notes almost as an afterthought. Still rather tightly wound, the tannins are still rather firm and needs time to soften. Acidity is good and should provide a great backbone in the coming years.
Probably not the right time, feels a bit stubborn
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Double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, black cherry with a touch of vanilla, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, drink or hold. This was surprisingly (for me) ready for a young Dominus
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Tasted blind. Dark purple garnet color turning tawny rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off dark red and black berries with smoky vanilla from toasted oak. The palate is full bodied with a velvety texture featuring ripe raspberry, cranberry, dark cherry and cassis. Secondary flavors of fig, licorice and root beer follow through to the long finish with hints of dried herbs. Drink now through 2030.
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Decanted 1 hour. Dark, ripe fruit on the nose with just a touch of heat. Dark, rich, and expansive fruit on the palate. Great concentration. This is a rich, concentrated, classic Cali cab that really shows off its fruit. Drinking well now but seems will hold for some time. A
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First bottle drank after coravin tasting (10 months earlier). Cork seemed to come out a little easily, but otherwise wouldn't have noticed this had been tasted before. Big and deep, but amazingly not too tannic. Drank over two nights and teeth weren't too blue. Long life ahead, but drinkable already.
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24 Napa Reds: All tasted double blind. Brief impressions. One of the winners of the tasting. The highlights are the elegance, finesse and the cool, fresh profile. As always, Dominus delivers with a touch of old world wine magic paired with the right amount of Napa sexiness. Ripe but not too ripe blackberries, lots of violets, traces of minerality. Nice intensity, very high precision but with a complexity still a bit hidden behind the more dominating fruit. Super fine tannins, perfectly integrated high acidity, a very soft texture and good length. The complete package worth 96/97 points.
Group score (23 participants): 93.1 Group rank: 21 out of 24 wines (This was the first wine that was served. I guess the palates of many tasters were not yet ready.)
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Napa battle (Napa Grill, Zurich): Tasted blind, double-decanted. Very dense, ripe black current and dark cherry, some sweet notes around the edges reminding me of powdered sugar. Overlay of dry herbs. Lots of acidity, but pretty well integrated. Slightly weak structure as the main surprise for me after it was revealed, I would have expected more muscle. Youngest Dominus I've ever had and it was good, yes, but couldn't keep up with older vintages from the 90ies or more recent vintages such as 2005.
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Fantastic juice that is just entering its drinking window but will last for many years. That nose is just so Dominus in so many good ways! Ripe, dark fruit with graphite and earth with a finish that last a solid 30 seconds. Really impressed and wish I had more but glad I drank this as it is right now!!
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This earthy and savory wine isn't quite at the level of the 2005 or 2012, each of which I tasted this year, but the 2009 is tasty nonetheless. This seems more uncompromisingly Old World, with notes of olive and dust that some will prefer more than me.
Garnet in color and medium in body, the wine offers pungent aromas of baked plum, dried herbs, tobacco, and tapenade. The flavors are similarly grainy, with notes of grilled cherry, leather, graphite, and espresso, with a prickly finish that still carries plenty of dusty tannin. Blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. 14.5% alcohol. 94 as of now, but this has the density and balance to blossom in 2023 or later.
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Wine is so mercurial! Like a beautiful woman that even with a lifetime to study you can never understand. One night amazing another just so-so when you thought you did everything exactly the same. Unfortunately, this was the so-so night. I last drank this a year ago and it was the iconic "iron fist in a velvet glove". This night the velvet glove was there but the iron fist was nowhere to be found. This was deep garnet in color with a beautiful nose of violets, black currants, plum, cedar and mocha. The palate was the same. It was ready to go on the PNP and it was silky smooth with an extremely long finish. What was missing was the depth and quality of the fruit. Make no mistake this wine was still good it just was nowhere near the level of when I drank it last in 2019 even though I bought both bottles from the same vendor and they were stored identically. To make matters worse this was soundly trounced by a 2013 Kata we also drank that night. I have one bottle left and I wish I knew what to do to reach the level I drank at before. I thought the magic bullet was 10 years in bottle for these big Napa Bordeaux blends. I guess searching for that holy grail is what keeps us coming back for more!
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a delightful mix of youthful red fruits and acidity with some savory notes making an appearance. the usual medicine streak in Dominus wines appears to be tame at this point. could go another five years with ease.
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Notes of cassis, black cherry, mocha, and spice box. Medium bodied, ripe tannins, round texture, with good depth; almost elegant for a top flight Napa Cab. Long finish, prime drinking window.
Vinous Napa Learn Tasting with Antonio Galloni, Yountville
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Dry farmed as underground streams in the benchland from this aluvial fanned terroir per Todd Mostero the winemaker. Does not want stressed vines or on and off water vs constant availability. It creates more harmony in the vines and fruit. Allows for healthy fruit even in drought years. Many years creates need to do very little at the winery. Napanook wines are different blocks that create more upfront intense fruit that is lively and drinks well early, it’s a character they look for in the lots as they make the wines, it is not a second wine per say, more of a type of wine.
2009 was great weather wise, created subtle qualities per Todd, more complex wine, a wine to contemplate, a wine requiring focus, not an obvious wine, not overtly showy.
My note: Really good dark sweet chocolatey earthy red cherry aromas. Nice mellow flavors of tobacco, leather, cedar, good depth and freshness. Well balanced between fruits and texture. Smooth dry persistent cherry fruit throughout. Broad with a dusty character. Very enjoyable, quite good today. Good spicy finish with just a hint of acidic tension.
Bottle variation!! I had this recently and absolutely loved it (97 - review below) so I opened it for Father's Day. This bottle from the same lot was giving so little after a 2 1/2 hour decant. We slowly drank it over the entire evening and it didn't improve. The first bottle easily exceeded expectations for the price. The second bottle clearly didn't.
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(mostly a) 2009 international cabernet tasting: Tasted blind, popped corks 2 hours before drinking. My favorites in order: 1. 2009 Leoville Poyferre (96): Ripe, concentrated, dark fruits, oaky, tasted new world 2. 2009 Dominus (95): Oaky, dark fruit profile, less old world than expected 3. 2009 Quilceda (93): Oaky, big, darkest fruit profile 4. 2009 Sheridan Block 1 (91): Ripe, sweet but balanced 5. 2010 Ornellaia (?): Slight brett taint, which I’m sensitive to 6. 2009 Leoville Las Cases (90): Acidic, lean, austere compared to others
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Tried in a blind tasting of Dominus 2009 v Mission Haut Brion 2003
Deep purple with a black core. A bit of spice, noticeable heat, but without the sweetness that for me, ruins many new world cabs. This was a lovely wine, and stood up well to a classic bordeaux.
Tried with BV&S
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It was opened and left in bottle for 2 hours and decanted for 1 hour. The wine provided a smooth silky and full body palate. But it was a shame that we had the Xaanxi spicy cousine to pair with, thus it was difficult to taste the complexity of the favours.
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Fantastic wine! Decanted first an hour. Still very youthful with big fruit. Tannins are silky smooth. Excellent weight & balance with good mid palate & long finish. Not much in the form of secondary characteristics yet as fruit dominates. More new world than some Dominus vintages. Can’t wait to see what this turns into in another 5-10 years!
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Decanted 2 1/2 hours. Absolutely loved this wine. It didn't have the normal Bordeaux profile of so many previous vintages that I have enjoyed. It had a very soft mouthfeel and an amazing finish. This was a much greater experience than I had anticipated.
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Enjoyed at Bellevue El Gaucho. One hour decant. Should have done two. Shows nicely at 1hr but as we drank it the wine opened up more structure and complexity. Great bottle.
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Dominus Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): 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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Lighter in body than expected. Extremely easy and enjoyable to drink for anyone. Some detectable earth/oak but only a touch. Fruit is delicious. I'd drink now.
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Tasted with first threesome of Coravin (also 2010 Leoville Poyferre and 2005 Michel Rolland. This was best of three. Round, fruity with structure and not overly tannic. Try a full bottle anytime.
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A bit more earthy than I remember from the previous bottle I drank. The nose was of dark cherry and cedar. Plum and cherry flavors with light cedar and long yet slightly muted finish. I appreciate why many rave over Dominus blends, but for me, I like a bit more fruit than what this wine offered.
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Deep purple with ruby rim. Fruit compote nose. Fruit forward palate with some toasted notes and cassis and vanilla. Medium plus finish which at times hinted a burning alcoholic heat but then brought it back quickly. Some of the bay leaf and herb notes already apparent on the ‘10 (see my note). Not as open as the ‘10 or just not as complex. Still was a hedonistic drink while it lasted. 93+
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A great bottle of wine. Drank at dinner at Ocean and Main in Laguna Beach. Decanted this 2 hours prior to dinner and drank over 3 hours. This bottle continued to develop with time that tells me it has plenty of bottle time left but is drinking very well with a good decant. This treads the line between elegant and bold. There is plenty of flavor for the bold crowd and great nuance for the elegant. My first bottle of Dominus. I waited to get 10 years on this bottle and it did not let me down. I have drank a few Dominus Napinook but this was SIGNIFICANTLY better. I realize Dominus is now $300 because of all the 100 pt scores but I payed $119 back in the day and this drank well above that. Will continue to hold my 2012 and 2013 till at least 10 years of bottle age.
Beautiful, rich, elegant and lush. This wine has so much more life in it that I was almost regretting popping the cork. However, it was such a beauty to enjoy. Opened for 1 hour, notes of chocolate, creme de cassis, strawberry, blueberry, black berry and BBQ. Layers of rounded structured Napa fruit on the tongue. Long finish. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), chocolate, soy sauce, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and lead pencil. It tastes like chocolate, blackberry and lead pencil. The body is medium/full. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Good stuff but I'm guessing it's not meant to be consumed now but it's also not showing as vibrant as vintages like the 12 or 13 either in their youth.
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Color - Inky purple Aromas - Expansive black and red fruit, violets, sandalwood and a hint of cacao Body - Full-bodied, lush and round with moderating vibrant acidity with sweet velvety tannins Taste - Generous blackberry, cassis, red currant, vanilla, graphite and dark chocolate nicely accented with a bit of blueberry Finish - Long
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot 14.5% abv
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The 2009 Dominus features graphite, black currants, and red fruit all wrapped in a lovely perfumed nose. Layers and layers of flavors unfold on the palate. Finishes warm with tremendous lift. This was a beast when I opened it up in the morning, but a slow oxidation over the course of the day had it drinking perfectly. This should continue to evolve for another decade.
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Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): More intense and new world in style than I was expecting. There is though a bit more tannin than sometimes see these days in California. And '09 was a warm year so that could be driving the more intense fruit flavors.
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Pop and pour thoughts: Dark purple. Dark fruit nose with pencil lead. Smells hefty. Nose isn't giving away too many secrets. Texture is incredibly silky and plush, bordering on some syrup. Big powerful wine; not brooding, but wanting to show itself. Not overwhelmed by the tannic structure on the first gulp. Notes of cocoa permeate the palate along with spiced blackberries and perfectly ripe blueberry. Above average length.
Decanted for 2-3 hours: Little bit of air and a lovely floral scent comes out. Licorice and smoke too. Good vibrancy on the palate. It walks a nice line of having a soft feel but also have plenty of edge.
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Decanted for about 6 hours. This is a tannic beast on opening and developed into a complex wine during the decant. Notes of cedar, leather and dark fruit. There was a long finish of baking spices and graphite? Can cellar for many more years.
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SLDS June 2018: Blackcurrant and blackberry, graphite, smoke and tobacco. Builds well on the palate, beautiful balance, complex and composed. Superb expression of Cabernet.
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I had nine bottles and now I have none and now I am sad except I am happy because each and every one was delicious. Especially the one I drank watching the Eagles beat the Vikings and the one I drank watching the Eagles beat the Pat's!
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Very youthful. I'd recommend letting it nap for another 5+ years. But given air there was obvious quality and it was drinkable even with its wall of tannin.
This needs air! I'd rather not talk about nights 1 and 2. Night 3 was the night! Blue and purple fruit. A small amount of earth, graphite, and pencil lead. Silky smooth tannins. Well balanced acidity. Leave it in the cellar for a few years or open it up days in advance.
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (M&R's): Double blind. Deep color. Fairly tight and nondescript. Dark fruit, peppery spice and oak notes. More of the same on the palate. Shows a bit riper fruit with vigorous swirling. Guessed Napa cab.
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Excellent wine, straddling old world and new. Graphite, deep red and black fruined. Reminded me a pessac really, lots of stone and minerals. Tannic still and I think best left alone for several years. One of the best new world wines ive had, but for the money, I'd probably choose hosanna vcc or evangile.
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Decanted a couple hours, this seems way to young in my view. More recent Dominus vintages like 2011 were more accessible. Lots of potential there, and a lot of raw power that needs to integrate with more time. I'll give a few more years with my other bottles.
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A potential classic in the works. Big and broad, with soft layers of black currant, soy and graphite. Some aggressive swirling revealed more freshness and beautiful red fruit. This is one of the most fascinating versions of Dominus I've had in terms of guessing at its potential. Drink in 2020 and it may be a candidate for a perfect score. I recently spent time with Christian Moieux who said that he often decants Dominus for 10 hours. He may be onto something, as this bottle seemed to need it. +++
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I would drink now unless you prefer mineral, tobacco, and forest floor. All of these are present but don't over power the dark fruit. A touch of a watery edge on the finish kept this from being scored any higher.
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Pop n pour... It was wow.. First time having this label.. Less heat. Less tannis.. Easy to drink... Can't wait to taste my 12/13.. But I might get some
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Bu au resto AVV La Suite de Sherbrooke Avec Headless, Bulle et Meursault. Un vin large d'épaules, dense et assez complexe. René nous faisait remarquer que le vin ne cessait de changer, sur le gros fruit au début, ensuite sur l’anis puis le tabac vers la fin de la soirée. Encore assez jeune mais approchable grace au carafage. Assez d’accord avec Olivier que c’est un autre Américain un peu « Over-Rated » mais un très bon vin. Je l’avais tout de même ouvert tôt le matin, mis en carafe pour enlever le dépôt, laisser un bon 2 heures et remis en bouteille épaulée laissée ouverte pour un bon 8 heures! M’en reste 2 autres pour le suivre.
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Uncorked and sent to wide bowl for 1 hour with some intermittent swirling. Albeit a young teenager, this had a vivacious and intriguing nose of menthol, blackberry, pencil shavings, new leather, plum, and purple flowers. Very Bordeaux in character. Rich taste encompassing black cherry, assorted dark fruits, cassis, and some nice earthiness. Some secondary nuance starting to develop and it appears 7-8 years will be kind to this bottling. Tannin is refined and just starting to integrate nicely. The finish holds a good 30 seconds. Both powerful and restrained at the same time if that's possible.
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BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, PLUMS, AND LICORICE IN THE FLAVOR. DEEP BERRY FRUIT AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF EARTHINESS. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Drank blind alongside '06 and '07 Ramey Annum. This came in 3rd but very close to '06. Stewed blueberries, plums and some leather. Good wine, slightly subdued on the midpalate.
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Bu au resto AVV La Suite de Sherbrooke Avec Headless, Bulle et MikeLM. Débouché sur place à l'arrivé ...aurait grandement bénificié d'un long passage en carafe! Encore une fois un vin large, costaud et ample, qui a du Torque. Nez sur les poivrons et le cassis. En bouche, des fruits noirs sur un grosse masse tannique, très long et persistant. Il prend beaucoup de place en ce moment. Loin d'être prêt, je vais attendre mes autres encore quelques années!
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Dark purple, slight ruby, ripe fruits on the darker end of the spectrum, excellent concentration, a little heat and sharp tannins. Really good, and pretty young, prob will be better in 5+ years even though drinkable now.
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Our 1st '09 and it did NOT disappoint - really an outstanding and still quite young Dominus. Wines like this one confirm to myself the decision I made about a decade ago to start collecting Dominus. At this price point though, despite how really good this is it probably represents a very average QPR when compared to other high end CA producers. This was enjoyed at the inaugural tasting of our new wine club earlier this week. Opened up for about two hours in the wine glass w/out an otherwise formal decant. Very very good, well structured, already well balanced, no off tones and a nice muscular core of tannins giving this wine at least another decade+ of cellaring under appropriate conditions - still very youthful and fruit forward though. Excellent mouth feel, a big but softening wine, a pleasant and surprisingly floral and aromatic nose of dark fruit and rose with a lengthy finish. Flavor profile classic dark fruit and cassis with a hint of game and blood on the late palate. Highly recommend this wine despite the price point with the caveat that I firmly believe that it's best days are still ahead of us. Will wait a couple years before opening the next one.
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Occasional tasting group (By TBa @ WN Top South America plus some extra's.): Just limited notes, but this is a beautiful wine. In the bouquet ripe dark forest fruits. On the palate dark berries, some chocolate, medicine and good acidity. Beautiful and round tannin with a pleasant bite. This wine is in its very early maturity stage now. Better to cellar it until 2022+ For tonight: 93+
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Very tightly wound. Took a couple of hours to open up with a decant. Big nose with dark fruits. Body was still a little tight, but full of rich and smooth black fruits and chocolate. Tannins are soft, but have a big presence that could benefit from many more years in the cellar. The heat and acidity and already well balanced. Big silky finish. Long road ahead and I'll keep my 2nd bottle for several more years. 94+
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The 2009 Dominus is like a ball of pent up energy, waiting to explode. The nose was dark and polished, yet with remarkable freshness to its mix of raspberry and blackberry fruit. Hints of tobacco added depth. On the palate, it was dense with intense dark fruits followed by lifting inner floral notes. The finish was long, dark and saturating to the senses. There’s so much more here that’s buried beneath this wine’s youthful state. It’s a sleeper wine.
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This is why I love the wines from Yountville so much. Probably, this is why Black widow can win over Hulk. Muscle sometimes just can not do everything. At this low temperature area in Napa Valley, Dominus estate always can show you the missing factor in Napa, which is "elegance." Restrained nose is filled with appropriate amount of vanilla, cedar, cassis, currant, and earthy. On the palate, silky and well-polished body makes me feel like talking to an elegant lady. The complex wine is full of currant, blue berry, licorice, and young ripen tannin. More surprisingly, the muscle and structure are growing and showing after 2 hours decanting. Then, I started to realize how big is Dominus. To sum up, the best description should be Iron Lady, who is so admirable with an undefeatable spirit.
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Brought to a favorite NYC restaurant. All 4 of us loved the wine. Dishes were varied from Dorade to Short Ribs. This is a big and beautiful wine. The blend rounds out the nose, taste and feel. Drinking beautifully but still has plenty of time.
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Opened with a lot of vanilla, followed by the fruit. After about 3 hours, it's jammy with hints of cinnamon. Enjoyable on its own and with an early dinner.
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Ce soir pour fêter un bon ami, on ouvre 2 belles bouteilles. Un vrai beau blend bien musclé au boisé appuyé et assez tannique mais assez équilibré tout de même, il continu d`évoluer en beauté avec temps et aération.
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Tasted blind. dark red ruby color, dense and powerful, almost purple at the edges. Young. Nose has white pepper, leather and blackcurrant. Taste is cold, lovely, full and big. Young and powerful. Obvious oak. Acidic component and drying of tannins towards the end of the palate. A big and monumental wine but way too young right now.
50+5+11+15+8 (89p)
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A Matter of Taste: London Edition (Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea): A commanding, almost palpable nose: pure, tight fruit, some grilled meat emerges, but very monolithic tannins shield the complex flavors underneath; lacks some richness on the palate but it will surely evolve into something complex and rewarding in time.
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This is really fabulous from start to finish. The nose and its complex array of fruits, licorice and earthy scents is right there. But the layers of silky, polished, lush, sweet, ripe fruits on your palate makes sure you finish your glass and ask for more.
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No nariz não empolgou, apesar de boa qualidade com aroma sutil a balsâmico e frutas negras, faltou intensidade, complexidade e não evoluiu, demonstrando ser seu ponto negativo. Seu sabor foi intenso, tânico, forte, amadeirado, leve amargor herbal. Final de boca com leve adocicado, muito bom corpo e estrutura.
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Dominus Master Class - A matter of taste (Singapore): Dark purple. Discrete nose of dark fruit, earthy notes with eucalyptus. On the palate this is well structured with good balance and freshness. Really great wine with lots of depth. Needs time. Wait until 2019.
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"Matter of Taste" - Dominus Masterclass (Singapore Art Museum Glass House): Spice and tobacco on the nose. Very fruit-forward, covering the tannins ("hiding" behind). Plush/lush, rounded but well-balanced with good structure and length. It still lingered on the palate well after the wine has made its way into the stomach...
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Dominus Master Class - A matter of taste (Singapore): This was the richest and biggest wine of the tasting with plenty of dark fruit. For me this is borderline overripe with slight notes of tar. According to EM this is 86% CS, 10% CF and 4% PV. Still nice but my least preferred wine of this tasting.
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Dominus Masterclass (Robert Parker's Matter of Taste, Singapore) (Singapore Art Museum): Fantastic wine. The most impressive out of all the wines tried. Fresh with bright red fruits. Tannins are slightly viscous but round and elegant. Finish long. Very balanced and complete. Somewhat like the 2001 Dominus but more potent, complex, elegant and fresh.
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One of the greatest bottles of wine I have ever had was a magnum of 1991 Dominus. Drank on New Years Eve 1999 for the millennium. It was spectacular. This was kind of nondescript, not much up front, not much finish. Drank it at LouCas in Edison with a Caymus 2012 cab and a 2009 Leonetti cab. It came in last. Kind of disappointing.
Had another bottle tonight with filet and fresh butterbeans with my daughter. A super good wine--great nose, deep dark color, long silky legs when swirled, and a long aftertaste. This one will last for years I think, but drink it now if you want--completely ready.
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The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry, red currant, blackberry, stoniness, vanilla and bell pepper. It tastes like blueberry, blackberry, black currant (cassis) and chocolate. The body is medium/full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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Decanted for 75 minutes. Fantastic Nose! Excellent wine. Beautiful Finish. I had with a Filet, twice baked potato & green beans. I love Dominus. Outstanding! Enjoyed Dinner with my little brother. 96 Points. The OKC Kid
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Dominus is and has always been one of my favorite wines. I now pronounce this vintage ready to drink. Very tasty right after decanting with great nose. deep dark color, and long legs. You can't ask for anything more.
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Decanted for 4 hours. Really enjoyable with dark red fruit and hints of earthiness on the finish. Beautiful nose. Definitely needs more time and should continue to get better.
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Tasted along with 2007 and 2011 Dominus. The 2009 was the clear winner. The nose on this wine is tremendous like a thick black sharpie marker. Explosive mouthfeel with a finish that kicks into second gear and lasts and lasts. The 07 had the nose, but lacked the complexity and permafinish. The '11 is good but way too young. 96+ for the 2009
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Feels way to early to drink. A startling nose of pungent currants and plums (plum sauce?). However everything was too rich for me on the palate with the wines structure getting in the way of a truly satisfying glass. No doubt well made but best left in the cellar for the moment.
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didn't blow me away, and I think because, even with long decant, it's just too young... but overall very good, and very safe... thick wine, with notes of chocolate, coffee, cigar, dark cherry, plum... finish was closed, but again... needs the cellar
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A little astringent right after opening, but 30 minutes later it was fine. Dominus is one of my favorite wines year after year. This 2009 was no exception. Very well developed, good aftertaste, strong legs, and a real pleasure to drink. I would buy another 6 bottles right now. This was the 1st of 6 bottles I bought 1 1/2 years ago.
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Every few years, I'll buy this wine, always hoping it will be better than it is, and always disappointed and feeling like a sucker for having held out hope. The 2009, like other vintages I've tried, is dominated (pun) by alcohol, which clouds anything else in the glass, either on the nose or the palate, and is just kind of a rough and tumble sort of wine without any refinement or polish.
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We got the chance to taste this with about an hour decant. This 2009 is still a little closed, but just starting to show it's true potential. By Napa standards, this wine is quite lean and angular. I can see why some would consider this to have too much oak, and I am sure the 2010 and 2011 are not ready yet. In a good way, the oak defines this wine. The 18 months in 40% new French oak bring a dimension of layers even these pedigreed grapes cannot achieve on their own. The fruit is still a bit reticent, but shows outstanding potential with big blackberry and rich dark cherry. Lots of secondary flavors emerging of leather, graphite, cola, vanilla and licorice. Lean and muscular like a well trained athlete.
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Vindredi (Bellevue, WA): Tasted blind. Funky, savory nose with a bit of oak. Full bodied with dark fruit and earth. Tart tannins and heavy acid. Not sure this was showing at its best.
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Very dark, almost black towards the centre. Sweet, luscious red fruit on the nose, cassis, blueberries, chocolate, liquorice, cherries as well, very ripe. Big and powerful on the palate, lots of fruit, multi-layered, complex, fresh and acidic with slightly drying but superbly well integrated tannins. Long finish, a superb wine. Very young, should improve with more bottle age.
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What a unique Napa wine. So different than any other Cali Cabernet. It has this intense beam of cassis, cherry and raspberry on the finish that just lingers. There's also this interesting dusty cocoa nuance on the finish. Didn't love this wine but happy I tried it.
-- Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
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Tasted over five days. Hitting its stride by day four. Very different from the 2008, which was much more inviting at this stage. But I think this wine could be even better than the 2008, maybe even a "very special" wine. I think the rating will climb over time. Not a bargain wine, but could look that way in 10 years.
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Un excellent vin, toutefois très 'vert' pas prêt du tout... Belle finale, belle rondeur, des tannins magnifiques, un nez correct, on ne se croierait pas en Californie du tout... J'ai adoré ce vin et mes convives aussi !
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Delicious, lots of ripe red fruits violets and cedar flavors. Well-ballanced, intense and persistent. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
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dark ruby in color. licorice, graphite, oak, dark fruit, wet earth on the nose. black berry, blueberry, spice, chocolate on the palate. dry, high acid, big tannins in this lingering finish.
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There is a beautiful sense of symmetry and purity in this blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The wine will be aged in 40% new, French oak for 18 months. truffles, licorice, blackberry, fresh herbs and wet forest floor notes are in abundance. The wine ends with a long, sweet, polished, silky, expansive finish.
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Amazing nose. We let this decant for a couple of hrs before we started drinking it & it was great. Leather on the nose with cigar on the palate. It then transitioned to terroir & black fruit. Overwhelming on the palate and just phenomenal. Honestly I bet in 10-15 yrs this is a 95 Pointer.
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The wine required coaxing to get it to open, but whenit did, licorice, tobacco, earth, cassis, blackberry jam and fresh her notes came to life. Thick, rich and palate coating, opulent, lush texutres and a long, silky finish made this a treat to taste.
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Similar note to the '09 Napanook: the fruit is bright, red fruit and really in your face. There are some additional components to this wine compared to the Napanook, mainly the finish.....though in my opinion those components do not warrant an additional $125 to the price. This is too young and needs to rest a bit (or needs a long decant) to let the fruit calm down. Not my style.
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4/20/2024 - MC wrote:
Double decanted for an hour and then tasted over the following hour. Dark red color showing no age. Ripe dark fruits on the nose. Great fruit on the palate. This wine is concentrated, and with a long finish. Maybe not yet some more interesting secondaries to come but this is drinking well with the decant and red meat and might improve slightly with time but no harm in drinking now with the decant. There were some very good to excellent 2009 Bordeaux in this evening and while this still shows it's New World fruit it does have a nice mix and certainly was among my favorites along with '09 Montrose and Pontet Canet (they too will get better with more time but the Pontet Canet seemed closer to ready than the Montrose). A-/A
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4/13/2024 - Lukas1976 wrote: 90 Points
Aktuell leider enttäuschend, dee Wein ist verschlossen und zeigt keine grosse Spannung. Relativ viele Tannine spürbar und damit eher hart und kantig Sich er 3-4 Stunden zu dekantieren oder noch besser den Wein weitere 5 Jahre ruhen lassen
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2/4/2024 - mwillis wrote:
I was opening this with a cork pop, as I have done with hundreds of bottles, when it blew a hole in the side of the bottle...glass and wine all over the place...not a great experience with guests invited for dinner...other than a hole in the side of the bottle there was no other signs of damage...no other cracks or damage other than a very startled and upset host! Florida 2/24
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1/17/2024 - mathwonk wrote:
Extremely disappointing. I criticized the 2014 and 2015 for being simply concentrated and rich but uninteresting. This one did not even have that going for it. Those were fantastic compared to this. Took a very long time to open up and even then was not very open or full. I do not recommend this to anyone. Unfortunately I also bought it at a restaurant hence overpaid enormously, which is a big factor in my disappointment. (We took it home and aired it for hours.) But still this is the worst Dominus I ever had, the only one that did not impress at all. Of course conceivably it may be temporarily closed, and become excellent in 5 more years, but I would not gamble on that.
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12/10/2023 - ayalao3 wrote: 93 Points
Second time trying this wine and both times has been a disappointment especially when compared to Vintages like 2013, 2015 and 16 2018. There is some red fruits and muted aromas.
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10/6/2023 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 96 Points
needs a two hour decant
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8/12/2023 - espy Likes this wine: 97 Points
My first experience with Dominus was one to remember. Refined and polished with undeniable pedigree. It was so smooth and balanced once it opened up but very approachable even right after opening. The nose was a bit understated but on the palette is where you could really see how strong this wine is. Tannic structure was smoothly integrated and overall tremendously balanced. Decanted for ~3.5hrs checking in every 45min or so, your patience will be rewarded at this stage of the game.
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8/5/2023 - oncocyte wrote: 93 Points
Open three hours. Will definitely wish to revisit in 10 years. Some fruit, but basically in a very shut-down phase.
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6/23/2023 - Red Sox Fan wrote:
Did not really begin to open until 4 hours after being decanted. Smooth and rich with fairly soft tannins, but still primary with little secondary action beyond a nice smoky note.
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4/24/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Out of magnum, this is fully resolved with a soft and layered texture and delicious flavors of black fruits and graphite minerals. Such a gorgeous wine and so good with food. Dinner at Dominus.
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4/20/2023 - Sundbyberg wrote: 91 Points
Tasting: This was young even after 2 hours in the glass. I have tried multiple vintages of this wine but I'm not convinced - there are better US wines out there, especially at this pricepoint.
Try the cheaper Dominus Napanook 2009 instead. Ready to drink and therefore a lot more "bang for the buck", at least for now (93-94 pts).
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4/14/2023 - NotAWineGuy wrote: 93 Points
Only decanted 1 hour, was still too young.
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4/4/2023 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice three hour decant. Plum and blackberry, integrated with some vanilla and( maybe butterscotch richness not sweetness). Mouth coating tannins. Perfect with lamb.
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4/3/2023 - caesar77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
2 hour decant in glass. Opaque purple w/ ruby edge in color. Nose of blackberry, stewed plum, espresso and tomato soup. On the palate: blackberries, espresso, glints of five spice powder and a beam of graphite. Tannins are silky smooth, perceived on gums. Long, lovely finish of blackberries and graphite. Was a superlative pair with board steak and boursin mashed potatoes.
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1/26/2023 - merlotsmile Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vinminnen
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1/19/2023 - sayward wrote:
Decanted for 1 hour and put back in bottle and brought to a restaurant. Should have decanted for 2-3 hours. I think that it would have shown better. 91.
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1/10/2023 - Drinkslogger Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and left in the bottle for 4 hrs
Nose of wood, dark and red berries, plum,
Beautifully weighted on the palate, round, smooth tannins, elegant and with great structure, floral and fruity in such a refreshing way, blueberries, cherry, raspberry, plum. With a lingering aftertaste of dried plum
This wine should continue to age gracefully for at least the next 10 years and should drink well many more years after that.
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1/4/2023 - Deelirious wrote: 94 Points
NYE 2022 bottle. Needs a good decant. Velvety tannins, a little sweeter than I expected but not unpleasant. Just the right balance of fruit against a hint of tar, charcoal and leather.
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12/19/2022 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
Brought to a nice dinner. Decanted for 40 minutes before drinking. Surprisingly light on fruit at the start, more Bordeaux than California. The age may be catching up to this one. Luckily, with food and a bit of time the fruit presented itself.
On the nose blue and red fruit, mellow and quiet. The palate brings beautiful layers of blue and red fruit, balanced by leather, graphite and a very gentle tannin. It's most certainly ready drink now, quite possibly on the beginning of its downslope. Delicious!
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11/20/2022 - gtonn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very, very good. Deep Ruby color. Nose of dark fruit, cassis. Tobacco with a hint of menthol. Long finish, smoothly integrated tannins
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8/3/2022 - sethboy23 wrote: 98 Points
one of the best dominus i have tried. likely because hit an ideal drinking window. minus2 pts as wasn't as robust as other years. regardless trully exceptional!
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6/19/2022 - JS199 wrote: 96 Points
From a .375. Structure, balance and everything you'd expect.
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5/20/2022 - Winiac wrote: 91 Points
Underwhelming and somewhat strange flavor profile.
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1/22/2022 - Joelene wrote: 94 Points
Great nose of leather, floral shop, vanilla, and cassis. Lots of sweet fruit, blackberry and black cherry. Some sage and pepper too. Nice integrated fine tannin with plenty of puckering grip and a long finish that puts a smile on your face. Maybe a bit sweet for my taste and could use a little more acidity. But really pretty. Blew the Caymus Special Selection I had the night before out of the water.
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1/20/2022 - davidjwarr2001 wrote: 93 Points
2.5 hour decant. Still super tight. Should have waited another 5 years + to open this bottle. Primary fruit only. Typical Yountville profile. Pepper, tobacco and old leather. Do not open until at least 2027. My guess it will be a completely different experience. Wants to get freaky but still wearing its chastity belt. 93 now with upside potential.
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12/24/2021 - gth865a Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful, very bordeaux-like in structure. Opened up a lot over the course of our Christmas Eve celebration.
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11/27/2021 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 95 Points
A gorgeous half bottle, cellar stored since release, decanted for 40 minutes before consumption. Near black, still very young, but in this format, ready to drink if allowed to open a bit. Dark chocolate , new leather, blackberry, iron and copper shavings on the nose. Rich,viscous, a texture and balance to easily age 30 years. Tannins beautifully subdued within the ample chewy black fruits. Tannins actually show more on the 50 second plum pit and brazil nut finish, as the fruit fades from the palate. Held up perfectly tonight with lamb shoulder mole, a symbiotic dance of dark chocolate and mace in both.
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10/30/2021 - RD59 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs cellaring, dense, wonderful balance, this is a red meat wine par excellence but give it a few more years
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10/24/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant
Young, ripe with mocha, dark red fruit, salinity, some tobacco, nice acidity and verve; good Length and youthful dry but attractive tannins. Good length and balance. Upside from here but youthful, fresh and enjoyable today with decant
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10/14/2021 - Otaku Oenophile Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tight, iron, minerals, fine sweet tannins.
Recommend older vintages, this is a baby even with quite a few hours of decanting.
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10/9/2021 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
Corked
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8/21/2021 - Chair Likes this wine:
Lovely. Mature fruit. At peak maturity.
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8/6/2021 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 96 Points
Going from memory, but really enjoyed this. Opened and let breath in the bottle about 6 hours and then double decanted 2 hours before consuming.
While still youthful with beautiful dark fruit, this is showing some spice and earth and was totally enjoyable. We drank this along side an 09 Pontet-Canett, and the Dominus was an old soul in comparison!
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4/16/2021 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - cranberry, sour red fruit nose
Mouth - complex bitter red fruit, actually quite young. Lots of tannins. Not a ton of complexity at this stage, which is amazing at age 12, but still lovely fruit. Hold
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1/26/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 94 Points
black currant, pencil shavings, tobacco, blackberries, cedar, mocha, spiced plum, dried herbs and blue florals.
The dark fruit is quite dense on the palate, with the secondary spice and earth notes almost as an afterthought. Still rather tightly wound, the tannins are still rather firm and needs time to soften. Acidity is good and should provide a great backbone in the coming years.
Probably not the right time, feels a bit stubborn
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1/2/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted for 2 hrs, deep ruby, black cherry with a touch of vanilla, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, drink or hold. This was surprisingly (for me) ready for a young Dominus
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12/25/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Dark purple garnet color turning tawny rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off dark red and black berries with smoky vanilla from toasted oak. The palate is full bodied with a velvety texture featuring ripe raspberry, cranberry, dark cherry and cassis. Secondary flavors of fig, licorice and root beer follow through to the long finish with hints of dried herbs. Drink now through 2030.
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11/9/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 1 hour. Dark, ripe fruit on the nose with just a touch of heat. Dark, rich, and expansive fruit on the palate. Great concentration. This is a rich, concentrated, classic Cali cab that really shows off its fruit. Drinking well now but seems will hold for some time. A
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10/18/2020 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
First bottle drank after coravin tasting (10 months earlier). Cork seemed to come out a little easily, but otherwise wouldn't have noticed this had been tasted before. Big and deep, but amazingly not too tannic. Drank over two nights and teeth weren't too blue. Long life ahead, but drinkable already.
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10/14/2020 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
24 Napa Reds: All tasted double blind. Brief impressions. One of the winners of the tasting. The highlights are the elegance, finesse and the cool, fresh profile. As always, Dominus delivers with a touch of old world wine magic paired with the right amount of Napa sexiness. Ripe but not too ripe blackberries, lots of violets, traces of minerality. Nice intensity, very high precision but with a complexity still a bit hidden behind the more dominating fruit. Super fine tannins, perfectly integrated high acidity, a very soft texture and good length. The complete package worth 96/97 points.
Group score (23 participants): 93.1
Group rank: 21 out of 24 wines
(This was the first wine that was served. I guess the palates of many tasters were not yet ready.)
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10/1/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Napa battle (Napa Grill, Zurich): Tasted blind, double-decanted. Very dense, ripe black current and dark cherry, some sweet notes around the edges reminding me of powdered sugar. Overlay of dry herbs. Lots of acidity, but pretty well integrated. Slightly weak structure as the main surprise for me after it was revealed, I would have expected more muscle. Youngest Dominus I've ever had and it was good, yes, but couldn't keep up with older vintages from the 90ies or more recent vintages such as 2005.
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9/28/2020 - AAJR Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted & aired for 2 hours. Fruit aromas. Flavors of dark cherry, plum, spice & mocha. Long finish with some dusty tannins on the back end.
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9/20/2020 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Fantastic juice that is just entering its drinking window but will last for many years. That nose is just so Dominus in so many good ways! Ripe, dark fruit with graphite and earth with a finish that last a solid 30 seconds. Really impressed and wish I had more but glad I drank this as it is right now!!
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9/19/2020 - lucaslabelle wrote: 94 Points
Soft, integrated and feminine. A classic example of French winemaker meets California terroir. Beautiful wine. Drink now. 94+
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8/18/2020 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs a couple of hours of decant. Drinking nicely, bricking on the color, floral, tertiary but still holding up well
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8/13/2020 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This earthy and savory wine isn't quite at the level of the 2005 or 2012, each of which I tasted this year, but the 2009 is tasty nonetheless. This seems more uncompromisingly Old World, with notes of olive and dust that some will prefer more than me.
Garnet in color and medium in body, the wine offers pungent aromas of baked plum, dried herbs, tobacco, and tapenade. The flavors are similarly grainy, with notes of grilled cherry, leather, graphite, and espresso, with a prickly finish that still carries plenty of dusty tannin. Blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. 14.5% alcohol. 94 as of now, but this has the density and balance to blossom in 2023 or later.
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8/10/2020 - RayT Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine is so mercurial! Like a beautiful woman that even with a lifetime to study you can never understand. One night amazing another just so-so when you thought you did everything exactly the same. Unfortunately, this was the so-so night. I last drank this a year ago and it was the iconic "iron fist in a velvet glove". This night the velvet glove was there but the iron fist was nowhere to be found. This was deep garnet in color with a beautiful nose of violets, black currants, plum, cedar and mocha. The palate was the same. It was ready to go on the PNP and it was silky smooth with an extremely long finish. What was missing was the depth and quality of the fruit. Make no mistake this wine was still good it just was nowhere near the level of when I drank it last in 2019 even though I bought both bottles from the same vendor and they were stored identically. To make matters worse this was soundly trounced by a 2013 Kata we also drank that night. I have one bottle left and I wish I knew what to do to reach the level I drank at before. I thought the magic bullet was 10 years in bottle for these big Napa Bordeaux blends. I guess searching for that holy grail is what keeps us coming back for more!
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7/15/2020 - BadOyster wrote: 94 Points
a delightful mix of youthful red fruits and acidity with some savory notes making an appearance. the usual medicine streak in Dominus wines appears to be tame at this point. could go another five years with ease.
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7/3/2020 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
Notes of cassis, black cherry, mocha, and spice box. Medium bodied, ripe tannins, round texture, with good depth; almost elegant for a top flight Napa Cab. Long finish, prime drinking window.
Vinous Napa Learn Tasting with Antonio Galloni, Yountville
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6/27/2020 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dry farmed as underground streams in the benchland from this aluvial fanned terroir per Todd Mostero the winemaker. Does not want stressed vines or on and off water vs constant availability. It creates more harmony in the vines and fruit. Allows for healthy fruit even in drought years. Many years creates need to do very little at the winery. Napanook wines are different blocks that create more upfront intense fruit that is lively and drinks well early, it’s a character they look for in the lots as they make the wines, it is not a second wine per say, more of a type of wine.
2009 was great weather wise, created subtle qualities per Todd, more complex wine, a wine to contemplate, a wine requiring focus, not an obvious wine, not overtly showy.
My note: Really good dark sweet chocolatey earthy red cherry aromas. Nice mellow flavors of tobacco, leather, cedar, good depth and freshness. Well balanced between fruits and texture. Smooth dry persistent cherry fruit throughout. Broad with a dusty character. Very enjoyable, quite good today. Good spicy finish with just a hint of acidic tension.
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6/22/2020 - Ufer73 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bottle variation!! I had this recently and absolutely loved it (97 - review below) so I opened it for Father's Day. This bottle from the same lot was giving so little after a 2 1/2 hour decant. We slowly drank it over the entire evening and it didn't improve. The first bottle easily exceeded expectations for the price. The second bottle clearly didn't.
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5/19/2020 - bonedoc wrote:
(mostly a) 2009 international cabernet tasting:
Tasted blind, popped corks 2 hours before drinking. My favorites in order:
1. 2009 Leoville Poyferre (96): Ripe, concentrated, dark fruits, oaky, tasted new world
2. 2009 Dominus (95): Oaky, dark fruit profile, less old world than expected
3. 2009 Quilceda (93): Oaky, big, darkest fruit profile
4. 2009 Sheridan Block 1 (91): Ripe, sweet but balanced
5. 2010 Ornellaia (?): Slight brett taint, which I’m sensitive to
6. 2009 Leoville Las Cases (90): Acidic, lean, austere compared to others
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5/6/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tried in a blind tasting of Dominus 2009 v Mission Haut Brion 2003
Deep purple with a black core. A bit of spice, noticeable heat, but without the sweetness that for me, ruins many new world cabs. This was a lovely wine, and stood up well to a classic bordeaux.
Tried with BV&S
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4/27/2020 - BLam Likes this wine: 92 Points
It was opened and left in bottle for 2 hours and decanted for 1 hour. The wine provided a smooth silky and full body palate. But it was a shame that we had the Xaanxi spicy cousine to pair with, thus it was difficult to taste the complexity of the favours.
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4/18/2020 - gbbwino wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic wine! Decanted first an hour. Still very youthful with big fruit. Tannins are silky smooth. Excellent weight & balance with good mid palate & long finish. Not much in the form of secondary characteristics yet as fruit dominates. More new world than some Dominus vintages. Can’t wait to see what this turns into in another 5-10 years!
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4/9/2020 - Ufer73 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted 2 1/2 hours. Absolutely loved this wine. It didn't have the normal Bordeaux profile of so many previous vintages that I have enjoyed. It had a very soft mouthfeel and an amazing finish. This was a much greater experience than I had anticipated.
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2/18/2020 - WizardNeedsFood Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed at Bellevue El Gaucho. One hour decant. Should have done two. Shows nicely at 1hr but as we drank it the wine opened up more structure and complexity. Great bottle.
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2/10/2020 - mchern02 wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant
Very tightly wound dark fruit, mocha, cacao, red raspberries, and ripe plums with a dry, bottled up palate, slug Hut minerality and a lot of length
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1/9/2020 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good yummy fruit, but not a lot of delineated character. My guess is upside will surprise in time.
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1/9/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Dominus Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): 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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1/1/2020 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
Should I open a 2009 or 2010 to celebrate the New Year 2020? I opted for 2009 since it is 10 years old and the 2010s are not quite a decade.
This wine had cherry nib notes on the nose and palate with a nice balance - old world style in a new world region. One of my favorites.
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12/31/2019 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lighter in body than expected. Extremely easy and enjoyable to drink for anyone. Some detectable earth/oak but only a touch. Fruit is delicious. I'd drink now.
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12/26/2019 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Tasted with first threesome of Coravin (also 2010 Leoville Poyferre and 2005 Michel Rolland. This was best of three. Round, fruity with structure and not overly tannic. Try a full bottle anytime.
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12/12/2019 - jcampano Likes this wine: 94 Points
A bit more earthy than I remember from the previous bottle I drank. The nose was of dark cherry and cedar. Plum and cherry flavors with light cedar and long yet slightly muted finish. I appreciate why many rave over Dominus blends, but for me, I like a bit more fruit than what this wine offered.
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10/13/2019 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Occasional dinner group: Bordeaux 2009 and some ringers (By SS @ De Ertepeller in Papendrecht): Creamy dark berries, eucalyptus and mint in the bouquet. On the palate dark berries, sweet spices, chocolate, a pleasant touch of sweetness, good acidity and round tannin. Beautiful wine with a good future. 95+
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10/4/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Love it. Super elegant, earth forward, grilling herbs. Muted raspberry and red fruit. A Bordeaux fan’s Cali Cab for sure.
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9/22/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Maturing nicely, blackberries, tobacco, hints of leather, softening tannins and subtle oak.
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9/21/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Liked it just a touch better than the 2007 Chappellet Pritchard Hill. More earth, but low for a Dominus based on previous vintages.
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6/24/2019 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep purple with ruby rim. Fruit compote nose. Fruit forward palate with some toasted notes and cassis and vanilla. Medium plus finish which at times hinted a burning alcoholic heat but then brought it back quickly. Some of the bay leaf and herb notes already apparent on the ‘10 (see my note). Not as open as the ‘10 or just not as complex. Still was a hedonistic drink while it lasted. 93+
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5/24/2019 - RayT Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great bottle of wine. Drank at dinner at Ocean and Main in Laguna Beach. Decanted this 2 hours prior to dinner and drank over 3 hours. This bottle continued to develop with time that tells me it has plenty of bottle time left but is drinking very well with a good decant. This treads the line between elegant and bold. There is plenty of flavor for the bold crowd and great nuance for the elegant. My first bottle of Dominus. I waited to get 10 years on this bottle and it did not let me down. I have drank a few Dominus Napinook but this was SIGNIFICANTLY better. I realize Dominus is now $300 because of all the 100 pt scores but I payed $119 back in the day and this drank well above that. Will continue to hold my 2012 and 2013 till at least 10 years of bottle age.
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4/14/2019 - Robert.Ettlin wrote:
Ein himmlischer Saft, sehr ausgewogen, eine harmonische Süsse, aber trotzdem mit Kraft und Eleganz.
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3/23/2019 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful, rich, elegant and lush. This wine has so much more life in it that I was almost regretting popping the cork. However, it was such a beauty to enjoy. Opened for 1 hour, notes of chocolate, creme de cassis, strawberry, blueberry, black berry and BBQ. Layers of rounded structured Napa fruit on the tongue. Long finish.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), chocolate, soy sauce, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and lead pencil. It tastes like chocolate, blackberry and lead pencil. The body is medium/full. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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3/22/2019 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 91 Points
way too young to drink
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3/13/2019 - Otaku Oenophile Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cherry, chocolate, cedar and hints of tobacco.
Good stuff but I'm guessing it's not meant to be consumed now but it's also not showing as vibrant as vintages like the 12 or 13 either in their youth.
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3/9/2019 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Color - Inky purple
Aromas - Expansive black and red fruit, violets, sandalwood and a hint of cacao
Body - Full-bodied, lush and round with moderating vibrant acidity with sweet velvety tannins
Taste - Generous blackberry, cassis, red currant, vanilla, graphite and dark chocolate nicely accented with a bit of blueberry
Finish - Long
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot 14.5% abv
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1/20/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 2009 Dominus features graphite, black currants, and red fruit all wrapped in a lovely perfumed nose. Layers and layers of flavors unfold on the palate. Finishes warm with tremendous lift. This was a beast when I opened it up in the morning, but a slow oxidation over the course of the day had it drinking perfectly. This should continue to evolve for another decade.
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12/4/2018 - Rbtrage wrote: 92 Points
Really opened up after an hour. A lovely wine but not sure it is worth the price.
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10/20/2018 - bigredPA wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful notes of sandelwood, roses, mulled berries and graphite. Great structure; an elegant and sophisticated wine.
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10/19/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 94 Points
New York Wine Experience 2018 (New York Marriott Marquis): Vibrant with Cherry, herbs, spice, blackcurrant, firm tannins, however, felt closed and holding back potential.Good structure and elegant though
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10/19/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): More intense and new world in style than I was expecting. There is though a bit more tannin than sometimes see these days in California. And '09 was a warm year so that could be driving the more intense fruit flavors.
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8/12/2018 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour thoughts: Dark purple. Dark fruit nose with pencil lead. Smells hefty. Nose isn't giving away too many secrets. Texture is incredibly silky and plush, bordering on some syrup. Big powerful wine; not brooding, but wanting to show itself. Not overwhelmed by the tannic structure on the first gulp. Notes of cocoa permeate the palate along with spiced blackberries and perfectly ripe blueberry. Above average length.
Decanted for 2-3 hours: Little bit of air and a lovely floral scent comes out. Licorice and smoke too. Good vibrancy on the palate. It walks a nice line of having a soft feel but also have plenty of edge.
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8/4/2018 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for about 6 hours. This is a tannic beast on opening and developed into a complex wine during the decant. Notes of cedar, leather and dark fruit. There was a long finish of baking spices and graphite? Can cellar for many more years.
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7/12/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 96 Points
In a great early drinking window. After a 2 hour decant the wine was delicious. Great dominus to drink while your 2013 and 2015 dominus mature.
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6/6/2018 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
SLDS June 2018: Blackcurrant and blackberry, graphite, smoke and tobacco. Builds well on the palate, beautiful balance, complex and composed. Superb expression of Cabernet.
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4/8/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious and drinking extremely well after a 2-3 hour decant. Loads of aging potential but I am drinking mine now.
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2/18/2018 - Justinwine wrote: 94 Points
Super Bowl wine! And the Eagles won!
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2/12/2018 - Justinwine wrote: 94 Points
I had nine bottles and now I have none and now I am sad except I am happy because each and every one was delicious. Especially the one I drank watching the Eagles beat the Vikings and the one I drank watching the Eagles beat the Pat's!
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11/11/2017 - Nekodab wrote: 96 Points
Powerful lots of life left!!
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8/14/2017 - mats13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very youthful. I'd recommend letting it nap for another 5+ years. But given air there was obvious quality and it was drinkable even with its wall of tannin.
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8/8/2017 - CabIPA Likes this wine:
This needs air! I'd rather not talk about nights 1 and 2. Night 3 was the night! Blue and purple fruit. A small amount of earth, graphite, and pencil lead. Silky smooth tannins. Well balanced acidity. Leave it in the cellar for a few years or open it up days in advance.
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7/5/2017 - Nekodab wrote: 96 Points
Wonderfully paired with wine!!
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6/25/2017 - ricl Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfect with wine, cheese, and views at Glendo. Licorice, cherry, smooth like a better Papillon
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6/24/2017 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (M&R's): Double blind. Deep color. Fairly tight and nondescript. Dark fruit, peppery spice and oak notes. More of the same on the palate. Shows a bit riper fruit with vigorous swirling. Guessed Napa cab.
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4/24/2017 - ElSol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent. Cab perfection.
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3/26/2017 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent wine, straddling old world and new. Graphite, deep red and black fruined. Reminded me a pessac really, lots of stone and minerals. Tannic still and I think best left alone for several years. One of the best new world wines ive had, but for the money, I'd probably choose hosanna vcc or evangile.
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3/23/2017 - Cgrant1029 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted a couple hours, this seems way to young in my view. More recent Dominus vintages like 2011 were more accessible. Lots of potential there, and a lot of raw power that needs to integrate with more time. I'll give a few more years with my other bottles.
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12/14/2016 - eric@cwm wrote: 97 Points
A potential classic in the works. Big and broad, with soft layers of black currant, soy and graphite. Some aggressive swirling revealed more freshness and beautiful red fruit. This is one of the most fascinating versions of Dominus I've had in terms of guessing at its potential. Drink in 2020 and it may be a candidate for a perfect score. I recently spent time with Christian Moieux who said that he often decants Dominus for 10 hours. He may be onto something, as this bottle seemed to need it. +++
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12/8/2016 - jaxpaj wrote: 96 Points
I would drink now unless you prefer mineral, tobacco, and forest floor. All of these are present but don't over power the dark fruit. A touch of a watery edge on the finish kept this from being scored any higher.
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11/25/2016 - aquaman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop n pour... It was wow.. First time having this label.. Less heat. Less tannis.. Easy to drink... Can't wait to taste my 12/13.. But I might get some
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10/7/2016 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Bu au resto AVV La Suite de Sherbrooke Avec Headless, Bulle et Meursault.
Un vin large d'épaules, dense et assez complexe.
René nous faisait remarquer que le vin ne cessait de changer, sur le gros fruit au début, ensuite sur l’anis puis le tabac vers la fin de la soirée.
Encore assez jeune mais approchable grace au carafage.
Assez d’accord avec Olivier que c’est un autre Américain un peu « Over-Rated » mais un très bon vin. Je l’avais tout de même ouvert tôt le matin, mis en carafe pour enlever le dépôt, laisser un bon 2 heures et remis en bouteille épaulée laissée ouverte pour un bon 8 heures!
M’en reste 2 autres pour le suivre.
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9/26/2016 - Bluefisher wrote: 92 Points
You can see the quality is there, but it's just way to soon. Going to forget about the rest of it for a decade.
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9/17/2016 - drdan8 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Uncorked and sent to wide bowl for 1 hour with some intermittent swirling. Albeit a young teenager, this had a vivacious and intriguing nose of menthol, blackberry, pencil shavings, new leather, plum, and purple flowers. Very Bordeaux in character. Rich taste encompassing black cherry,
assorted dark fruits, cassis, and some nice earthiness. Some secondary nuance starting to develop and it appears 7-8 years will be kind to this bottling. Tannin is refined and just starting to integrate nicely. The finish holds a good 30 seconds. Both powerful and restrained at the same time if that's possible.
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9/10/2016 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, PLUMS, AND LICORICE IN THE FLAVOR. DEEP BERRY FRUIT AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF EARTHINESS. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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7/14/2016 - Slick23861 wrote: 87 Points
Way too earthy , didn't enjoy it .
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7/3/2016 - ledwards wrote: 91 Points
Drank blind alongside '06 and '07 Ramey Annum. This came in 3rd but very close to '06. Stewed blueberries, plums and some leather. Good wine, slightly subdued on the midpalate.
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6/19/2016 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic wine. Plum tea, blackberry. Very complex, very elegant.
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6/9/2016 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Bu au resto AVV La Suite de Sherbrooke Avec Headless, Bulle et MikeLM.
Débouché sur place à l'arrivé ...aurait grandement bénificié d'un long passage en carafe!
Encore une fois un vin large, costaud et ample, qui a du Torque.
Nez sur les poivrons et le cassis.
En bouche, des fruits noirs sur un grosse masse tannique, très long et persistant. Il prend beaucoup de place en ce moment.
Loin d'être prêt, je vais attendre mes autres encore quelques années!
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6/4/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
Dark purple, slight ruby, ripe fruits on the darker end of the spectrum, excellent concentration, a little heat and sharp tannins. Really good, and pretty young, prob will be better in 5+ years even though drinkable now.
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4/18/2016 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Our 1st '09 and it did NOT disappoint - really an outstanding and still quite young Dominus. Wines like this one confirm to myself the decision I made about a decade ago to start collecting Dominus. At this price point though, despite how really good this is it probably represents a very average QPR when compared to other high end CA producers. This was enjoyed at the inaugural tasting of our new wine club earlier this week. Opened up for about two hours in the wine glass w/out an otherwise formal decant. Very very good, well structured, already well balanced, no off tones and a nice muscular core of tannins giving this wine at least another decade+ of cellaring under appropriate conditions - still very youthful and fruit forward though. Excellent mouth feel, a big but softening wine, a pleasant and surprisingly floral and aromatic nose of dark fruit and rose with a lengthy finish. Flavor profile classic dark fruit and cassis with a hint of game and blood on the late palate. Highly recommend this wine despite the price point with the caveat that I firmly believe that it's best days are still ahead of us. Will wait a couple years before opening the next one.
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4/15/2016 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Occasional tasting group (By TBa @ WN Top South America plus some extra's.): Just limited notes, but this is a beautiful wine. In the bouquet ripe dark forest fruits. On the palate dark berries, some chocolate, medicine and good acidity. Beautiful and round tannin with a pleasant bite. This wine is in its very early maturity stage now. Better to cellar it until 2022+ For tonight: 93+
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2/29/2016 - bplant13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very tightly wound. Took a couple of hours to open up with a decant. Big nose with dark fruits. Body was still a little tight, but full of rich and smooth black fruits and chocolate. Tannins are soft, but have a big presence that could benefit from many more years in the cellar. The heat and acidity and already well balanced. Big silky finish. Long road ahead and I'll keep my 2nd bottle for several more years. 94+
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2/24/2016 - eyeguy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent! Mara loved it!
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2/15/2016 - KendraPM wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Initial aroma was jam-packed mocha, milk chocolate and fresh blueberries. Long velvety finish with great complexity.
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2/6/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 2009 Dominus is like a ball of pent up energy, waiting to explode. The nose was dark and polished, yet with remarkable freshness to its mix of raspberry and blackberry fruit. Hints of tobacco added depth. On the palate, it was dense with intense dark fruits followed by lifting inner floral notes. The finish was long, dark and saturating to the senses. There’s so much more here that’s buried beneath this wine’s youthful state. It’s a sleeper wine.
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12/28/2015 - RyanWu wrote: 94 Points
This is why I love the wines from Yountville so much. Probably, this is why Black widow can win over Hulk. Muscle sometimes just can not do everything. At this low temperature area in Napa Valley, Dominus estate always can show you the missing factor in Napa, which is "elegance." Restrained nose is filled with appropriate amount of vanilla, cedar, cassis, currant, and earthy. On the palate, silky and well-polished body makes me feel like talking to an elegant lady. The complex wine is full of currant, blue berry, licorice, and young ripen tannin. More surprisingly, the muscle and structure are growing and showing after 2 hours decanting. Then, I started to realize how big is Dominus. To sum up, the best description should be Iron Lady, who is so admirable with an undefeatable spirit.
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12/1/2015 - sja61 wrote: 95 Points
Brought to a favorite NYC restaurant. All 4 of us loved the wine. Dishes were varied from Dorade to Short Ribs. This is a big and beautiful wine. The blend rounds out the nose, taste and feel. Drinking beautifully but still has plenty of time.
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11/22/2015 - iwadasn wrote: 96 Points
Opened with a lot of vanilla, followed by the fruit. After about 3 hours, it's jammy with hints of cinnamon. Enjoyable on its own and with an early dinner.
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10/24/2015 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Ce soir pour fêter un bon ami, on ouvre 2 belles bouteilles.
Un vrai beau blend bien musclé au boisé appuyé et assez tannique mais assez équilibré tout de même, il continu d`évoluer en beauté avec temps et aération.
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10/4/2015 - Justinwine wrote: 96 Points
Delicious. Soft. Higher score when the fruit comes out.
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7/19/2015 - Shiaxonna wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind. dark red ruby color, dense and powerful, almost purple at the edges. Young. Nose has white pepper, leather and blackcurrant. Taste is cold, lovely, full and big. Young and powerful. Obvious oak. Acidic component and drying of tannins towards the end of the palate. A big and monumental wine but way too young right now.
50+5+11+15+8 (89p)
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7/6/2015 - sweensomm wrote: 98 Points
best napa wine ive had in a long time.Big and silky...
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6/22/2015 - leonardo_de_araujo wrote: 93 Points
Tres tres Bon
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4/4/2015 - vcc wrote: 96 Points
Needs time. At least another 5-7 years.
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2/28/2015 - RayOB wrote: 94 Points
A Matter of Taste: London Edition (Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea): Still very primary with lots of black fruit and some meaty notes. Rich luscious palate. Nice.
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2/28/2015 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 97 Points
A Matter of Taste: London Edition (Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea): A commanding, almost palpable nose: pure, tight fruit, some grilled meat emerges, but very monolithic tannins shield the complex flavors underneath; lacks some richness on the palate but it will surely evolve into something complex and rewarding in time.
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2/10/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
This is really fabulous from start to finish. The nose and its complex array of fruits, licorice and earthy scents is right there. But the layers of silky, polished, lush, sweet, ripe fruits on your palate makes sure you finish your glass and ask for more.
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1/16/2015 - Opusone99 wrote: 94 Points
Sans prise de notes. Très belle fiole!
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1/14/2015 - heldermramos@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
No nariz não empolgou, apesar de boa qualidade com aroma sutil a balsâmico e frutas negras, faltou intensidade, complexidade e não evoluiu, demonstrando ser seu ponto negativo. Seu sabor foi intenso, tânico, forte, amadeirado, leve amargor herbal. Final de boca com leve adocicado, muito bom corpo e estrutura.
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11/22/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Dominus Master Class - A matter of taste (Singapore): Dark purple. Discrete nose of dark fruit, earthy notes with eucalyptus. On the palate this is well structured with good balance and freshness. Really great wine with lots of depth. Needs time. Wait until 2019.
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11/22/2014 - etyc Likes this wine:
"Matter of Taste" - Dominus Masterclass (Singapore Art Museum Glass House): Spice and tobacco on the nose. Very fruit-forward, covering the tannins ("hiding" behind). Plush/lush, rounded but well-balanced with good structure and length. It still lingered on the palate well after the wine has made its way into the stomach...
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11/22/2014 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dominus Master Class - A matter of taste (Singapore): This was the richest and biggest wine of the tasting with plenty of dark fruit. For me this is borderline overripe with slight notes of tar. According to EM this is 86% CS, 10% CF and 4% PV. Still nice but my least preferred wine of this tasting.
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11/22/2014 - Nicholas81 wrote: 96 Points
Dominus Masterclass (Robert Parker's Matter of Taste, Singapore) (Singapore Art Museum): Fantastic wine. The most impressive out of all the wines tried. Fresh with bright red fruits. Tannins are slightly viscous but round and elegant. Finish long. Very balanced and complete. Somewhat like the 2001 Dominus but more potent, complex, elegant and fresh.
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11/2/2014 - The Wine Geek wrote: 88 Points
One of the greatest bottles of wine I have ever had was a magnum of 1991 Dominus. Drank on New Years Eve 1999 for the millennium. It was spectacular. This was kind of nondescript, not much up front, not much finish. Drank it at LouCas in Edison with a Caymus 2012 cab and a 2009 Leonetti cab. It came in last. Kind of disappointing.
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10/26/2014 - johnbhamrick wrote: 94 Points
Had another bottle tonight with filet and fresh butterbeans with my daughter. A super good wine--great nose, deep dark color, long silky legs when swirled, and a long aftertaste. This one will last for years I think, but drink it now if you want--completely ready.
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10/21/2014 - Oenotria Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry, red currant, blackberry, stoniness, vanilla and bell pepper. It tastes like blueberry, blackberry, black currant (cassis) and chocolate. The body is medium/full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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9/14/2014 - The OKC Kid Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 75 minutes. Fantastic Nose! Excellent wine. Beautiful Finish. I had with a Filet, twice baked potato & green beans. I love Dominus. Outstanding! Enjoyed Dinner with my little brother. 96 Points. The OKC Kid
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9/7/2014 - johnbhamrick wrote: 94 Points
Another great bottle as usual. Can't do better than this with filets and sauted mushrooms.
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8/31/2014 - johnbhamrick wrote: 94 Points
Dominus is and has always been one of my favorite wines. I now pronounce this vintage ready to drink. Very tasty right after decanting with great nose. deep dark color, and long legs. You can't ask for anything more.
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7/19/2014 - rylanreynolds wrote: 91 Points
Needs more time in the bottle. Don't drink in 2014!
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6/8/2014 - H Crenshaw wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Really enjoyable with dark red fruit and hints of earthiness on the finish. Beautiful nose. Definitely needs more time and should continue to get better.
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5/24/2014 - Niagara wrote:
Blecch.
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5/15/2014 - brianspross wrote: 91 Points
I was a little disappointed in this bottle. Maybe too young? I would have put it in the $60 range instead of its price point.
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4/2/2014 - Monaco Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted along with 2007 and 2011 Dominus. The 2009 was the clear winner. The nose on this wine is tremendous like a thick black sharpie marker. Explosive mouthfeel with a finish that kicks into second gear and lasts and lasts. The 07 had the nose, but lacked the complexity and permafinish. The '11 is good but way too young. 96+ for the 2009
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3/28/2014 - dustbuddy wrote: 91 Points
Feels way to early to drink. A startling nose of pungent currants and plums (plum sauce?). However everything was too rich for me on the palate with the wines structure getting in the way of a truly satisfying glass. No doubt well made but best left in the cellar for the moment.
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3/1/2014 - cupoverflowing1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
didn't blow me away, and I think because, even with long decant, it's just too young... but overall very good, and very safe... thick wine, with notes of chocolate, coffee, cigar, dark cherry, plum... finish was closed, but again... needs the cellar
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2/12/2014 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
A little astringent right after opening, but 30 minutes later it was fine. Dominus is one of my favorite wines year after year. This 2009 was no exception. Very well developed, good aftertaste, strong legs, and a real pleasure to drink. I would buy another 6 bottles right now. This was the 1st of 6 bottles I bought 1 1/2 years ago.
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1/11/2014 - Niagara wrote: 89 Points
Every few years, I'll buy this wine, always hoping it will be better than it is, and always disappointed and feeling like a sucker for having held out hope. The 2009, like other vintages I've tried, is dominated (pun) by alcohol, which clouds anything else in the glass, either on the nose or the palate, and is just kind of a rough and tumble sort of wine without any refinement or polish.
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1/3/2014 - km5 wrote:
Big bottle. Very drinkable.
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12/14/2013 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 93 Points
We got the chance to taste this with about an hour decant. This 2009 is still a little closed, but just starting to show it's true potential. By Napa standards, this wine is quite lean and angular. I can see why some would consider this to have too much oak, and I am sure the 2010 and 2011 are not ready yet. In a good way, the oak defines this wine. The 18 months in 40% new French oak bring a dimension of layers even these pedigreed grapes cannot achieve on their own. The fruit is still a bit reticent, but shows outstanding potential with big blackberry and rich dark cherry. Lots of secondary flavors emerging of leather, graphite, cola, vanilla and licorice. Lean and muscular like a well trained athlete.
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11/17/2013 - yofog wrote:
Big, a little hot, and with lots of baby fat, this showed poorly next to the '07 Heitz Trailside that accompanied it. Maybe it's just not my style.
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11/8/2013 - dpolivy wrote: 91 Points
Vindredi (Bellevue, WA): Tasted blind. Funky, savory nose with a bit of oak. Full bodied with dark fruit and earth. Tart tannins and heavy acid. Not sure this was showing at its best.
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11/4/2013 - Bandreas wrote:
Tasted at the New York Wine Experience 2013
Wine had strong medicinal taste. Could not swallow
No score
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10/11/2013 - astroman wrote:
this is on the thin side but nose is nice.
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10/10/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Yep, off the cork pull its complex and works it out.
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9/28/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Very dark, almost black towards the centre. Sweet, luscious red fruit on the nose, cassis, blueberries, chocolate, liquorice, cherries as well, very ripe. Big and powerful on the palate, lots of fruit, multi-layered, complex, fresh and acidic with slightly drying but superbly well integrated tannins. Long finish, a superb wine. Very young, should improve with more bottle age.
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7/13/2013 - Gestalted wrote: 90 Points
What a unique Napa wine. So different than any other Cali Cabernet. It has this intense beam of cassis, cherry and raspberry on the finish that just lingers. There's also this interesting dusty cocoa nuance on the finish. Didn't love this wine but happy I tried it.
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Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
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6/18/2013 - JimN Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted over five days. Hitting its stride by day four. Very different from the 2008, which was much more inviting at this stage. But I think this wine could be even better than the 2008, maybe even a "very special" wine. I think the rating will climb over time. Not a bargain wine, but could look that way in 10 years.
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3/13/2013 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 94 Points
Un excellent vin, toutefois très 'vert' pas prêt du tout... Belle finale, belle rondeur, des tannins magnifiques, un nez correct, on ne se croierait pas en Californie du tout... J'ai adoré ce vin et mes convives aussi !
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3/8/2013 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 88 Points
good wine; a little too much oak, but nice black fruit and chocolate pervade; should be much better when all gets integrated years down the line.
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2/9/2013 - MarcoAzevedo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious, lots of ripe red fruits violets and cedar flavors. Well-ballanced, intense and persistent. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
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12/1/2012 - affordableCollector Likes this wine: 90 Points
dark ruby in color. licorice, graphite, oak, dark fruit, wet earth on the nose. black berry, blueberry, spice, chocolate on the palate. dry, high acid, big tannins in this lingering finish.
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12/1/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
There is a beautiful sense of symmetry and purity in this blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The wine will be aged in 40% new, French oak for 18 months. truffles, licorice, blackberry, fresh herbs and wet forest floor notes are in abundance. The wine ends with a long, sweet, polished, silky, expansive finish.
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10/24/2012 - JDV.DDSPHD wrote: 93 Points
Amazing nose. We let this decant for a couple of hrs before we started drinking it & it was great. Leather on the nose with cigar on the palate. It then transitioned to terroir & black fruit. Overwhelming on the palate and just phenomenal. Honestly I bet in 10-15 yrs this is a 95 Pointer.
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10/13/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
The wine required coaxing to get it to open, but whenit did, licorice, tobacco, earth, cassis, blackberry jam and fresh her notes came to life. Thick, rich and palate coating, opulent, lush texutres and a long, silky finish made this a treat to taste.
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9/27/2012 - smcilhen wrote:
Best of the Best Tasting (Binny's Lincoln Park): DISCLAIMER: consumed too young at a tasting!
Similar note to the '09 Napanook: the fruit is bright, red fruit and really in your face. There are some additional components to this wine compared to the Napanook, mainly the finish.....though in my opinion those components do not warrant an additional $125 to the price. This is too young and needs to rest a bit (or needs a long decant) to let the fruit calm down. Not my style.
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