1984 Dominus Estate

Community Tasting Notes

Community Tasting Notes (94) Avg Score: 92.2 points

  • Semi-guys night (My house): ROCKNROLLERs bottle. it is a bit dark and brooding. Scorched earth, saddle leather, a bit of funk. It was quite smoky.

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  • Guy's Night: Aged Bordeaux/Bordeaux Blends (Joe & Khem's Place, Mpls): Very dark red color, 4mm transition. Splash double decanted; drank a glass plus over 3 hours. This was firing on all cylinders for me tonight. It drinks youthfully in comparison to its 40 year age in fact. But this is in a sweet spot for my taste. Really perfumed on the nose, with leather and menthol in the forefront, mint, deep dark fruit of cassis and black cherry. There's still a juiciness to the palate's red and black fruits, very earthy, velveteen texture, dried wood, menthol, leather, lovely tannins, and very good length. One of my all time favorite Dominus vintages. This checks all the boxes for me, and in a flight of really outstanding, and comparable wines qualitatively, it was probably my favorite tonight.

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  • 5 Guys and a Gal! (Casa Joe & Khem): See Rocknroller's notes for bottle treatment.

    Let me start by saying this is the best bottle of this vintage Dominus I have tasted (and I have had this wine at least 3 times). This wine is (not surprisingly) dominated by tertiary flavors. However, there was a streak of red and black fruit (cherry and cassis) that even my palate could detect (which was a huge plus!)

    Nose and show some cherry and lots of earthy notes, leather and tobacco. Palate follows suit with the addition of some cassis, tar and a streak of menthol. This was a very nice wine that I enjoyed (but I think others enjoyed even more than I?
    94 points for me! Loved this bottle....a testament to the adage there are only good bottles of older wines, and this was a good one!

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  • From original purchase. Mature brick red colour. Nose is dominated by furniture wood, with just a touch of mint. No fruit left. Still a lot of tannic/extraction structure and wood left in the palate which is basically all your get on the lengthy finish, like sucking on a wine dipped wood chip. No discernible fruit left on the palate. Was a great year but I think these are on their way to a slow decline. Drink up or sell given the auction value.

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  • This was slightly flawed. The cork was completely saturated, and though it passed muster on initial taste, the final glass showed some wet cardboard on the nose. The wine was all earth and mushroom at first, but then was flat through the mid-palate and finish. The flatness increased as the bottle was drunk. Darn - c'est la vie

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  • This bottle keeps going. Have a few left, anniversary year. Beautiful bouquet after a 90 minute decant. Definitely has Bordeaux roots, earthy smooth long finish still.

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  • TS’ Birthday Gathering (CdC/DP/old Dominus/Latour): Tasted double blind. This showed beautifully mature and well structured, full of tension but without the complexity of the best Dominus vintages. Everybody in the group guessed this to be a Bordeaux from the 80s, my guess was a structured 86 from Pauillac. It is drinking very well today and can develop for a few more years.

    TN: Medium expressive, cool and fresh on the nose and palate with crushed rocks, herbs, leather and hints of barnyard all circling around a slightly timid but pure dark fruit core. Structured with noticeable tannins, a high but well integrated acidity, lots of tension, a classic, fresh and slightly creamy texture and feel and with medium length.

    Decanting: Not decanted but this bottle could have needed a bit of air.

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  • From a nice looking bottle with a fill into the neck, this wine had a very deep red center with some orange at the rims. The medium+ intensity nose generated black cherry, menthol, plum, and soil notes. You could smell the impact of the merlot in the blend.

    In the mouth, this was rich and ripe with substantial tannin, crisp acidity, and a touch of heat. The finish was reasonably complex and quite long. After 2 hours of air, I was concerned that this wine might not turn the corner to come into balance.

    An, in fact, that is what happened. This structure of this bottle was outsized given the amount of fruit and never fully resolved. Reasonably nice but disappointing.

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  • Wedding year bottle purchased at K&L a few years back. Cork was tight and a bit moldy on top but came out in one piece with a careful pulling. Quick decant. Mature Cab color and aromas. Opened up quickly and showed some sweet mature fruit before becoming disjointed. But drank well with a ribeye steak early on. I don't see this getting any better.

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  • On its last legs. Still has some sweet fruit and cedar and really nice with our hanger steaks.

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  • Wines with the HDH Auction (Spiaggia): Pretty consistent with a bottle tasted in a Dominus vertical a few months ago. Great aged traditional cab character with aromas of dried tobacco leaf, bell pepper and mature plum fruit. The palate is resolved though still fresh. No need to cellar further.

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  • Wines Tasted at HDH Auction; 2/28/2020-2/29/2020 (Spiaggia - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. More earth than fruit with moderate supporting structure. A wine I enjoyed 15 years ago, but now it is past its peak if this bottle is representative.

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  • HDH auction at Spiaggia (Chicago, IL): A little dirty and earthy on the nose, but it did clean up with some air. A little leathery, pretty classically styled Napa cabernet. Not as fruit-forward and powerful as I would have loved, this is starting to thin out a little on the palate. Drink up, I'm thinking.

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  • Wine in the Sunshine State; 2/20/2020-2/23/2020 (Florida): Really fun to get to try this and it was definitely a very good bottle. Opened and decanted. Great old world style.

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  • Drinkable but clearly past prime. Very little fruit left and a bit sour. Considering its age, it is not bad.

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  • Medium body, earth, pepper, with red fruit underneath. Drank alongside an 08 Fairchild Sigaro with some beef fillets providing some nice tastes to explore and ponder. This 1984 -35 year old wine was good, but not one I would seek out again.

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  • Dominus Estate 1983-1995 Vertical (RPM Steak): Nose here is exceptionally green and full of pyrazines. Palate is all purple fruits, plum and red raspberry. Plus and fully resolved tannins. Showed the most positive evolution of the older wines this evening, and in my top 5 of the night.

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  • Dominus: 1983-1994 (RPM Steak): 83/84/85: The least rich and fresh of the flight and more about the intense, attractive cedar. Tannins still have some grip. Good but not up to the 83 or 85.

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  • Boy, this is singing tonight.

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  • Purchased online from K&L on June 5 2019, “from a private collection”. Mid-to-top shoulder fill, crumbly cork, tons of sediment, yet a pristine label (which was suspicious). Decanted and immediately served to enjoy over the following 3 hours. Assuming legitimacy, I am shocked by the freshness of this wine. Minimal bricking, with deep ruby color, vibrant nose of classic cab (mixed fruit and prominent bell pepper). Lively red fruits on entry that transitions to dried herbs and an earthy/mushroom finish with that tell-tale Dominus medicinal/green/cedar streak that lasted a good 60 seconds. If it weren’t for that streak and finish length, I would have doubted this was an old-vintage Dominus - it was just too alive to be 35 years old! Maybe someone spiked it with some young Dominus? The mouthwatering acidity went well with food, and the tannins were pure silk. Superbly balanced. Lots of life left, but those who crack one now will not be disappointed. I would love to have another bottle (from a different source) just to double-check! The somm remarked “this is what old Bordeaux tastes like”. When looking at my old notes, this one clearly showed better than the ‘99, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, and ‘12 in the past - although now I wonder what those would have been like had I waited 35 years ...

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  • Absolute pleasure to drink! At 35 yrs it was still vibrant and balanced. WOW!

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  • Cork was depressed on this bottle, and half saturated. It also was disintegrating. I think this affected the wine, which still had a good color though with a large clear meniscus. This was almost all secondary and tertiary flavors, with gentle forest floor, wet earth, and funghi. The fruit tried to poke its way through.

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  • Christians second vintage of Dominus. Amazing wine, still vibrant and full of explosive fruit, feels at least 10 years younger than its age. Complex and sophisticated nose with elegant red fruit, cedar, black currant, tobacco and subtle spices. A creamy and velvety texture, lively fruit, powerful but well integrated tannins, beautiful long finish. Excellent wine!! 96p

    BV=7, WV=2

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  • Guys Night - Bordeaux vs Napa (Jason's House): 1 hr decant. Wow, talk about bottle variation from the previous one 2 years ago. This is completely in the zone right now. Like all Dominus, it is a bit dark and brooding. Scorched earth, saddle leather, a bit of funk. It was quite smoky.

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  • One of the worst corks I've yet seen, but managed to get it out in two pieces with an ah so. Decanted for one hour. Absolutely beautiful wine. Initially several of us picked up eucalyptus on the nose, but that faded after a few minutes, leaving a wonderful leather aroma. Slight smokiness on the nose and palate. My number two WOTN against some very stiff competition (WOTN was a '90 Pichon Lalande and the Dominus was neck and neck with an '85 Cos). Unfortunately this was my only one. I think this could go several more years.

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  • Aged High End Bordeaux Blends (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Dark red color with a 7mm transitional bricked margin. Decanted for an hour; drank 1 glass over 3 hours. I was surprised it's been almost three years since visiting this gem. Once again I was mesmerized by the brilliant nose with a gorgeous perfume, leather, florals, sultry dark berries, damp earth, mushroom and scorched earth. The palate while not quite as compelling as the nose, still is showing great; dark sultry fruits, scorched earth, leather, a bit leaner, with nice integrated tannins and a long finish. Miles to go. My #2 WOTN after a stellar '90 Pichon Lalonde.

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  • I was forced to pop n pour this bottle. It was very consistent with prior bottles (which is a good thing). Please reference those notes.

    This bottle was going strong and will last decades.

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  • From a nice looking bottle with a bottom neck fill, this wine had a red/purple center and some orange at the rim. The medium+ intensity nose was angular and awkward at first with an excess of coffee notes. However, after an hour of air the wine started coming around. After 3+ hours it put forth black cherries, blueberries, tan spices, coffee, and some roasted meat.

    Again, at first, this was a bit thin and awkward in the mouth. It always had a smooth texture but the fruit was hiding and was outweighed by the structure. As it aired, the fruit emerged to balance things out. It had a very nice finish.

    This wine, and this bottle in particular, still seem young. It is quite nice now but will probably benefit from another 5-10 years in the cellar. Impressive!

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  • Another impressive bottle that was much like my last bottle. This really benefited from 4+ hours in a decanter. It was verging on 95 point territory.

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  • Starting to push into late maturity. Fruit, acid, tannin, wood, etc. all well integrated at this point and pleasurable to drink, however it's thinning out from last bottle consumed 4 years ago.

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  • Starts off with a twist of N.Rhone - bacon, bloody steak and steak juice, very concentrated and powerful for the age. Still dry sandy tannin. Ripe, black cherries and red plum on the palate. Harmonious, classy wine. With air it becomes more Bordeaux like.

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  • From an excellent looking bottle with a bottom neck fill, this wine had a red/purple center with orange/red rims. The nose benefited from 5+ hours of air. At first it showed red currants and Provencal herbs. After 5 hours the herbs moved to the background and added complexity rather than being obvious. The nose showed blackberries, vanilla, coffee, blueberries, soil and some Provencal herbs.

    This was rich, ripe, and creamy in the mouth with light rounded tannins and crisp acidity. This had a ton of fruit and may well show more complexity with time. The wine's balance and length were also quite impressive.

    While this wine is drinking well now, do not be fooled that this will go downhill from here. This has the richness and balance to have 10-20 years more evolution in the cellar. I expect it to pick up a point or so with additional time.

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  • sans notes

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  • Toujours plaisant d'avoir la chance de boire des vieux vins . Un peu fluet au départ , il se montre très discret .
    Manque un peu de matière . Aurait été un crowd pleasure bien fait à la française . Après 30 minutes , il se réveille tranquillement pour un dernier soubresaut de vie ... il n'avait pas dit son dernier mot . Encore du fruits noirs / tabac/cuir . Mais très long mais quand même bien .
    16/20

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  • Opened and left to rest for a good 2 hours. We feared some fragility here especially given the brittle cork but the wine was super healthy and showed no issues.
    Has evolved quite nicely but still very much alive. Well matured on the nose, leather, tobacco, forest floor. On the palate it shows its age and the fruit is not, as expected, the juiciest it has ever been but not dry or in anyway difficult. Good acidity and a testament to great wine making here. a Solid 93-94

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  • Ordered this wine in Ma Maison in Boston. I was initially a bit skeptical because it was brought to me slightly warm with fragile cork. The wine was decanted and tasted like a typical aged Bordeaux. I wasn't sure that I made the right decision to order the wine upon initial tasting but it really improved as the night went by. It was still vigorous when I had the last sip..... that was when I realized the wine had potential... too late then as I had finished the entire bottle.....

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  • The first bottle of 6 that I purchased at a charity auction last month. It was a beauty, despite a crumbly cork. Lots of ripe red and black fruit, tobacco, and earthy notes. I would have guessed a Left Bank Bordeaux if I had not known better.

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  • 94+ at Gary and Judy's: Pop and pour. The nose on this is killer, aged Bordeaux. A bit of funk, earth, savory, tar. A lovely nose. There is earth and sweet savory bell pepper. The mid-palate is ok but the finish is alcoholic and short. I'm guessing this was drinking better a few years ago. Still, it has so much complexity that it is a treat. The nose is maybe 96, but the palate pulls down my score of this wine.

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  • OMG where to begin dark dark clear deep red physically heavy dense tight nose opening quite quickly to layers and layers of fruit peppers and spices gargantuan mouthfeel viscous tongue coating yummy fruit and spice long exhilarating finish with throat coating fruit and gentle tannic tartness overpowering yet civilized should last for decades

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  • - Brick color with medium forming legs and aromas of cloves, mushroom, tobacco and mint. It's balanced and has flavours of mushroom, dusty and tobacco with a light/medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - The nose had some tobacco, dirt and mint. The palate was a little bit weak after opening but freshened and opened after 1h. Was perfect after that time. Was opened with a clos fourtet 1982 and a cos d'estournel 1998. The Dominus 1984 had no shame to be a part of those wines, was more flavorful than the clos fourtet, had enough strenght to be drunk with the cos d'estournel. Althought the wine was at the botton of the neck and the cork 1/2 stAined, it passed the years succesfully. Would recommend to any napa drinker or bordeaux type of person.

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  • San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 11/7/2015 (Grande Colonial Hotel (Nine Ten Restaurant), La Jolla, California): Clear dark garnet color. Classic Old World style with bouquet of tobacco, creme de cassis, boysenberry, forest floor, mushrooms and beef blood. Similar on the palate; balanced, seamless. Freshened over an hour. Group's THIRD PLACE tonight.

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  • This bottle came off a little harsher than the previous few I've had, although still quite compelling; The nose is chock full of mint and other herbaceous notes, while the fruit is still fairly austere on the palate; Unfortunately this was my last bottle, as I would love to try it again in another few years

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  • HDH auction tasting at Tru; 9/18/2015-9/19/2015: This is a super green and herbaceous bottle of cabernet on the nose. The same follows through onto the palate as well. This is still quite tough to slog through, with the tannins relatively tight still. One of the more austere incarnations of Dominus, but still showing some slight fruit notes. (Looking back at my older notes, it looks like there's definitely some bottle variation going on here -- though the herbaceousness is definitely there.)

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  • A gorgeous wine and real treat to drink a healthy wine at its peak drinking. Thanks R&Rler!

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  • Wines that Rock (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark red color with a very subtle 2-3 mm bricked margin. Slow-O in the cellar for about 3 hours and probably another 2 hours by the time we got to it. I'll be the first to admit that I am so enamoured by these older, mature, evolved, well preserved, magnificent examples of wine and winemaking regardless of where they're from that it is becoming increasingly harder to be satisfied by anything else. This bottle was from the same source as the previous bottle I had tasted last fall and was perfect condition despite a fully saturated cork and some mold on the top. I've gotten to the point where these corks don't really even phase me anymore...much anyway. I could just sit and inspire these aromas all night long. The gorgeously perfumed smell wafts about, potpourri, florals, leather, sandalwood, elegant cassis, mild funk and earthiness, dark berries and soy reduction. The palate is sophisticated, balanced, leather, funk, cassis, dark berries, subtle graphite, silky tannins that are nicely folded in and a very long finish. Medium full body with fruit and depth that belies its 31 year age. There is so much life to give; if the bottle is well stored this could can go 10 more years. 96+ to 97pts.

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  • Consumed alongside 2005. Inferior but good. Still tannic. Floral and fruit initially. Perhaps cherry. Quickly faded. Oak, currant, some green pepper. Similar pepper to 2005 in taste.

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  • Another bottle left behind by a former member. Popped & poured, this showed violets and red fruit. Fully-integrated and balanced, with cedar, red berry and floral qualities on the palate. The finish is a little shorter than I would like. Pretty. Started to fade in the glass after 45 minutes or so.

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  • Opened at the Anvil Club. Bottle was abandoned in a wine locker by a former member. Very dubious condition, but a light shone nicely clear through the bottle. Cork was mush, and the club didn't have an Ah-so, so we eventually pushed the cork into the bottle and strained through a coffee filter into a decanter. Color was still dark with no bricking. Nose had that oh so faint sweat sock, along with typical Bordeaux profile and some dark fruits. Palate was much better than the nose, and actually improved over the course of an hour or so. Black fruits, leather and tobacco with a decent finish. Provenance was obviously an issue here, but this was a very pleasant surprise. Not as lovely as the pristine bottle that Allred opened for us in 2013, but not too shabby either. Between the staff and a few other members at the bar, the bottle was fully consumed.

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  • The wine drank much younger than what it is. Good fruits and vanilla. It had evolved nicely over the night. The strength was still here with good grip. It will last for another 5 years at least. The complexity was not enough to give a higher mark.

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  • It is impressive that this 30 year old needs time to wake up. After a decant and one hour, deep red with ruby that turns into bricking on the edges.
    Nose ever so subtle with red currants, truffle and old limestone with some moss. Palate is silky with persistent acidity a bit of underbrush, resolved tannins, dried fruit, a bit of bourbon malt. Finishes medium long with dried fruit, sweet scents and a pinch of flowers. A true beauty and testament to the quality of these wines made by the Mouiex clan.

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  • HDH Auction; 12/13/2014-12/14/2014 (TRU): Very elegant and herbaceous, with a slightly stemmy profile that I nonetheless enjoyed; There is some mature red and dark fruit and earth undertones on the palate, but I don't think this is going downhill anytime soon

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  • HDH auction tasting at Tru; 12/12/2014-12/13/2014 (Chicago, IL): This is a really, really green and herbaceous Dominus. Tons of stems and green character, with a light background smattering of sweet black fruit. Tannins are quite soft now, but there is yet distance for this to go. Quite nice, despite its being very astringent.

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  • if you have it drink it now..this bottle was missing all its fruit... very very bland and bitter

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  • 1984 Napa Cabs/Blends (Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with 1mm clear meniscus. PNP, decanted and drank 1 glass over 2.5hrs. Wow, this was spectacular, one of the best wines of the year so far. Killer nose that just blows up out of the glass, perfumed, cedar, deeply earthy, very floral, lots of saddle leather, pretty dark dark berry fruits, cassis. As great as the nose is, the palate just plain rocks, extremely elegant, finessed, but intense and lively, wow, gorgeous wine, leather, sandalwood, perfectly integrated with the silkiest tannins. But the most staggering thing is the intensity and length of the finish - easily 2-3 minutes; long, long, long. Wow. This was steady and even improving for the entire 2.5hrs. What a great bottle. Unanimous WOTN. 97+ to 98pts.

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  • In a great place right now; Nose has very elegant notes of cherries, tobacco and mint, while the palate still has impressive concentration, with flavors of red and dark fruits, forest floor and leather, with an expressive finish that suggests this wine still has some life left

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  • Tasted blind, this wine had a deep purple/red center with red rims. The medium+ intensity nose of cherries, brown spices, oranges and red dust was impressive. Later on, I got hints of blueberry and mint.

    In the mouth, this wine was medium bodied with lovely rounded tannin, ripe fruit, and very good length. The texture was so ripe and plush the wine seemed exotic and I would have never guessed an early Dominus.

    When I tasted the 1980's Dominus wines early in their life they were rather stiff and tannic. At least this one has turned the corner beautifully. For those tasters who beleive this wine is at its peak, I respectfully suggest tasting the great Napa cabernets from the 1950's and the 1960's. Well stored bottles of this wine are on an upward path and not the opposite. It may well add a point or two with time.

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  • drink up and quickly!!!!

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  • Friends' Anniversary Dinner (Anvil Club, East Dundee): Popped & poured, followed over a couple of hours. Aromas of black currants, tobacco, florals, red currants, saddle leather and sandalwood. Fully-integrated and well-balanced. Red currant, sandalwood, cherry, and leather notes. Soft and elegant. Develops herb, iron and red berry qualities. Long finish. Where the QC was masculine and powerful, this is soft and elegant. Terrific. 94+ pts.

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  • Another bottle generously opened by Allred on our 26th anniversary dinner at Anvil. Interesting to taste this alongside an '87 Quilceda Creek Cab. This was the more elegant of the two, showing black fruit, tobacco and other tertiary flavors on the nose and palate. I preferred the power of the QC to the feminine elegance of the Dominus - but that is really splitting hairs at this point. Beautiful wine - thanks for sharing Allred.

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  • Rotating Dinner Series- 70s and 80s California Cabernets (Chris' place, Highland Park IL): Nose: The nose is like a cross between a cabernet and a cornas with wild and feral tones striking right off the bat along with leather, black fruits, spices, black cherries, and cedar tones. There is very good depth with a robust quality as well.

    Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and some nice tannins. The feral tones continue along with a gameyness and tones of leather, black fruits, black cherries, earth, and some incense that emerges with a bit more air.

    Overall: This was a very unique and exciting Dominus. The profile wasn't traditionally californian or what I'm used to from Dominus, but that's what made it fun.

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  • Chicago Rotating Wine Dinner Series - July 2013 (Chris' House - Highland Park, IL): I think this was my wine of the night. Nose was exotic, layered, and endless. Dried fruits and floral notes mixed with earthy, underbrush tones and just an explosive dose of mint. The palate also had fireworks with its dark fruit, lovely mushroom undertones, tobacco, and floral notes. A complete package.

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  • Anticipating a dead bottle, this became the highlight of the evening. Fruit is quite ripe, the balance is incredible, and, while not super complex, the flavors were rich and luscious. Quite glad now that I picked up one extra for another special occasion.

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  • Really smooth and delicious, tannins were super soft, bouquet had paled but was still present, fruit still there

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  • Friends and family ad hoc tasting (Frankfurt, Divino): Cedar, smoke, underwood. Nose of tobacco, cedar. Silky finish. Fully mature and still very nice.

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  • It die in a hour, but stil one of the best of this year

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  • Drank it with friends along with a 1982 Lynch Bages and we were split on which was better. Lots of fruit initially but Bret came out over time and at 5 hours it was still evolving. Licorice, coffee and blackberry, cassis and black cherry come out. Wonderful, still firm tannins. Probably will still improve over time. Superb.

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  • Clear TCA, which is a bummer because underneath it, I believe this bottle would have been superior to the prior one. My last bottle.

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  • A pristine bottle with a top shoulder fill, however the cork was a bugger to get out, like trying to put a corkscrew through a Cadbury's Flake. Note to self....get an ah-so.

    Dark red with ruby at the rim. Very attractive gentle nose of blackberries and fruit cake, with a little leather and hint of smoke. No blockbuster this, subtle on the palate too, where I wish for just a bit more fruit to carry the positive impressions on the nose through to the mouth and to better balance the clipped slightly acidic note that is consistent with the blackberry nose. Ultimately it falls a little short of an outstanding rating, the all-too-quick fading on the mid palate a reflection of its age perhaps, but an easy, elegant and lovely wine just the same.

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  • Pop and poured. Cork soaked all the way up with a bit of mold on top, but came out in basically one piece. Bricking but still dark and pretty opaque color. At first, this medium bodied wine was harsh and dominated by acidity and metallic/bitterness on the finish (but no tannins). But with a couple of hours of air, it mellowed out significantly revealing soft red fruit (but seems to be drying out), hints of earth, leather, tobacco. Very smooth, subdued and elegant, with nice juicy acidity on the finish. It was very enjoyable experience but it wasn't quite the wine I was hoping it'd be.

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  • Had this bottle since 1989. I really did not know what to expect since I was told I should have drank a few years ago. Actually it was excellent with medium fruit and silky smooth. Reminded me of Bordeaux. Wish I had another.

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  • Another birth year wine! 2nd vintage of Dominus. Leaking sign when I opened the foil, and the corked was broken when I first pulled it. Please, don’t tell me this is off btl or corked! Luckily, I managed to remove the other half cork from the btl and poured into the decanter. The bouquet of crème de cassis immediately rose from the decanter, yes, this is still alive! Good deep focused nose with liveliness, the palate is lush, fresh, medium body, with good depth and complexity as well as purity of fruits. Very right bank. Still surprisingly young and no problem to age further more. Slight alcohol showed at the very end but disappeared after sitting in the glass for 30mins or more. Great work Mouiex!

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  • Simple Series IV: Dave's Birthday (Victoria Peak, Orchard Central): Quite the rarity - a really old Dominus. A pretty good wine here, and still going strong. Nose was somewhere in-between a right-bank Bordeaux and a new world cab, with sweet plums, cassis, tobacco, earthy sous bois and a little whiff of glycerol swimming around. Pretty attractive. Palate showed surprisingly youthful, with clean, high-toned cassis flavours wrapped up in a soft, lush, plush fruitiness. Good weight here. Tannins were still evident, but they were rather fine and nicely resolved. Finish was decent, with some powdery spice and pencil lead notes. Not the most profound of wines, but pretty good indeed - it certainly did not seem out of place in rather distinguished old-world company.

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  • Not the most polished wine, but still plenty of fruit and structure and this should continue to drink well for several more years.

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  • 20 Years of Dominus - Part 3 - The 1980s: Earthy, autumnal, treebark, black cherry with an iodine/salt note on the finish. A thoroughly impressive wine with real grip left on the finish.

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  • Just amazing. Left to open for 2 hours and just went down smooth as silk.

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  • Opined for my birthday but sadly most of the fruit had long since left.

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  • Sad bottle had clearly leaked, purchased from Wine Bid along with 28 other older bottles. Hopefully this is not an indication of future issues.

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  • Impressive wine but getting past prime, would recommend drinking holdings soon. 3 bottles opened for New Year's Eve, first corked but other two in excellent shape. Decanted for about 4 hours and enjoyed with prime rib and grilled lamb. Significant improvement with decanting, tannins and brett disappear. Very smooth, balanced nose, subtle black fruit with earth tones and some tar, some hint of pepper on palate in aftertaste.

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  • Dumbfounded by Dominus (Kirkland, WA): Pickle-barrel nose. Root beer, brett, spicy, forest floor. Definitely near the end of its life. Austere. Fruit is all dried up. Faint almond notes on the finish. Nose is better than the palate.

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  • Dominus Vertical Dinner (onesixtyblue): Full red color with some lightening at the edges. Forward nose of briar black fruit, cedar, and acidity. Big tight tannic black fruit with good acidity on the palate. Again, shockingly young (even tight) for it's age.

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  • DOMINUS VERTICAL DINNER (160 Blue - Chicago, IL): Nose features earth-driven aromas of cedar, tar and balsamic notes. Terrific weight on the palate. Plenty of aged fruit and fine tannins. Long finish full of tar and cedar. Seems that this will drink well for years. (4+12+17+8=92)

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  • Drank with dinner at Belmont, no formal notes. This is probably a couple of years past peak drinking. Nice, easy drinking wine....nothing special. Nose of sweet musty age, mellow red fruits. Some fruit and pleasant grip on the initial attack, hollow midpalate mellow finish that only lingered momentarily. Slight green streak, drink now.

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  • First Sip: decanted, gave it no time and straight from the 55 degree cellar, as expected, slightly muted, it is a little dusty with significant bricking.
    After two hours: very french, smooth and silky with good structure. Not a very memorable wine, nothing that grabs you and sais this is what I taste like, but nothing "off" in the glass.

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  • Deep, perfect bull's blood with lots of bricking. On the nose, I instantly would have thought this to be Lynch Bages -- it had a quintessential Pauillac nose; huge licorice, shitake mushroom, and a bit of tobacco; no cedar, a whiff of bell pepper, and plenty of soy sauce. Wow! What a fabulous nose. But definitely big, with a little heat, and no subtlety. The palate was huge, velvety, v v rich and definitely full-bodied. This wine is an instruction in Cali Cab, and though perhaps a little monolithic and unsubtle, is a real wow! wine. Nice long finish, though again rather monolithic. The texture and power, overall, really left me shaking my head with awe. A *great* wine. (Decanted 2 hours prior to consumption. I bought this sometime around 1991 or so).

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  • The nose shows forest flooe, bottle sweetness, and some funk. The palate shows licorice and a touch of heat. The tannins are well resolved, but this wine lacks complexity.

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  • RUBY COLOR. DEEP CONCENTRATED FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACK CHERRIES AND OAK. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.

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  • Rareshides tasting at Maguire's: Corked…though some people thought it was the wine of the night…

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  • RICH CONCENTRATED FRUIT, BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND CHOCOLATE. FINALLY COMING AROUND SINCE 1/89 AND 12/90 TASTINGS. EARLIER SCORE=88.NOW SOFTER,LESS DEEP IN COLOR W/ MED TO LNG FNSH

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  • Tasting of 5 Dominus vs. 3 Opus. Nose of Cabernet flavors with a hint of ammonia, good viscosity, big, rich Cabernet, nice, rich, and pleasant tasting, soft tannins almost resolved, long, rich finish. My #8 of 8.

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  • At Singer & Foy. Good dark ruby color. Perhaps the best nose of the day, so far. Rich, intense fruit, chewy and chocolaty. Dark chocolate and tobacco. Excellent. Great palate. Just intense, rich and very, very complex. PACKED with fruit. ABSOLUTELY! Mouth-gripping tannins are still present, but wow there's so much fruit it is hard to believe. 5-12-18-8: 93/100.

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  • With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of '84 cabs. Nice dark ruby color. Looking good. Very nice nose. Almost the equal of the Monte Bello. On the palate, big, dark chocolate flavors dominate and envelope the palate. Plenty of oak, but attractive in its way. Good stuff. I don't care what its detractors say. 5-13-15-7: 90/100.

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  • Weekly tasting at Primas. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc that was nearly the end of the bottle from the previous week's tasting so it was showing its age nicely. Great nose of leather and cedar fruit with more of the same in the mouth, slightly acid finish due to the oxidation but great flavors on the aftertaste. Retail $33. My #1.

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  • 3 Bordeaux vs. 3 Cabernet Sauvignon.
    Hot, rich tannic nose, woody fruit in the mouth, soft tannins on finish and lasting tannins on aftertaste.
    My #1 of 6.

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