Delightful, if not completely stunning / memorable. Paired with rack of lamb and fennel/white bean/dijon casserole.
Understated. Not overly tannic, feels like the right time to be drinking it! Something savory comes through on the nose and the palate. Mom said shoe polish…
Otherwise earthy and red fruit notes.
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Holiday Champagne Gala (Wilmette Harbor Club): Opened at gala dinner. Very good balance, still nicely rich with good combo of fresh and mature black fruit, moderate complexity. Good now.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep garnet - blood red color. Lovely subdued bouquet of mixed black fruits and their liqueurs; violets, fennel, bay leaf, some savory notes, forest floor. Full body, seamless, balanced, lingering finish. Improved with air; held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for four nights.
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Indistinguishable from a First Growth Left Bank claret on the nose. Youthful (despite its age) and indulgent. Deeply warming and comforting. So appealing and seductive. Treacle, plum cake, sandalwood, leather, prunes, cherries, damson jam. Soft, velvety tannins. Long and satisfying. In fact, delicious. So here's the thing: what about this wine is Napa Valley? It is not about terroir at all, but Christian Moueix's hugely successful attempt to prove that "it can be done" somewhere other than Bordeaux. So it is a fundamentally dishonest and therefore supremely irritating wine. An unnecessary distraction. An immensely successful, but pointless, exercise in theatrical verisimilitude. Pure vinous histrionics. Not for me - this is a spectacularly inauthentic charade.
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still needs plenty of time to open up. Was a bit disappointed how tight it remained. With this label I was expecting something more memorable but it disappointed.
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Before writing this TN I reviewed my previous note on this wine from 2014 and some evolution with more tertiary flavors now present has occurred. Drinking beautifully, fully mature now for some time, at or perhaps slighty past prime so time to start drinking up any remaining holdings within the next 2-3 years. Opened about an hour prior to consumption and this worked well at this stage of this wine's life cycle - if decanted I would not go beyond a short splash decant right now. Slightly muted understated nose with dark plum, cassis, coffee and a floral violet note. Soft, complex, tannins fully integrated with enough structure and backbone left for a few more years. Silky smooth, soft, medium bodied and very true to it's roots as one of the most Bdx like high end CA cabs out there. Long lingering pleasant aftertaste. Primary profile more earthy and tertiary then fruity - minimal oak present, some dark stone fruit present, classic cassis, blueberry and the previously noted floral mid- to late palate notes present along with stone and graphite. Highly recommend with the caveat that these now need to be drunk up.
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Rarities dinner “Spectacular Californians” late Nov 2021: deep rubin red color; nose of cassis and red berries, later attended by light minty flavors; round but somehow a little sluggish on the palate.
Excellent Dominus but compared to the other five 1999 California Cab’s served (Montelena, Dunn, Phelps Insignia, Caymus Special Selection and Opus One) he came in last.
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Boris Champy's second vintage at the helm at Dominus Estate has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of blackberries, black cherries, scorched earth, truffle and paraffin wax. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit and rich, powdery tannins that are much less assertive than they were a decade ago, the 1999 is in its prime today.
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Nose was a bit dusty. Austere ! But after 3 h of decanting it blossomed to a beautiful bordeaux outside of bordeaux. Never put this into New World in a blind tasting. Drink !
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Beautiful wine that’s very closed at the moment. Closed on the nose and firm on the palate, still under the hood you have PV driven green earth, cigar wrapper, cassis, and wild blackberry. Those holding bottles should continue to do so, about 5 years will be ideal.
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N volle nase, blaubeere brombeere kühl, graphit, schw. Johannisbeere G blsubeere, leichte chilischärfe, schöne struktur, kaffepulver, kakaopulver Sehr spannede aromen mit tollem aromprofil mit ecken und kanten
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While I think this is indeed a very nice bottle, I am not over the top about it like some of the other reviewers. I think the wine is nearing the end of it's life, but that doesn't mean it's not drinking very well right now. Comes out a medium purple with very slight bricking at the rim but right away on the nose you get a sense of it's age: nice notes of menthol, eucalyptus, dried cherry, and cedar come at you in very pleasant amounts, framed with just the right amount of slight oak. Tannins are very polished. Where I think the wine lost a point or two was it had a slightly stewed element to it, suggesting the fruit had started to turn. Still - this is a great bottle from one of the best California producers (at any price) and will generally not disappoint, particularly those that prefer their cabs in a classic bordeaux style. I just think that, going forward, the wine will become more "interesting" rather improve.
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Last night I had this vs. the '97 Dunn Howell Mountain and the '93 Montelena along with a grilled steak. Yum on all accounts. We thought the Dominus was a tad brighter than the others and showed equal, if not more, complexity. One caveat, however. I'd Coravin'd the Dominus halfway about three weeks ago, and the other two were PnP, double decanted back into their bottles. So, another testimony to the Coravin system, although I don't think it contributed to the Dominus showing any better than it would have.
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Blood, inky red. Bold nose that went from fresh red fruits to eucalyptus and moist earth. This positively exploded on the palate. Raspberries and blackberries with a hint of milk chocolate and some smoky wood. The finish was endless, morphing from plums and currants to red, sweet cherries. The fruit is still fresh and beautiful, and somehow light and delicate. Patience has clearly paid. Reading the prior reviews leads me to only one conclusion -- this wine needed every bit of this age.
Decanted for an hour. Dried red and dark fruits, chocolate, a bit of cedar/wood. Great pairing with lamb. Drink now, as I don’t think this will improve with age.
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Ce vin s'est démarqué par sa force, une présence très musclée et un peu trop après ces deux grands Bordeaux. Il a drôlement souffert de la comparaison et aurait été mieux servi avec un gros steak juteux sauce au poivre…des tannins qui dominent…pas ma tasse de thé. Content d'y avoir goûté mais il ne fera sans doute jamais parti de mon inventaire. 91-92 pts+
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The best bottle so far. Decanted for an hour. Seemed fuller-bodied than the rest. Dark fruits, cassis, graphite, and eucalyptus undertones. Still has plenty of life left.
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Still can taste its youthfulness upon opening. Tight tannin and woody leathery aroma. Ripeness comes the 2nd day, the best moment is just before it gets sour. Nice wine but needs patience.
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Still tannic, but delicious with its Bordeaux like characteristics. At times, I struggle with the 1999 vintage in Napa, as I find a heaviness due to the low acid, but this one was superb. It also adds to the pleasure when sharing wine with our daughter, and we had a fabulous meal in Minneapolis at Spoon and Stable-lamb and aged Cab is an ideal pairing.
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Takes a while to open, but very nice when it does. Black licorice and graphite, with black cherries. Like some Pessac Leognan I've had - a Haut Bailly. Very refined.
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City Club Fort Worth Wine Event (City Club Wine Room - Fort Worth): My guess was left-bank Bordeaux. With the wine being 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and made in an old-world manner, not a bad guess; dark ruby color and clearer than what I would have thought given the age; nose of pencil shavings, cigar box and darker red fruits; similar palate; still some good tannic structure and a nice acid; well-balanced; delicious and a great effort given the more difficult vintage
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Don't touch this for at least an hour after decanting! Plum, cassis, cherries emerge at that point. Past the apex, so I would consider drinking over the next few years.
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Wonderfully refined and elegant wine. Medium to dark garnet color. Nose of earthy dark red fruit and minerals. Mouth coating and rich on the tongue. Dark red fruit dominates in a subtle way but is joined by well integrated tannin, vanilla and a touch of pipe tobacco. Best at about 3 hours after decanting. Great with grilled ribeye steak. Very long finish. Since attending a vertical tasting of 12 years of Dominus in the early 2000's I have felt the 1999 would age better than most of the other years in the 90's. An underestimated vintage and a wonderfully balanced and harmonious wine.
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This wine still has a long way to go. Slow oxed for 4 hours. Nose had black currants, cassis, and licorice. The palate had ripe black currants and some vanilla. It has at least 5 years before it reaches maturity. It seems like this vintage has a lot of bottle variation. A good bottle should last much longer and its no way its at it peak now. But this wine does not have the finesse of a good dominus.
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Deep purple color with no sediment, this wine is fully mature. Brooding deep nose of plum, strawberry, blackberry and tobacco leads to a palate coating multi-dimensional tasting and long, long finish.
If a date, this is a 35 year old cheerleader turned porn actress, who happened to get her BA from college along the way. Ideal pairing for BBQ steak and highly recommended. AA++
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Did not care for this wine all that much. Not sure why.
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Mgmt Presentation Dinner at Canoe. Was fairly muted on the nose. Hard to get much out of it. The palate had a bit more substance. Nice structure and tannins. Not overpowering, but not overly complex either.
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Flickinger tasting. Still has plenty of tannin, acid. One would think it is a relatively young wine if you didn't know the vintage. Dark fruit, cherries and other stone fruits.
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Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): This was a Napa cabernet that hits all the archetypes in my mind. A boatload of black fruit is framed by some green pepper aromas. The palate is clearly ripe, but restrained and also shows a bit of a meaty character. Perhaps on the richer end of the Domini (?) that I've tried, this takes it close to the edge but never falls flat.
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Drank for Thanksgiving with goose, bread dumplings and savoy cabbage. Wine stood up better to the course than the Cyril Henschke Cab/Merlot/CabFranc blend also drunk alongside although that one was the far more elegant wine.. Dark garnet color, bordering on "black". Good cabernet nose, some graphite, cedar and pepper. Quite dry on palate: Lots of tannin. finishes rather dry and austere. For me the tannins were overly dominant and detracted from the overall attractiveness of the wine. Will they ever fully integrate without drying out the fruit?
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Chicago: wine, food, friends...cigars!; 9/17/2014-9/20/2014 (Blackbird, Les Nomades, Naha, with lunch at Shaw's Crab House): {magnum} This bottle has shown up at various tastings a number of times over the years, and depending on when it does (and how it's been stored, etc.), I've noticed a good amount of bottle variation. Thankfully, for us, that variation proved heavily in our favor. I agree with another tn here in that this needed more aeration in order to show its best. In fact, 1/3 of a bottle remained for day 2, and it was magnificent, in full bloom, if you will. On a night with serious heavy-hitter reds, this was a standout for its grace and artful composition. Having said all that, I still prefer the (magnum) 1997 served two nights later. In a 750 format, it's likely time to drink up, but in this magnum, there's still has another 4-5 years of very pleasurable drinking ahead; fully resolved on all fronts. highly recommended
Served non-blind. Aerated to decanter for 90 minutes.
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Drank out of a mag with about an hour decant as part of the tasting menu at Blackbird in Chicago with a group of fellow CT wine enthusiasts. Drinking beautifully right now and I don't think that right now it needs more then 30" - 60" in the decanter. Slightly muted understated nose with cassis, coffee and a hint of violet. Soft, complex, tannins integrated well although plenty of backbone left, silky and very true to it's roots as one of the most Bdx like CA wines out there - a well aged and still somewhat muscular cab. This has years left especially in the magnum format. Long lingering pleasant aftertaste with primary profile somewhat earthy with cassis, notes of blueberry and surprisingly a more floral mid - to - late palate. Highly recommend. A contender for WOTN among some other CA heavy hitters including 100 Acres and Schrader Beckstoffer Tokalon and by far stylistically the most classic bdx wine of the bunch.
Wow...I don't know what others have been drinking but this wine is in my sweet spot. It is medium to dark garnet, very viscous and the nose is enthralling. It is a very feminine wine, not in your face but voluptuous and full of finesse. The nose has eucalyptus, cedar, mint, ripe plum and a hint of forest floor. In your mouth it is soft and supple, round and mouth coating. The flavors are rich and complex, with cedar and herbs, licorice and plum, minty and refreshing. Aftertaste has lots of length...at least 45 seconds. Absolutely gorgeous with prime, grilled porterhouse steak. Very much like ch. Margaux. Superb! Day 2 - the following evening it was surprisingly still great and more evolved. The nose has a floral rose element and chocolate. It is velvety smooth, perfectly balanced, rich and luscious!
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i don't think this was flawed, rather just dead in the bottle… absolutely no fruit whatsoever, sometimes that can be overcome with interesting secondary flavors, instead this was dried out and astringent… oh well, glad i only had one
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While a little on the light side, this showed classic Dominus with solid balance throughout.....shared this magnum with some friends and the managers of a local Capital Grille and all were more than impressed for the vintage. Notes of plum and currant with a nice smooth finish....will certainly buy again when I can find it.
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balsamic red fruit on the nose, with an earthy, cedary, chocolatey aspect to it. With more air, a minty, lifted component emerges. On the palate this only really waks up after a good hour in the decanter. There is the chocolatey/creamy character from the nose, red fruit, still unresolved tannin, and a finish that is perhaps a touch short, if mouth-filling. Compared to vintages such as '94, and '91, this is less focused, dark, and complex, with less concentration.
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Dinner with Friends - Dominus, Trimbach, Coutet (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Outstanding wine with considerable finesse (especially around its satin texture) that still has some primary character. This feels more clearly cabernet than its older siblings (1994 and 1992) but has excellent balance and some beautiful complexity. Slightly hard done by in the company of its older and more illustrious siblings. Has time on its hands and should imrpove with bottle age. (91+)
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Decanted immediately upon opening. Muted at the onset, but eventually opened up to a very nice bottle. I agree that it's approaching it's end - drink now.
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This was the first $100 bottle I purchased as I began collecting back in 2004 and the only Dominus in my cellar. Most of the tasting notes I followed over the years on CT suggested patience and I figured 14 years was about the right time. Opened and took an initial sip to see if a decant was needed and there were some strong tannins so splash decanted twice and that did the trick. This wine was very French like and not at all like a California wine. The nose had currant and a touch of cedar. On the palate you had some complex notes of spice, fruit and a nice dry finish. This was an sophisticated wine that wins you over with elagance and not power. Paula gave it a 94 as she appreciates the aged Bordeaux quality but I scored it a 92 as it lacked a rich nose and had a shorter finish than I expected for the caliber wine.
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Tasted blind in a flight of 8 WA / CA / Bdx over 10 years old...Very clear ruby-red. Touch of earthiness on the nose, which hints at Old World. Pure, beautiful red fruit on the palate, a little one-dimensional, with great length. Drink up. My #3 of 8.
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Sight: This wine is dull and hazy, with no evidence of gas or particles. Color is ruby at the core consistent to about an 1/8” from at the meniscus. Medium concentration of color. Legs are thick and move slowly down the glass.
Nose: This wine does not smell flawed. Light intensity. Aromas are of cassis and blue fruit, primarily plum and a little blueberry. The wine has secondary notes of dust, spice, and cedar. I do pick up some mineral traits. I detect some burnt oak that does always “quite fit” the wine, but not in any meaningful way. No alcohol on the nose to speak of.
Palate: This wine is light bodied. The palate follows the nose with flavors of blue fruit, dust, a little earthiness, spices, and dust. This wine has hints of vanilla and tobacco. I do taste some new oak, but it is well integrated into the wine.
Structure: This wine is dry. Acid is medium. Alcohol is medium. Tannins are medium and well integrated. Finish is long. Complexity is high.
Conclusion: This wine straddles the new/old world line; dull, hazy, and some mineral/earthiness, but cocoa flavors and light blue fruit. I guess this wine to be from WA, specifically Walla Walla Valley. Acid is medium and alcohol is medium suggesting a typical vintage. High quality producer.
Final Conclusion: This is very well made. Whoever made this wine did an excellent job bridging old world with the new. New world fruit flavors with controlled acidity; yet controlled alcohol with secondary notes of tobacco, earthiness, and spice that suggests old world. Just a little more "oomph" would place this wine as #1 of the night for me. Looking forward to finding out what this wine is.
My Ranking: 2nd out of 8 bottles Group Ranking: 3rd out of 8 bottles.
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Popped and enjoyed over 2 hours with dinner. Deep beautiful red color with aromas of cherry, cedar and spice. Extremely tight flavors of red fruit, but nothing ever developed over two hours. After about an hour, it started giving off a funky nose that reminded me of a BDX - it was not at all unpleasant. All in all a disappointing wine as it never opened up.
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Previous notes are a very accurate assessment of this excellent Cali-Franco cab. 2hr decant, slight funk. Dark, medium bodied, nose of stewed plums and blackberries. Tannins resolved, a perfect wine for those who eschew the typical Cali fruit bomb. Delicate, nuanced, balanced. Sorry it's my last bottle of a six pack. At peak, would tend to pop the corks on these.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam, prune and black olive with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Wonderful bottle of Cab. Probably at its peak.
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This developed a slight funky nose after 90 minutes in the decanter. Not unpleasant, just noticeably different from initial opening. Morphed from new world to Bordeaux profile. Plenty of rich fruit, cigar, cedar with silky tannins. Still some heat on the finish which seems unlikely to integrate at this point. But I am on the higher side of community and professional scoring. Falls a bit short on the mid-palate, but a delight to drink overall.
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Drank this in direct comparison with the 98 dominus. The 99 was the clear preference in the group and it was a classic dominus style which I would call cali-deaux. Definition: a California wine in the style of bordeaux. Cali-deaux is big without the roof smacking palate tannins and the fruit shines. It has no French diet fruit. The fruit is big and forward, just like Cali. But the best thing about cali-deaux is the balance. The 99 had that classic Dominus balance with no downside. No big finish, but just a very drinkable experience. Very nice!
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I think I should have decanted this wine. I used a Venturi but the wine seemed tight. I should have checked the notes before going with it. I think some decanting would have moved this a few points.
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Wow, was this good. Unbelievable balance with a texture that is just incredible. Too easy to drink. Almost no nose, but unmistakably napa on the palate. Not overly complex or herald from a classic vintage, just plain tasty stuff.
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Dim Sum Club at Paradise Pavilion (Pavilion Paradise, MBFC): Third time I have had this, with the last bottle coming almost 3 years ago. This bottle was quite unrecognisable from the previous two I had though. If anything, this seemed a bit tighter, a bit leaner. Still pretty good though. It had a very Napa nose, with sweet tobacco and cigarette smoke drifting about a core of sunny aromas of ripe blackberries and cassis, even sweet strawberries, with a touch of flowers and a nice cut of cedar wood and mint pulling out at the rear of the bouquet. Pretty nice. The palate showed a nice, rich attack, with cassis and blackberries at the fore. It leaned out and tightened up quite noticeably past the midpalate though, to show a spine of clean acidity and fine tannins. I liked the feel on this wine, it was nicely spare and elegant, with very cool, clear feel in spite of a sweet ripeness to its fruit expression that spoke of the new world. A nicely transparent wine I would say, just finishing a little on the short side. All in all though, very pleasant. I would be interested to try one in a couple of years to see where these are going. My feel is that they may have shut down a little, and will probably come good in say 3-4 years time.
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Leather and earth in the nose initially. A little cigar smoke to follow. Little subtle black cherry & more terroir driven. A lot more earthy than anticipated. Mild acidity. Not overly complex & the acidity still came through quite strong. The tannins have yet to mellow & the finish is modest at best. I will add that I had this a few months ago & it was remarkable. Maybe this is just on the decline now. Either way I was surprised. The shift from fruit to earth was very noticeable but it was much better a few months ago.
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I selected this wine for this flight because other vintages I've tasted in the past have a green-leaning, Bordeaux-like profile. Unfortunately this bottle doesn't quite fit the bill - it's obviously New World to me. There's some structure and herbal cab quality here, but the fruits and vaniliin oak don't feel Bordeaux at all - almost reminds me of some Aussie cabs. Just doesn't have that oomph I would expect from a bottling of this stature, but some New World fans in the group love this wine. To me, the Sociando beats this by a country mile. For me personally, an 87, but Cali cab fans will probably like this quite a bit more than I did.
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Great nose. Decanted and drank over 2 hrs. Well structured and exceedingly balanced. Smooth on the palate with a rewarding finish. It was almost satin or silk like when it hits your mouth & so well put together that you could taste the mind blowing beauty of this wine. The fruit came on the back end with a bit of smoke & oak coming through. A truly elegant & complex effort. Amazing & I will definitely be ordering this again.
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Still youthful (but, my storage facility is on the cool side). Complex aromas of dust, blackberry and raspberry. The tannins were still there providing nice structure. Complex and deep, but also light on the palate. Wouldn't fool me for a Bordeaux, but a great example of what CA can do, even in a less heralded vintage.
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This 1999 Dominus is dark garnet colored, complex and polished - a symphony of integrated flavors and silky smooth tannins - not a big powerful wine but certainly full bodied and flavorful. Delicate floral bouquet gives way to black berry and black cherry fruits with a long fragrant finish of soft oak, spice and hint of cedar and leather earthiness.
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Would have mistaken for Syrah blind. Rich and black-fruited. Meaty on the nose and peppery in the mouth. Fairly full-bodied. Tannin cuts off the finish.
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In the decanter briefly as the cork broke, nose was pleasant but lacked intensity of great nappa cabs, perhaps past its peak? tannins silky and drinking nicely, but compared to the 00 Montrose also opened, it was claerly one notch below.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting (Rich & Dana's): Aromas of black fruit and violets, lavender and rose petals; terrific floral notes. Balanced, with blackberry, cherry and perfumed violet qualities on the palate; long finish.
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Opened for 30min, recork and brought to a restaurant, drank over 2.5hours. started with lots of oak and vanilla, then settle down to a very left bank feel, balanced and complex, tannins well integrated but you can feel the powerful undertone. towards the end of 2 hours, cherry and red fruit became apparent. A well made bottle and very enjoyable indeed!
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Curiously this wine is not as good today as it was five years ago. Perhaps I missed something but it was much more alive and complex back in 2006 & 2007. I know it has not been spoiled in the cellar as it has been stored properly since it was purchased. It is not a bad wine, but it does not stimulate the palate as it has in the past.
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decanted and immediately consumed; initially closed and earthy but opened within 30min; just right ripeness of dark currant and blackberry, earth; sweeter fruit with a finish of some creosote, cedar and some tannin; still has great fruit and complexity but the tannins are slightly bitter.
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bottle variation? from a trusted cellar but underwhelming, flat, 'burnt out'? heat damage was my first instinct. colour burnt to the rim. stewed, almost nutty nose. disappointing - wish I had thought to bring a back-up...
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Decanted one hour, poured back into bottle and consumed 3 hours later. This wine isn't ready. Give it more time and you may have something special. The fruit on the nose is still very tight and muted, the tannin are still sharp and not quite integrated yet. There's a lot of complexity, but it's very wound up and tight. Hold.
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Un des meilleurs de ma cave. Décanter une heure, sa robe pourpre dégage des effleuves en parfaite harmonie avec arômes boisés et fruits noirs en équilibre. Une grande bouteille pour célébrer 2011 ! Par chance, j'ai encore une autre bouteille!
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Pop and pour but decanting for later.. fairly dark color. plum fruit and roasted herbs/cedar on the nose. left-bank bordeaux like flavors of earth, tar, leather but with some background blackberry fruit. Nice balance, acidity, structure and not heavy. Still has some tannin on a long finish..
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#2 wine spectator wine of the year. RP got this wrong with an 88. Absolutely stunning wine. Fresh as a daisy at 11 years old. Plenty of Cherry and jam, bilberry as well. Round, Balanced. Great
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Beautiful potent bomb. Structured like a classic Bordeaux with great Californian fruit. Hard to find much better anywhere. Many many years of enjoyment left in thsi one.
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Leather, cherry plum. Opened up after an hour and decanting 10 time. Good, but just a touch short and thin. Flirting with a really good wine, but not quite there. Won't try again for 3 to 5 years. A touch tannic on opening, dominos flavor that I love, very Bordeaux like.
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Leather, cherry plum. Opened up after an hour and decanting 10 time. Good, but just a touch short and thin. Flirting with a really good wine, but not quite there. Won't try again for 3 to 5 years. A touch tannic on opening, dominos flavor that I love, very Bordeaux like
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Maybe I have lost my taste for california wines. Good, but not the complexity or structure that I look for in a Bordeaux. Chocolate and cream notes, some tannin and sweet fruit. Nice but not a decadent pleasure.
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Maybe I have lost my taste for california wi es. Good, but not the complexity or structure that I look fornin a Bordeaux. Chocolate and cream notes, some tannin and sweet fruit. Nice but not a decadent pleasure.
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this was spectacular. We brought this to a pre-open of a great San Francisco Bay Area restaurant. Let them pour their wines then we had them decant this. It was tremendous. Great first growth bordeaux flavor. And I have not been a fan of Dominus year in year out. Sometimes overhyped. I am a fan. SUPER DUPER
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A sensational wine. Just entering its' proper window, but I believe those more patient than I will be rewarded with some nice secondaries on this one. Still a baby, but such nice balance and mouthfeel. I WANT MORE.
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This wine was completely bipolar: at first, very slow to open and really tight, with muted cedar and berry aromas and a palette dominated by tight black fruits and smoke. Frankly disappointing initially. Half an hour in a decanter and this wine really starts to sing: the nose turns almost Bordelais, but with more fruit intensity (cassis), and the palette turns rich and complex, with cherry and berry fruits, overlaid with cedar and spices. The finish goes on and on. Really excellent, really elegant Californian Bordeaux blend.
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Simple Series III: My Birthday (Asia Grand, Odeon Towers): I enjoyed this rather more than I did the last time round. Cab dominated, but somehow still speaking of right-bank Bordeaux. This particular bottle still seemed rather young even after a quick decanting though. Nose was rather tight at first, but opened up nicely to show warm scents of tobacco leaf, savoury undergrowth, plums, cassis and some higher toned crushed flower and mint accents. Very nice. Palate was shaped by very fine, almost silky tannins and juicy acidity, all very nicely integrated with sweet cassis, plums and spice notes, with just that little rubbery inflection at the edges of the wine. Nice long finish too. Powerful, with spicy notes, hints of vanilla and more of that very Bordelais tobacco note. A slight burnt woody edge disturbed the wine a little, but overall, this was a great effort. Should continue to improve in the bottle over the next 5-6 years at the very least.
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Tasted blind. Hot, too much alcohol (or VA, not really sure) that overwhelms the fruit. Needs more time. Compared to the last bottle I consumed non-blind, this was underwhelming.
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Nice - very concentrated and full Bordeaux blend. When opened nose of coffee and cherry. Decanter for 1hour and it settled in as A very interesting blend.
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Dominus Masterclass with Edouard Moueix (St. Regis Hotel, Singapore): A very good wine in its own right, just completely put in the shadows by the 1994 and 1996 that preceded it. Really tight on the nose, with some undergrowth, plums and vanillin laced oak and little else. Palate had plenty of depth -at once was muscular and firm, yet finely balanced and elegantly shaped, with nice cassis flavours and a long, smoky finish with bits of herb and spice. Lacks the stunning complexity and grace of great vintages and just a bit punishing at the moment without food, but clearly a wine of some quality.
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Enjoyed with friends at Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park. Decanted for about an hour or so.
Absolutely wonderful Napa bordeuax-style blend. Big, beautiful nose of earth, fruit, cassis, and leather. The palate is super smooth and enticing. Wonderful flavors wash over the palate with a seemingly endless finsih. Superb wine.
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Nose: Not much of a nose really. Closed for business pretty much
Palate: 1st tasted 30 minutes after opening. Completely closed for business. A bit thin on the palate with nothing much to give. This wine is in an awkward stage right now I told myself. I finished my 1st glass and put the bottle back into the cellar.
On the 3rd day (didn't taste it on the 2nd day as I didn't have time to), totally different animal. Nose with oak, vanilla and blackfruits with a small hint of perfume. Palate was much fuller than on the first day. Full bodied, expansive mouthfeel with ample fruits and sugar. Tannin has subsided a bit but still present. Good balance. A wonderful long haul wine. This reminds me that the best Napa Valley wines can go toe to toe with the best Bordeaux wines and clearly, Dominus is and always will be one of my favorites wines. Don't touch a bottle for another 5 years!
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Deep garnet color. Aromas of cherries, red currants and earth. Developed dark fruit, floral and roasted herb nuances with air. Elegant. Full-bodied, with chewy red fruit and sweet tannins. Dark fruit tones on the long, deep finish. 92-93+ pts.
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Stellar California bordeaux-style blend from the more typical CA-style newer Dominus years enjoyed earlier tonight at the monthly "meeting" of the Hickory Wine Club as part of a non-sequential Dominus '86 - '99 four wine vertical flight. Dark purple, still a suprpising amount of barnyard on nose which did blow off relatively quickly, very well integrated, entering a prime drinking window but still with a solid oak core and enough tannins present for another 10 years of cellaring easily, big wine with long aftertaste, just utterly delicious. Nose of barnyard followed by cassis, dark stone fruit and oak with primary flavor profile of typical Napa cassis, balanced oak, leather, tar, graphite and black pepper with smoke developing on aftertaste. Too expensive to be any kind of a QPR but really recommend this for lovers of bdx style CA cabs especially Dominus - just a quintessential newer style Dominus.
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Opened up slightly renticent, close and muted. After about 30 minutes though, this thing blossomed! Great Juice! Red berries and cherries, some darker riper berries, coco. Smooth, round, with some lift, long, dense, ripe, and very balanced. Long finish and great persistence.
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TWATS VI (Clive's Crib): Blood red, plasmic. Brown, purple. Vanilla boysenberry, big, front, mid & deep finish, young and dry, Tannins & big fruit. I like it. Bit too young? Some not so much.
Clive - # 5
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Still tannic.
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Beautiful color, dark ruby. Nose a bit difficult, retracted at this point. Palate like a zero gravity dance across it was flawless. Flavors dominated by dark & milk chocolate cocca, bitter then dry, waves of them. Blueberry buried, then soft leather, moist oak, tannins for a real big cleansing finish, youth, just for the sake of youth, yet Mature & in it's prime. Sophia Loren at 30, hot now, but you know it will only get better with some age. Seemless, understand the WS, yes maybe. I have had my differences with this vintage, and this is a good bottle. Age is doing this right. Very close to notes 2 years back, only maturity has settled it a wee bit, much more life to go...
Just tasting off the bleed from the decanter, some 5 hours old left out. Nose tight, still. Weightless still there, then a flood of liquid fruit, cake, long palate of dried fruits, big soft tannins, pucker up, big fruit, big tannins, acid perfect, oak just perfect. Yum. Hold last bottle for as long as possible. Megga legs left in this baby. Damn.
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(Day 2)Aromatically - stemmy, faint blackberry, compost, earthy notes with slight brioch and toasted cedar plank. Not very aromatically intense. On the palate a mixed red and blackberry sauce. Good attack slightly lean mid and a great finish despite a little course tannin. Overall a very enjoyable wine (more so with food)...91-93
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The color is very dark garnet, turning slightly brick-red on the rim. A dark wine, not only because of it's color but also because of it's aroma profile. First impression was like a 'Cahors', lots of licorice and dark fruits. After a while in the glass, the fruit intensified, notes of tobacco, spice and dark chocolate emerged. (Wished there was a little less licorice and a little more fruit) The palate is very concentrated, yet balanced, from attack to finish. It literally explodes on the palate, leading to a really long finish. Very very nice
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So at 10 years old, this thing is looking more and more bordeaux, except that it still has the sunniness of CA. The fruit, which must have been more forward has started to subside a bit but is still front and center, hints of barnyard, herbs, graphite, oranges, and leather. Ages has softened the tannins somewhat and there is a nice complexity to this wine. Really enjoyable at this point!
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What a disappointment. A mix of light fruit and funk on the nose gives way to a medium-bodied wine that shows a faint hint of dark cherry on the palate and not much else. Tannins are hanging around, but the fruit won't. So-so mouthfeel.
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Terrific wine. Decanted for 1 hour. Incredible BDX nose of black fruits and ceder. Surprisingly tight and youthful. This needs another 5 years! I truly enjoyed this wine.
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Full- to medium-weighted in the glass, with a nose of billowy mocha and soft red fruits. The balance of varietals is very impressive, with no one standing out more than another. The entry is so creamy, coating the mouth with a feathery cloud of fruit. The finish unfolds nicely with a hint of spicy currant. The tannins are softening, so this may be close to its peak.
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Dark ruby with minimal bricking. Beautiful aromatics: cassis and violets, fresh earth, with minor stemminess. Unfortunately, the palate fell flat: hollow, with some black fruit buffering the noticeable alcohol and moderate tannins. The finish felt clipped, and it was at this point that we noted some VA. A disappointment, especially considering the price and the WS score. Earlier tastings of this wine were better, and one may chalk this up to bottle variation.
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Wonderful bottle of wine. Red and black fruit on the palate. This wine is very approachable. Tannins were present but mellowed after wine was decanted for 1 hour. Full bodied and a long finish. (
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By far the best botle of this I've had. Starting to lose the baby fat but with enough tanic structure to show this will get better over the next few years. I'll probably wait 4 or 5 years before finishing the last bottle.
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Wine Guy Weekend Chez Doktas Take 2; 11/7/2008-11/8/2008 (Collingwood, Ontario): Wine Guy Weekend 2 Chez DoktaP's: New world meets old. Cassis and bell pepper notes(the good kind. Lots of heat on the palate with vanilla notes. Smells like a bordeaux. Long vanilla finish and maybe a bit monolithic but shows its well made. Revisit in 3-4 years.
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I drank this wine in Nov. 2008 with a Filet Mignon. It was good but not like the 1992 Robert Mondavi Reserve. There was a sharpness to it, (no to be confused with the sharpness of cheap wine). This sharpness may be the Tannins being very present. I tasted the fruit but there seemed to be a lacking of that creamy, chocolaty, velvety smoothness that the Robert Mondavi had present. I decanted it for about 20 minutes before drinking it. It was smooth but just seemed not flavorful and creamy enough for what I was looking for. I was able to detect the oak coming through during the sampling. I tried the remaining two glasses 2 hours and 3 hours later. It was a little better but still had noticeable tannins. This wine was mediocre, not much better than the $20 bottle of Rosenblum Zinfindale that I like. Last note – the initial 20 minute decanting was not long enough for this wine and it was also too cool. I give it a 90. $109
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Decanted 1 hour. Finally starting to open up. Dark and rich with a nose of boysenberry and a touch of earth, and mellow but present tannins. Very nice.
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Not a huge wine by any means. Medium body with a nice cab nose. Round balanced flavors with some earthy/mineral notes - more Bordeaux in style than Cal cab. Feels a bit short on the finish. Definitely time to start drinking this.
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Tasted at the CT Weekend Event. Always one of my favorites from CA, this showed a Bordelais nose, and palate of blackberries, cassis. There is a minerality to this wine that I just don't see in many CA blends. Good tannins.
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Brought to dinner with Maja & Eugene. My first tasting of the 99, opened for one hour prior to serving, and this was sufficient to open up. Great dark rich fruit, some leather and earth and mild chocolate. Medium weight, medium finish. Still young, and will continue to evolve, but drinking very well right now.
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Morton's of HK Chinese New Years night, window table, 25 minute spectacular fireworks show. . 99 point atmoshphere & food & service. Wine beautiful dried cherry nose, cocco in the back. Rusty red color. Complex, brooding. Young. Palate is rich, a bit alch on the nose and palate, but that vapered off over the hours. Nice 30+ second conplex finish. Great winemaking, this baby need more time.Better than last bottle.
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Definitely the WOTN. It is right in the heart of its drinkability window. Powerful nose; exquisitely balanced on the palate with a supple mouth feel; light tannins. Notes of black cherry, plum, dark red fruits. The artistry of a winemaker skilled in the Bordeaux style comes through strongly. I can't wait to try the '02, an even more highly regarded vintage for this wine.
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Had this bottle after an earlier magnum of the same wine on the same evening (as part of a dinner party for 6 people). This bottle shared many of the same traits as the magnum, but did not have any hint of tang, even on the first pour. Its finish was a little smoother, and perhaps less dry. 93.
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This was my first time having the 99. I opened from a magnum. The first tastes were closed, and even had a small tang. I decanted in a magnum-sized decanter (a magnum Riedel Ultra from wineglassguys.com) and tasted it slowly over 1.5 hours. It opened, and the tang slowly eased. From time 1.5h to 3.0h, the wine drank very well. It was slightly dry from tannins, but had subtle flavors of earth and berries. It had a relatively long finish, perhaps somewhat because of the tannins. The wine was very good, but did not overwhelm. Not sold on the PQR for this bottle. 92.
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Thanksgiving 2007 (Chateau de' Stearns): Strong alch nose, corky, earthy. Bitter, harsh and sour. Strong tannins give way to hints of blackberry, strong pepper. Needs time, or just bad bottle? Can't rate it, very off.
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Dominus Vertical Tasting (Toronto Food & Wine Show, Toronto, Canada): Medium ruby colour. Aromas of chocolate, plums, sandalwood, currant, and dried violets. Medium-bodied, with red fruit, cola, plum, spice, and licorice. Tannins are well integrated. Moderate finish, ~35s, with red fruit. Drink now.
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actually showed better than i would have thought. thick nose of tar, blackberry and cola. palate followed thru wtih dark fruits well integrated with oak and tannins. finish was well integrated and surprisingly lasting.
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Best bottle of Dominus that I have opened yet. Other bottles were not as good. Red and black fruit on the palate. This wine is very approachable. Tannins were present but mellowed after wine was decanted for 1 hour. Full bodied and a long finish.
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tasted blind against the 99 ducru. tobacco, coffee, black fruits on the nose. palate follows the nose for the most part. tannins quite obvious. lighter mouthfeel than i would have thought. finish just ok due to some element of burnt chocolate.
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Deep dark red in the glass with a tiny clear hue visible. Very strong aromas of red and black fruits and coffee. On the palate, this wine exhibits one of the best balances I have ever experienced. Fruit forward, with red berries, plums, blackberries and very nice notes of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and silky smooth. A nice long finish easily over 45 seconds. A remarkable wine in my opinion, without too much fruit, acid, alcohol or tannin. Just the right balance of everything which leads me to believe this wine is peaking right now.
40+5+5+18+18+9=95
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Round Bordeaux fruit, nice mouth feel, complex, with a long finish, but not super French style. Fresh light, high alch opening up later to lots of cocco. Tannins a bit rough, but fine at spots, many years to go, even through color looks aged?
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Dominus Vertical Dinner (onesixtyblue): Full red purple color. Full red fruit on the nose with hints of mint or eucalyptus (only wine I got this on). Nice round red fruit on the palate. A different wine, but I really liked it.
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DOMINUS VERTICAL DINNER (160 Blue - Chicago, IL): Nose shows sweeter styled fruit, caramel, herbs and soy. Palate has toasty vanilla with candied fruit. A decidedly sweeter profile than past vintages and more like an Aussie cab than any other Dominus in the vertical. That said, it's still a nice wine, but in a different style. (4+13+16+6=89).
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A decent bottle of chocolate infused merlot and cabernet. Not quite the body I remember from last time, nor the fruit, nor the sweetness. Perhaps my taster is tired tonight...
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I actually enjoyed this very much, despite being a bit on the tannic side. Noticed aromas of chocolate and coffee on a few sips, and decent amounts of black fruit and acid. Well-balanced on the whole, and a good match for smoke-roasted trout. I'm looking forward to the 2001, 2002, and 2003 vintages for comparisons.
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This bottle was better than the previous bottle. My notes are about the same but this bottle had a much better finish. Ultimately not worth the $$ even if there is some improvement down the road.
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one bottle was corked (not ours). unfortunately, no back up. i'm not a dominus fan, and this bottle didn't draw me into the fold. yes, it needs time, but, c'mon, give me something. too austere, and just not enough fruit. i don't think it will ever catch up. others don't agree.
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Probably more like a 91 with potential for improvement. Dark ruby red in color and surprisingly clear. This wine was medium weight with good structure but really did not have the complexity to match it. It had aromas and flavors of cassis and red fruits, an herbal leafy note and vanilla (oak) on the finish. There were some drying tannins. It's hard to say at this point because more time might improve it but this one may be a dud for Dominus, a winery with a pretty good track record. This bore little resemblance to even a medium-level Bordeaux of the same age and varietal make-up. As Vino Me notes WS gave this 95 points and I just don't see it. [$75 on release; Decanted about 30 minutes and needed it; Hold it ??? Drink it???]
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Young Dominus Vertical: Wine tasting. Lush, concentrated black cherry and black currant on nose. Similar fruit on palate with good textures. Structure is a bit firm right now, so I expect this to be better in 2010.
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Holiday Tasting Event (Columbus, OH): Initially very grapey. Develops some more characteristic coffee, vanilla, and chocolate notes in the glass. Good weight on the palate. Hard to get a read on - in need of lots of time but certainly seems capable of improvement. ***-/5
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Still young, and will benefit from a few more years of aging, but very nice Dominus. Rich, elegant (but not as much as older siblings) with great balance.
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Tasted at Acqua in Vernon with TyMetrix team. Clean, lean Bordelaise nose of black cherry, currant, rar, black soil, coffee and dark chocolate. A bit more alcohol on the nose than I would expect. Beautiful, etched attack with slightly hot mid-palate and longish finish. Give it 5-7 years.
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Tasted at the WS Grand Tour in Vegas. Not impressed by this effort and I'm not completely sure why. Flat tasting with blackberry and raspberry notes. 88 points.
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1999 California Cabernet and Blends (Chicago- Various Tastings): WS gave this a 95. I didn't see it and if it is a 95 pointer it has a lot of developing to do. It had a nose of blackberry and charcoal. Filled with sharp bitter fruit. Heavy tannins which are not allowing much through. Some chocolate and earthy notes at the present. Don't touch this for a long time if you have any. 89 points now.
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4/10/2024 - Simba-wine wrote: flawed
Special add on from the Somm from a party downstairs left over. Served blind… 😱 what is this? High octane Amarone?!?
Really not my style, long alcoholic wine, overripe. Was onto Australia…
When he lifted Magnum Dominus, super disappointing
Cooking wine, took only a small zip
I actually think this bottle got heat somewhere and can’t imagine it to be the normal condition.
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12/22/2023 - bishopblock Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delightful, if not completely stunning / memorable. Paired with rack of lamb and fennel/white bean/dijon casserole.
Understated. Not overly tannic, feels like the right time to be drinking it! Something savory comes through on the nose and the palate. Mom said shoe polish…
Otherwise earthy and red fruit notes.
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12/21/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Wilmette Harbor Club): Opened at gala dinner. Very good balance, still nicely rich with good combo of fresh and mature black fruit, moderate complexity. Good now.
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11/22/2022 - M.Batard wrote: 92 Points
Luscious and complete, but not stunning. Paired with steak off the grill, sautéed mushrooms, and polenta.
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11/8/2022 - Javachip Likes this wine: 91 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep garnet - blood red color. Lovely subdued bouquet of mixed black fruits and their liqueurs; violets, fennel, bay leaf, some savory notes, forest floor. Full body, seamless, balanced, lingering finish. Improved with air; held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for four nights.
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3/2/2022 - ricard Likes this wine: 94 Points
Indistinguishable from a First Growth Left Bank claret on the nose. Youthful (despite its age) and indulgent. Deeply warming and comforting. So appealing and seductive. Treacle, plum cake, sandalwood, leather, prunes, cherries, damson jam. Soft, velvety tannins. Long and satisfying. In fact, delicious. So here's the thing: what about this wine is Napa Valley? It is not about terroir at all, but Christian Moueix's hugely successful attempt to prove that "it can be done" somewhere other than Bordeaux. So it is a fundamentally dishonest and therefore supremely irritating wine. An unnecessary distraction. An immensely successful, but pointless, exercise in theatrical verisimilitude. Pure vinous histrionics. Not for me - this is a spectacularly inauthentic charade.
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2/19/2022 - pipedream wrote: 91 Points
still needs plenty of time to open up. Was a bit disappointed how tight it remained. With this label I was expecting something more memorable but it disappointed.
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1/21/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Before writing this TN I reviewed my previous note on this wine from 2014 and some evolution with more tertiary flavors now present has occurred. Drinking beautifully, fully mature now for some time, at or perhaps slighty past prime so time to start drinking up any remaining holdings within the next 2-3 years. Opened about an hour prior to consumption and this worked well at this stage of this wine's life cycle - if decanted I would not go beyond a short splash decant right now. Slightly muted understated nose with dark plum, cassis, coffee and a floral violet note. Soft, complex, tannins fully integrated with enough structure and backbone left for a few more years. Silky smooth, soft, medium bodied and very true to it's roots as one of the most Bdx like high end CA cabs out there. Long lingering pleasant aftertaste. Primary profile more earthy and tertiary then fruity - minimal oak present, some dark stone fruit present, classic cassis, blueberry and the previously noted floral mid- to late palate notes present along with stone and graphite. Highly recommend with the caveat that these now need to be drunk up.
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11/27/2021 - Fatty Cat wrote: 90 Points
Rarities dinner “Spectacular Californians” late Nov 2021: deep rubin red color; nose of cassis and red berries, later attended by light minty flavors; round but somehow a little sluggish on the palate.
Excellent Dominus but compared to the other five 1999 California Cab’s served (Montelena, Dunn, Phelps Insignia, Caymus Special Selection and Opus One) he came in last.
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9/7/2021 - William Kelley Likes this wine:
Boris Champy's second vintage at the helm at Dominus Estate has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of blackberries, black cherries, scorched earth, truffle and paraffin wax. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit and rich, powdery tannins that are much less assertive than they were a decade ago, the 1999 is in its prime today.
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4/1/2021 - Rezy13 wrote:
Dark fruit and muddled flavors; definitely seems as though this may have seen some heat somewhere along the line.
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9/26/2020 - Zweder wrote:
For old times sake: In the bouquet some soy and celery. Same on the palate. Chocolate. Quite tertiary. I don’t score the wine.
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8/7/2020 - Bomb Cellar wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular wine, drinking beautifully at 21 years.
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5/11/2020 - greg@newsomehh.com Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Decanted way beyond its time,
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4/13/2020 - Frank Schneider wrote: 94 Points
Nose was a bit dusty. Austere ! But after 3 h of decanting it blossomed to a beautiful bordeaux outside of bordeaux. Never put this into New World in a blind tasting. Drink !
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3/13/2020 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine that’s very closed at the moment. Closed on the nose and firm on the palate, still under the hood you have PV driven green earth, cigar wrapper, cassis, and wild blackberry. Those holding bottles should continue to do so, about 5 years will be ideal.
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1/11/2020 - SimonK Likes this wine: 96 Points
N volle nase, blaubeere brombeere kühl, graphit, schw. Johannisbeere
G blsubeere, leichte chilischärfe, schöne struktur, kaffepulver, kakaopulver
Sehr spannede aromen mit tollem aromprofil mit ecken und kanten
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11/2/2019 - G_H wrote: 95 Points
Lots of roasted oak notes, coffee yogurt, cassis, beautiful length
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5/14/2019 - toddacole wrote: 95 Points
Solidly vegetative and balanced tannins.
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1/28/2019 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 93 Points
While I think this is indeed a very nice bottle, I am not over the top about it like some of the other reviewers. I think the wine is nearing the end of it's life, but that doesn't mean it's not drinking very well right now. Comes out a medium purple with very slight bricking at the rim but right away on the nose you get a sense of it's age: nice notes of menthol, eucalyptus, dried cherry, and cedar come at you in very pleasant amounts, framed with just the right amount of slight oak. Tannins are very polished. Where I think the wine lost a point or two was it had a slightly stewed element to it, suggesting the fruit had started to turn. Still - this is a great bottle from one of the best California producers (at any price) and will generally not disappoint, particularly those that prefer their cabs in a classic bordeaux style. I just think that, going forward, the wine will become more "interesting" rather improve.
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12/9/2018 - WinoRick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last night I had this vs. the '97 Dunn Howell Mountain and the '93 Montelena along with a grilled steak. Yum on all accounts. We thought the Dominus was a tad brighter than the others and showed equal, if not more, complexity. One caveat, however. I'd Coravin'd the Dominus halfway about three weeks ago, and the other two were PnP, double decanted back into their bottles. So, another testimony to the Coravin system, although I don't think it contributed to the Dominus showing any better than it would have.
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5/27/2018 - PDavisMarble wrote: 96 Points
Blood, inky red. Bold nose that went from fresh red fruits to eucalyptus and moist earth. This positively exploded on the palate. Raspberries and blackberries with a hint of milk chocolate and some smoky wood. The finish was endless, morphing from plums and currants to red, sweet cherries. The fruit is still fresh and beautiful, and somehow light and delicate. Patience has clearly paid. Reading the prior reviews leads me to only one conclusion -- this wine needed every bit of this age.
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4/7/2018 - sole wrote: flawed
Bottle was corked. Stored under ideal conditions since purchase, so chalking it up to being a bad bottle.
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12/16/2017 - normanfekrat Likes this wine: 85 Points
Very berry cheery.. nose was flat but still full of fruit. Drink it now.. or earlier. Don't hold on to it longer.
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11/8/2017 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Dried red and dark fruits, chocolate, a bit of cedar/wood. Great pairing with lamb. Drink now, as I don’t think this will improve with age.
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11/4/2017 - jee27 wrote: 91 Points
Ce vin s'est démarqué par sa force, une présence très musclée et un peu trop après ces deux grands Bordeaux. Il a drôlement souffert de la comparaison et aurait été mieux servi avec un gros steak juteux sauce au poivre…des tannins qui dominent…pas ma tasse de thé. Content d'y avoir goûté mais il ne fera sans doute jamais parti de mon inventaire. 91-92 pts+
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4/19/2017 - asayed Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious and fragrant. Currants and blackberry. Some cedar.
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2/12/2017 - nm10 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The best bottle so far. Decanted for an hour. Seemed fuller-bodied than the rest. Dark fruits, cassis, graphite, and eucalyptus undertones. Still has plenty of life left.
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1/31/2017 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still can taste its youthfulness upon opening. Tight tannin and woody leathery aroma. Ripeness comes the 2nd day, the best moment is just before it gets sour. Nice wine but needs patience.
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1/14/2017 - chatters wrote:
2013 Grand Cru Horizontal tasting (Prince Wine Store, Bank Street, Melbourne): Earthy and spicy, quite rich. Equally dense on the palate and quite ripe but slightly pruney fruit. Tight tannins. Hmm. I'm disappointed but I think my expectations were a little high.
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10/1/2016 - jeffclavier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Out of a magnum, still incredible.
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8/28/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Still tannic, but delicious with its Bordeaux like characteristics. At times, I struggle with the 1999 vintage in Napa, as I find a heaviness due to the low acid, but this one was superb. It also adds to the pleasure when sharing wine with our daughter, and we had a fabulous meal in Minneapolis at Spoon and Stable-lamb and aged Cab is an ideal pairing.
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7/14/2016 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full bodied lasting finish. Currently at the top of its game.
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6/18/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Takes a while to open, but very nice when it does. Black licorice and graphite, with black cherries. Like some Pessac Leognan I've had - a Haut Bailly. Very refined.
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6/9/2016 - tcufletch Likes this wine:
City Club Fort Worth Wine Event (City Club Wine Room - Fort Worth): My guess was left-bank Bordeaux. With the wine being 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and made in an old-world manner, not a bad guess; dark ruby color and clearer than what I would have thought given the age; nose of pencil shavings, cigar box and darker red fruits; similar palate; still some good tannic structure and a nice acid; well-balanced; delicious and a great effort given the more difficult vintage
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4/19/2016 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dry and peripherally scortched in a balanced aristocratic manner accentuating experience and wordly refinement.
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4/17/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful balance. Decanted three hours. Blueberries, cassis, cherries, with a hint of anise and pepper. 40-second finish. This is a very nice wine.
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3/16/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Don't touch this for at least an hour after decanting! Plum, cassis, cherries emerge at that point. Past the apex, so I would consider drinking over the next few years.
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1/23/2016 - Skinnypanda wrote:
Marcel's 2015 Christmas present
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1/9/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderfully refined and elegant wine. Medium to dark garnet color. Nose of earthy dark red fruit and minerals. Mouth coating and rich on the tongue. Dark red fruit dominates in a subtle way but is joined by well integrated tannin, vanilla and a touch of pipe tobacco. Best at about 3 hours after decanting. Great with grilled ribeye steak. Very long finish. Since attending a vertical tasting of 12 years of Dominus in the early 2000's I have felt the 1999 would age better than most of the other years in the 90's. An underestimated vintage and a wonderfully balanced and harmonious wine.
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12/28/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 90 Points
This wine still has a long way to go. Slow oxed for 4 hours. Nose had black currants, cassis, and licorice. The palate had ripe black currants and some vanilla. It has at least 5 years before it reaches maturity. It seems like this vintage has a lot of bottle variation. A good bottle should last much longer and its no way its at it peak now. But this wine does not have the finesse of a good dominus.
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12/26/2015 - archambault wrote: 94 Points
Superbe après plus de 20 ans!
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12/18/2015 - wineman of nj wrote:
bottle turned
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10/12/2015 - normanfekrat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Time to drink now... it's at it's peak and starting to feel a little flat. Enjoy it now... my bottle has been stored at 55 degrees since purchase.
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8/25/2015 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep purple color with no sediment, this wine is fully mature. Brooding deep nose of plum, strawberry, blackberry and tobacco leads to a palate coating multi-dimensional tasting and long, long finish.
If a date, this is a 35 year old cheerleader turned porn actress, who happened to get her BA from college along the way.
Ideal pairing for BBQ steak and highly recommended. AA++
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7/19/2015 - Marc S wrote: 85 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Did not care for this wine all that much. Not sure why.
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6/23/2015 - Nealefisher Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mgmt Presentation Dinner at Canoe. Was fairly muted on the nose. Hard to get much out of it. The palate had a bit more substance. Nice structure and tannins. Not overpowering, but not overly complex either.
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2/22/2015 - schaden43 wrote: 93 Points
A well balanced wine and in its drinking window.
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1/17/2015 - Bruce 1er wrote: 92 Points
Flickinger tasting. Still has plenty of tannin, acid. One would think it is a relatively young wine if you didn't know the vintage. Dark fruit, cherries and other stone fruits.
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1/15/2015 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): This was a Napa cabernet that hits all the archetypes in my mind. A boatload of black fruit is framed by some green pepper aromas. The palate is clearly ripe, but restrained and also shows a bit of a meaty character. Perhaps on the richer end of the Domini (?) that I've tried, this takes it close to the edge but never falls flat.
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12/5/2014 - andtheodor wrote: flawed
Corked. Seemed big and silky underneath.
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11/28/2014 - Bandreas wrote: 88 Points
Drank for Thanksgiving with goose, bread dumplings and savoy cabbage.
Wine stood up better to the course than the Cyril Henschke Cab/Merlot/CabFranc blend also drunk alongside although that one was the far more elegant wine..
Dark garnet color, bordering on "black".
Good cabernet nose, some graphite, cedar and pepper.
Quite dry on palate: Lots of tannin. finishes rather dry and austere.
For me the tannins were overly dominant and detracted from the overall attractiveness of the wine.
Will they ever fully integrate without drying out the fruit?
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10/10/2014 - LemurKing Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich full wine with years to go. A wish for a bit more complexity in it, but what it does have is pretty sublime. Very tasty.
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9/17/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Chicago: wine, food, friends...cigars!; 9/17/2014-9/20/2014 (Blackbird, Les Nomades, Naha, with lunch at Shaw's Crab House): {magnum} This bottle has shown up at various tastings a number of times over the years, and depending on when it does (and how it's been stored, etc.), I've noticed a good amount of bottle variation. Thankfully, for us, that variation proved heavily in our favor. I agree with another tn here in that this needed more aeration in order to show its best. In fact, 1/3 of a bottle remained for day 2, and it was magnificent, in full bloom, if you will. On a night with serious heavy-hitter reds, this was a standout for its grace and artful composition. Having said all that, I still prefer the (magnum) 1997 served two nights later. In a 750 format, it's likely time to drink up, but in this magnum, there's still has another 4-5 years of very pleasurable drinking ahead; fully resolved on all fronts. highly recommended
Served non-blind. Aerated to decanter for 90 minutes.
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9/17/2014 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank out of a mag with about an hour decant as part of the tasting menu at Blackbird in Chicago with a group of fellow CT wine enthusiasts. Drinking beautifully right now and I don't think that right now it needs more then 30" - 60" in the decanter. Slightly muted understated nose with cassis, coffee and a hint of violet. Soft, complex, tannins integrated well although plenty of backbone left, silky and very true to it's roots as one of the most Bdx like CA wines out there - a well aged and still somewhat muscular cab. This has years left especially in the magnum format. Long lingering pleasant aftertaste with primary profile somewhat earthy with cassis, notes of blueberry and surprisingly a more floral mid - to - late palate. Highly recommend. A contender for WOTN among some other CA heavy hitters including 100 Acres and Schrader Beckstoffer Tokalon and by far stylistically the most classic bdx wine of the bunch.
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7/26/2014 - REWindsor Likes this wine: 91 Points
Meaty character with dark fruits. Drinking well with nice recessed tannin. Blackberry and hint if spice box.
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5/17/2014 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow...I don't know what others have been drinking but this wine is in my sweet spot. It is medium to dark garnet, very viscous and the nose is enthralling. It is a very feminine wine, not in your face but voluptuous and full of finesse. The nose has eucalyptus, cedar, mint, ripe plum and a hint of forest floor. In your mouth it is soft and supple, round and mouth coating. The flavors are rich and complex, with cedar and herbs, licorice and plum, minty and refreshing. Aftertaste has lots of length...at least 45 seconds. Absolutely gorgeous with prime, grilled porterhouse steak. Very much like ch. Margaux. Superb!
Day 2 - the following evening it was surprisingly still great and more evolved. The nose has a floral rose element and chocolate. It is velvety smooth, perfectly balanced, rich and luscious!
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5/10/2014 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 87 Points
i don't think this was flawed, rather just dead in the bottle… absolutely no fruit whatsoever, sometimes that can be overcome with interesting secondary flavors, instead this was dried out and astringent… oh well, glad i only had one
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4/24/2014 - jfowler812 Likes this wine: 94 Points
While a little on the light side, this showed classic Dominus with solid balance throughout.....shared this magnum with some friends and the managers of a local Capital Grille and all were more than impressed for the vintage. Notes of plum and currant with a nice smooth finish....will certainly buy again when I can find it.
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3/21/2014 - Dasher wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was drinking great!
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3/18/2014 - fhirsch wrote: 92 Points
balsamic red fruit on the nose, with an earthy, cedary, chocolatey aspect to it. With more air, a minty, lifted component emerges. On the palate this only really waks up after a good hour in the decanter. There is the chocolatey/creamy character from the nose, red fruit, still unresolved tannin, and a finish that is perhaps a touch short, if mouth-filling. Compared to vintages such as '94, and '91, this is less focused, dark, and complex, with less concentration.
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3/11/2014 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Friends - Dominus, Trimbach, Coutet (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Outstanding wine with considerable finesse (especially around its satin texture) that still has some primary character. This feels more clearly cabernet than its older siblings (1994 and 1992) but has excellent balance and some beautiful complexity. Slightly hard done by in the company of its older and more illustrious siblings. Has time on its hands and should imrpove with bottle age. (91+)
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2/16/2014 - WojoWineCave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner with the Gordon's; 2/16/2014-2/17/2014 (Our lake house): After drinking a few Kapscandy wines from 2009' this was well received. In a good spot with the age. Beautiful cherry, subtle, integrated tannins. Lovely.
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12/22/2013 - BrewWench Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted immediately upon opening. Muted at the onset, but eventually opened up to a very nice bottle. I agree that it's approaching it's end - drink now.
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11/4/2013 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was the first $100 bottle I purchased as I began collecting back in 2004 and the only Dominus in my cellar. Most of the tasting notes I followed over the years on CT suggested patience and I figured 14 years was about the right time.
Opened and took an initial sip to see if a decant was needed and there were some strong tannins so splash decanted twice and that did the trick. This wine was very French like and not at all like a California wine. The nose had currant and a touch of cedar. On the palate you had some complex notes of spice, fruit and a nice dry finish.
This was an sophisticated wine that wins you over with elagance and not power. Paula gave it a 94 as she appreciates the aged Bordeaux quality but I scored it a 92 as it lacked a rich nose and had a shorter finish than I expected for the caliber wine.
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10/13/2013 - Bb87 wrote:
Past it's prime. Drink now
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9/13/2013 - BRR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind in a flight of 8 WA / CA / Bdx over 10 years old...Very clear ruby-red. Touch of earthiness on the nose, which hints at Old World. Pure, beautiful red fruit on the palate, a little one-dimensional, with great length. Drink up. My #3 of 8.
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9/11/2013 - f22nickell Likes this wine: 93 Points
Seattle Wine Group - Sep 2013 Tasting - Theme: Aged WA Bordeaux Blends (Amaroso Room - Wine Storage Bellevue): Setting: Bottle “D” in the blind tasting. Notes were taken before I knew the wine identity.
Sight: This wine is dull and hazy, with no evidence of gas or particles. Color is ruby at the core consistent to about an 1/8” from at the meniscus. Medium concentration of color. Legs are thick and move slowly down the glass.
Nose: This wine does not smell flawed. Light intensity. Aromas are of cassis and blue fruit, primarily plum and a little blueberry. The wine has secondary notes of dust, spice, and cedar. I do pick up some mineral traits. I detect some burnt oak that does always “quite fit” the wine, but not in any meaningful way. No alcohol on the nose to speak of.
Palate: This wine is light bodied. The palate follows the nose with flavors of blue fruit, dust, a little earthiness, spices, and dust. This wine has hints of vanilla and tobacco. I do taste some new oak, but it is well integrated into the wine.
Structure: This wine is dry. Acid is medium. Alcohol is medium. Tannins are medium and well integrated. Finish is long. Complexity is high.
Conclusion: This wine straddles the new/old world line; dull, hazy, and some mineral/earthiness, but cocoa flavors and light blue fruit. I guess this wine to be from WA, specifically Walla Walla Valley. Acid is medium and alcohol is medium suggesting a typical vintage. High quality producer.
Final Conclusion: This is very well made. Whoever made this wine did an excellent job bridging old world with the new. New world fruit flavors with controlled acidity; yet controlled alcohol with secondary notes of tobacco, earthiness, and spice that suggests old world. Just a little more "oomph" would place this wine as #1 of the night for me. Looking forward to finding out what this wine is.
My Ranking: 2nd out of 8 bottles
Group Ranking: 3rd out of 8 bottles.
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7/20/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Should have used the decanter, took quite long in the bottle and in the glass to open up. Bottle was finished before further development, a pity.
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7/16/2013 - rwstorer wrote: 90 Points
Popped and enjoyed over 2 hours with dinner. Deep beautiful red color with aromas of cherry, cedar and spice. Extremely tight flavors of red fruit, but nothing ever developed over two hours. After about an hour, it started giving off a funky nose that reminded me of a BDX - it was not at all unpleasant. All in all a disappointing wine as it never opened up.
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6/16/2013 - markydecker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Previous notes are a very accurate assessment of this excellent Cali-Franco cab. 2hr decant, slight funk. Dark, medium bodied, nose of stewed plums and blackberries. Tannins resolved, a perfect wine for those who eschew the typical Cali fruit bomb. Delicate, nuanced, balanced. Sorry it's my last bottle of a six pack. At peak, would tend to pop the corks on these.
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5/20/2013 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam, prune and black olive with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Wonderful bottle of Cab. Probably at its peak.
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5/14/2013 - JimN wrote: 91 Points
This developed a slight funky nose after 90 minutes in the decanter. Not unpleasant, just noticeably different from initial opening. Morphed from new world to Bordeaux profile. Plenty of rich fruit, cigar, cedar with silky tannins. Still some heat on the finish which seems unlikely to integrate at this point. But I am on the higher side of community and professional scoring. Falls a bit short on the mid-palate, but a delight to drink overall.
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4/27/2013 - plambert12 wrote: 92 Points
Drank this in direct comparison with the 98 dominus. The 99 was the clear preference in the group and it was a classic dominus style which I would call cali-deaux. Definition: a California wine in the style of bordeaux. Cali-deaux is big without the roof smacking palate tannins and the fruit shines. It has no French diet fruit. The fruit is big and forward, just like Cali. But the best thing about cali-deaux is the balance. The 99 had that classic Dominus balance with no downside. No big finish, but just a very drinkable experience. Very nice!
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3/28/2013 - bulldurham wrote: 88 Points
I think I should have decanted this wine. I used a Venturi but the wine seemed tight. I should have checked the notes before going with it. I think some decanting would have moved this a few points.
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3/25/2013 - psk wrote: 91 Points
Decant for at least 2 hours and the tannins soften and drinks beautifully.
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3/18/2013 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Wow, was this good. Unbelievable balance with a texture that is just incredible. Too easy to drink. Almost no nose, but unmistakably napa on the palate. Not overly complex or herald from a classic vintage, just plain tasty stuff.
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1/14/2013 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
Dim Sum Club at Paradise Pavilion (Pavilion Paradise, MBFC): Third time I have had this, with the last bottle coming almost 3 years ago. This bottle was quite unrecognisable from the previous two I had though. If anything, this seemed a bit tighter, a bit leaner. Still pretty good though. It had a very Napa nose, with sweet tobacco and cigarette smoke drifting about a core of sunny aromas of ripe blackberries and cassis, even sweet strawberries, with a touch of flowers and a nice cut of cedar wood and mint pulling out at the rear of the bouquet. Pretty nice. The palate showed a nice, rich attack, with cassis and blackberries at the fore. It leaned out and tightened up quite noticeably past the midpalate though, to show a spine of clean acidity and fine tannins. I liked the feel on this wine, it was nicely spare and elegant, with very cool, clear feel in spite of a sweet ripeness to its fruit expression that spoke of the new world. A nicely transparent wine I would say, just finishing a little on the short side. All in all though, very pleasant. I would be interested to try one in a couple of years to see where these are going. My feel is that they may have shut down a little, and will probably come good in say 3-4 years time.
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12/14/2012 - JDV.DDSPHD wrote: 88 Points
Leather and earth in the nose initially. A little cigar smoke to follow. Little subtle black cherry & more terroir driven. A lot more earthy than anticipated. Mild acidity. Not overly complex & the acidity still came through quite strong. The tannins have yet to mellow & the finish is modest at best. I will add that I had this a few months ago & it was remarkable. Maybe this is just on the decline now. Either way I was surprised. The shift from fruit to earth was very noticeable but it was much better a few months ago.
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12/5/2012 - amateurwino wrote: 87 Points
I selected this wine for this flight because other vintages I've tasted in the past have a green-leaning, Bordeaux-like profile. Unfortunately this bottle doesn't quite fit the bill - it's obviously New World to me. There's some structure and herbal cab quality here, but the fruits and vaniliin oak don't feel Bordeaux at all - almost reminds me of some Aussie cabs. Just doesn't have that oomph I would expect from a bottling of this stature, but some New World fans in the group love this wine. To me, the Sociando beats this by a country mile. For me personally, an 87, but Cali cab fans will probably like this quite a bit more than I did.
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10/27/2012 - JDV.DDSPHD wrote: 93 Points
Great nose. Decanted and drank over 2 hrs. Well structured and exceedingly balanced. Smooth on the palate with a rewarding finish. It was almost satin or silk like when it hits your mouth & so well put together that you could taste the mind blowing beauty of this wine. The fruit came on the back end with a bit of smoke & oak coming through. A truly elegant & complex effort. Amazing & I will definitely be ordering this again.
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10/5/2012 - trawets01 wrote: 93 Points
Black fruits and slight cedar. In harmony. Perfect tannin and acidity makes for a velvet finish.
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9/15/2012 - BRR wrote: 94 Points
Still youthful (but, my storage facility is on the cool side). Complex aromas of dust, blackberry and raspberry. The tannins were still there providing nice structure. Complex and deep, but also light on the palate. Wouldn't fool me for a Bordeaux, but a great example of what CA can do, even in a less heralded vintage.
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9/1/2012 - andyw wrote: 90 Points
Good but not great.
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8/11/2012 - rmcnees wrote:
This 1999 Dominus is dark garnet colored, complex and polished - a symphony of integrated flavors and silky smooth tannins - not a big powerful wine but certainly full bodied and flavorful. Delicate floral bouquet gives way to black berry and black cherry fruits with a long fragrant finish of soft oak, spice and hint of cedar and leather earthiness.
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8/3/2012 - cooberp wrote: 90 Points
Would have mistaken for Syrah blind. Rich and black-fruited. Meaty on the nose and peppery in the mouth. Fairly full-bodied. Tannin cuts off the finish.
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7/28/2012 - Porchino wrote:
parker said 88 he may be right not that bad but not worth price
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7/28/2012 - Porchino wrote: 93 Points
good thru 13 days parker but bordon reserve rioja a bit better
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7/27/2012 - presterjohn wrote:
Good strong black fruit, lots of interesting oak spice, not too heavy - very nice in its way
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4/14/2012 - AGee wrote: 92 Points
Still has some legs left. I remember it being well balanced and still a little tannic.
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2/27/2012 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 89 Points
Tasted @ Le Charbon - Quebec city,
Big deception with this 'Big name' of Napa...
I was impress by the concentration of dark fruit, but smooky country style... Not my kind of wine
I'M really happy to have tasted this wine... but happy to not getting one or 2 in my cave :)
i'm a finish addicted to Syrah.. and it was not my kind of....
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1/20/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
In the decanter briefly as the cork broke, nose was pleasant but lacked intensity of great nappa cabs, perhaps past its peak? tannins silky and drinking nicely, but compared to the 00 Montrose also opened, it was claerly one notch below.
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11/18/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Pretty much same as last bottle but body was not as good, same batch of wine, but this one does not delivery as last bottle.
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11/13/2011 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting (Rich & Dana's): Aromas of black fruit and violets, lavender and rose petals; terrific floral notes. Balanced, with blackberry, cherry and perfumed violet qualities on the palate; long finish.
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10/30/2011 - Alex H wrote: 84 Points
Macerated cofected cherries n strawberry jam. Sweet and Jammy.
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10/30/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
Opened for 30min, recork and brought to a restaurant, drank over 2.5hours. started with lots of oak and vanilla, then settle down to a very left bank feel, balanced and complex, tannins well integrated but you can feel the powerful undertone. towards the end of 2 hours, cherry and red fruit became apparent. A well made bottle and very enjoyable indeed!
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10/1/2011 - iwadasn wrote: 91 Points
A tasty treat, harmonious and well aged. Brown nutty color, hint of cayenne pepper.
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8/25/2011 - bulldurham wrote: 88 Points
Curiously this wine is not as good today as it was five years ago. Perhaps I missed something but it was much more alive and complex back in 2006 & 2007. I know it has not been spoiled in the cellar as it has been stored properly since it was purchased. It is not a bad wine, but it does not stimulate the palate as it has in the past.
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7/24/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 93 Points
decanted and immediately consumed; initially closed and earthy but opened within 30min; just right ripeness of dark currant and blackberry, earth; sweeter fruit with a finish of some creosote, cedar and some tannin; still has great fruit and complexity but the tannins are slightly bitter.
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7/22/2011 - rherman wrote: 85 Points
bottle variation? from a trusted cellar but underwhelming, flat, 'burnt out'?
heat damage was my first instinct. colour burnt to the rim.
stewed, almost nutty nose.
disappointing - wish I had thought to bring a back-up...
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6/11/2011 - johnbhamrick wrote: 91 Points
This wine was fully developed and ready to drink. Good fruits and structure. Nice and easy to drink.
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4/8/2011 - kgh wrote: 91 Points
Excellent fruit and structure. A more austere Bordeaux-style, but still drinking very well.
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4/2/2011 - jorgerunfast wrote:
Decanted one hour, poured back into bottle and consumed 3 hours later. This wine isn't ready. Give it more time and you may have something special. The fruit on the nose is still very tight and muted, the tannin are still sharp and not quite integrated yet. There's a lot of complexity, but it's very wound up and tight. Hold.
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2/17/2011 - Alarmmandan wrote: 92 Points
Was rich and very smooth. Had plenty of life left to it.
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1/2/2011 - archambault wrote: 96 Points
Un des meilleurs de ma cave. Décanter une heure, sa robe pourpre dégage des effleuves en parfaite harmonie avec arômes boisés et fruits noirs en équilibre. Une grande bouteille pour célébrer 2011 ! Par chance, j'ai encore une autre bouteille!
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12/24/2010 - calnative Likes this wine:
Pop and pour but decanting for later.. fairly dark color. plum fruit and roasted herbs/cedar on the nose. left-bank bordeaux like flavors of earth, tar, leather but with some background blackberry fruit. Nice balance, acidity, structure and not heavy. Still has some tannin on a long finish..
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12/13/2010 - pekingunther wrote: 94 Points
#2 wine spectator wine of the year. RP got this wrong with an 88. Absolutely stunning wine. Fresh as a daisy at 11 years old. Plenty of Cherry and jam, bilberry as well. Round, Balanced. Great
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12/13/2010 - pekingunther wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful potent bomb. Structured like a classic Bordeaux with great Californian fruit. Hard to find much better anywhere. Many many years of enjoyment left in thsi one.
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11/22/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 90 Points
Leather, cherry plum. Opened up after an hour and decanting 10 time. Good, but just a touch short and thin. Flirting with a really good wine, but not quite there. Won't try again for 3 to 5 years. A touch tannic on opening, dominos flavor that I love, very Bordeaux like.
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11/22/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 90 Points
Leather, cherry plum. Opened up after an hour and decanting 10 time. Good, but just a touch short and thin. Flirting with a really good wine, but not quite there. Won't try again for 3 to 5 years. A touch tannic on opening, dominos flavor that I love, very Bordeaux like
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10/19/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 90 Points
Maybe I have lost my taste for california wines. Good, but not the complexity or structure that I look for in a Bordeaux. Chocolate and cream notes, some tannin and sweet fruit. Nice but not a decadent pleasure.
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10/19/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 90 Points
Maybe I have lost my taste for california wi es. Good, but not the complexity or structure that I look fornin a Bordeaux. Chocolate and cream notes, some tannin and sweet fruit. Nice but not a decadent pleasure.
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9/28/2010 - psusfca wrote: 93 Points
this was spectacular. We brought this to a pre-open of a great San Francisco Bay Area restaurant. Let them pour their wines then we had them decant this. It was tremendous. Great first growth bordeaux flavor. And I have not been a fan of Dominus year in year out. Sometimes overhyped. I am a fan. SUPER DUPER
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9/12/2010 - rdsboca wrote: flawed
The wine wasn't corked or oxidized but it was flat, fruitless and missing sommething or many things. Poured down the drain. Bummer.
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8/24/2010 - dannyk8232 wrote: 95 Points
A sensational wine. Just entering its' proper window, but I believe those more patient than I will be rewarded with some nice secondaries on this one. Still a baby, but such nice balance and mouthfeel. I WANT MORE.
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6/24/2010 - Colia wrote: 91 Points
Sharp violet nose. Velvet texture, seamless fruit and tannin. Not as complex as I had hoped.
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6/17/2010 - cybergod Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was completely bipolar: at first, very slow to open and really tight, with muted cedar and berry aromas and a palette dominated by tight black fruits and smoke. Frankly disappointing initially. Half an hour in a decanter and this wine really starts to sing: the nose turns almost Bordelais, but with more fruit intensity (cassis), and the palette turns rich and complex, with cherry and berry fruits, overlaid with cedar and spices. The finish goes on and on. Really excellent, really elegant Californian Bordeaux blend.
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6/3/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 91 Points
Magnum. Fresh, fruity, very good wine but not anything spectacular for my taste.
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4/7/2010 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Simple Series III: My Birthday (Asia Grand, Odeon Towers): I enjoyed this rather more than I did the last time round. Cab dominated, but somehow still speaking of right-bank Bordeaux. This particular bottle still seemed rather young even after a quick decanting though. Nose was rather tight at first, but opened up nicely to show warm scents of tobacco leaf, savoury undergrowth, plums, cassis and some higher toned crushed flower and mint accents. Very nice. Palate was shaped by very fine, almost silky tannins and juicy acidity, all very nicely integrated with sweet cassis, plums and spice notes, with just that little rubbery inflection at the edges of the wine. Nice long finish too. Powerful, with spicy notes, hints of vanilla and more of that very Bordelais tobacco note. A slight burnt woody edge disturbed the wine a little, but overall, this was a great effort. Should continue to improve in the bottle over the next 5-6 years at the very least.
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4/7/2010 - astroman wrote:
Good elegance and rounded. Smooth and silky with lasting finish.
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3/1/2010 - shk5157 wrote: 91 Points
possibly a little young; drank the same night as Forman '97; didn't have as sophisticated fruit or finish
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1/20/2010 - caeleric wrote: 86 Points
Tasted blind. Hot, too much alcohol (or VA, not really sure) that overwhelms the fruit. Needs more time. Compared to the last bottle I consumed non-blind, this was underwhelming.
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1/9/2010 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
This wine is ready. Don't let it go much longer. Full bodied wine with a nice finish.
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12/21/2009 - Mlyles wrote: 92 Points
Nice - very concentrated and full Bordeaux blend. When opened nose of coffee and cherry. Decanter for 1hour and it settled in as A very interesting blend.
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12/6/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
20 Years of Dominus - Part 2 - The Teaser Flight: Although this was obviously a baby and had potential, our bottle was unfortunately corked. There was consensus at our table regarding that.
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11/30/2009 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Dominus Masterclass with Edouard Moueix (St. Regis Hotel, Singapore): A very good wine in its own right, just completely put in the shadows by the 1994 and 1996 that preceded it. Really tight on the nose, with some undergrowth, plums and vanillin laced oak and little else. Palate had plenty of depth -at once was muscular and firm, yet finely balanced and elegantly shaped, with nice cassis flavours and a long, smoky finish with bits of herb and spice. Lacks the stunning complexity and grace of great vintages and just a bit punishing at the moment without food, but clearly a wine of some quality.
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11/8/2009 - the godfather wrote: 90 Points
suprised by the oak, lost all the acid present 6 or 7 years ago, good, not great
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9/27/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote: 95 Points
50+5+13+18+9 More later
Enjoyed with friends at Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park. Decanted for about an hour or so.
Absolutely wonderful Napa bordeuax-style blend. Big, beautiful nose of earth, fruit, cassis, and leather. The palate is super smooth and enticing. Wonderful flavors wash over the palate with a seemingly endless finsih. Superb wine.
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8/28/2009 - Chisato wrote: 94 Points
Not decanted.
Color: Dark ruby core. Young looking
Nose: Not much of a nose really. Closed for business pretty much
Palate: 1st tasted 30 minutes after opening. Completely closed for business. A bit thin on the palate with nothing much to give. This wine is in an awkward stage right now I told myself. I finished my 1st glass and put the bottle back into the cellar.
On the 3rd day (didn't taste it on the 2nd day as I didn't have time to), totally different animal. Nose with oak, vanilla and blackfruits with a small hint of perfume. Palate was much fuller than on the first day. Full bodied, expansive mouthfeel with ample fruits and sugar. Tannin has subsided a bit but still present. Good balance. A wonderful long haul wine. This reminds me that the best Napa Valley wines can go toe to toe with the best Bordeaux wines and clearly, Dominus is and always will be one of my favorites wines. Don't touch a bottle for another 5 years!
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8/23/2009 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Deep garnet color. Aromas of cherries, red currants and earth. Developed dark fruit, floral and roasted herb nuances with air. Elegant. Full-bodied, with chewy red fruit and sweet tannins. Dark fruit tones on the long, deep finish. 92-93+ pts.
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7/13/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 94 Points
Stellar California bordeaux-style blend from the more typical CA-style newer Dominus years enjoyed earlier tonight at the monthly "meeting" of the Hickory Wine Club as part of a non-sequential Dominus '86 - '99 four wine vertical flight. Dark purple, still a suprpising amount of barnyard on nose which did blow off relatively quickly, very well integrated, entering a prime drinking window but still with a solid oak core and enough tannins present for another 10 years of cellaring easily, big wine with long aftertaste, just utterly delicious. Nose of barnyard followed by cassis, dark stone fruit and oak with primary flavor profile of typical Napa cassis, balanced oak, leather, tar, graphite and black pepper with smoke developing on aftertaste. Too expensive to be any kind of a QPR but really recommend this for lovers of bdx style CA cabs especially Dominus - just a quintessential newer style Dominus.
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6/10/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 87 Points
Sotheby's Pre-Auction Tasting (Sotheby's, New York): Buttered popcorn, but not as good as actual buttered popcorn. Disappointing.
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5/28/2009 - TheEngineer wrote: 93 Points
Opened up slightly renticent, close and muted. After about 30 minutes though, this thing blossomed! Great Juice! Red berries and cherries, some darker riper berries, coco. Smooth, round, with some lift, long, dense, ripe, and very balanced. Long finish and great persistence.
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5/15/2009 - tplskylrk wrote:
TWATS VI (Clive's Crib): Blood red, plasmic. Brown, purple. Vanilla boysenberry, big, front, mid & deep finish, young and dry, Tannins & big fruit. I like it. Bit too young? Some not so much.
Clive - # 5
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Still tannic.
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5/2/2009 - tplskylrk wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful color, dark ruby. Nose a bit difficult, retracted at this point. Palate like a zero gravity dance across it was flawless. Flavors dominated by dark & milk chocolate cocca, bitter then dry, waves of them. Blueberry buried, then soft leather, moist oak, tannins for a real big cleansing finish, youth, just for the sake of youth, yet Mature & in it's prime. Sophia Loren at 30, hot now, but you know it will only get better with some age. Seemless, understand the WS, yes maybe. I have had my differences with this vintage, and this is a good bottle. Age is doing this right. Very close to notes 2 years back, only maturity has settled it a wee bit, much more life to go...
Just tasting off the bleed from the decanter, some 5 hours old left out. Nose tight, still. Weightless still there, then a flood of liquid fruit, cake, long palate of dried fruits, big soft tannins, pucker up, big fruit, big tannins, acid perfect, oak just perfect. Yum. Hold last bottle for as long as possible. Megga legs left in this baby. Damn.
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4/26/2009 - Harrypotter wrote: 91 Points
(Day 2)Aromatically - stemmy, faint blackberry, compost, earthy notes with slight brioch and toasted cedar plank. Not very aromatically intense. On the palate a mixed red and blackberry sauce. Good attack slightly lean mid and a great finish despite a little course tannin. Overall a very enjoyable wine (more so with food)...91-93
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4/12/2009 - Moselle wrote: 95 Points
The color is very dark garnet, turning slightly brick-red on the rim. A dark wine, not only because of it's color but also because of it's aroma profile. First impression was like a 'Cahors', lots of licorice and dark fruits. After a while in the glass, the fruit intensified, notes of tobacco, spice and dark chocolate emerged. (Wished there was a little less licorice and a little more fruit)
The palate is very concentrated, yet balanced, from attack to finish. It literally explodes on the palate, leading to a really long finish. Very very nice
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4/3/2009 - TheEngineer wrote: 93 Points
So at 10 years old, this thing is looking more and more bordeaux, except that it still has the sunniness of CA. The fruit, which must have been more forward has started to subside a bit but is still front and center, hints of barnyard, herbs, graphite, oranges, and leather. Ages has softened the tannins somewhat and there is a nice complexity to this wine. Really enjoyable at this point!
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4/2/2009 - ziavino wrote: 86 Points
What a disappointment. A mix of light fruit and funk on the nose gives way to a medium-bodied wine that shows a faint hint of dark cherry on the palate and not much else. Tannins are hanging around, but the fruit won't. So-so mouthfeel.
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3/27/2009 - mimik wrote: 92 Points
Montreal Wine Guy Weekend a la Quebecoise; 3/27/2009-3/28/2009 (Wentworth North-Vinaigre's brother's cottage): Nose of dark cherry, cassis, vanilla and sweet oak. PAlate is rather fresh with vibrant acidity, dark cherries and more tannic bite but well-integrated and well structured wine. Not closed but rather muted as well. Needs more time. 92+
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3/27/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Dominus Vertical Tasting (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Medium deep ruby. Dark cherries with a velvety creamy aroma sensation.
Palate shows soft round red cherries, some soft spice and light tobacco and horse saddle as well.
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3/21/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 92 Points
Terrific wine. Decanted for 1 hour. Incredible BDX nose of black fruits and ceder. Surprisingly tight and youthful. This needs another 5 years! I truly enjoyed this wine.
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3/15/2009 - caeleric wrote: 93 Points
Full- to medium-weighted in the glass, with a nose of billowy mocha and soft red fruits. The balance of varietals is very impressive, with no one standing out more than another. The entry is so creamy, coating the mouth with a feathery cloud of fruit. The finish unfolds nicely with a hint of spicy currant. The tannins are softening, so this may be close to its peak.
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2/9/2009 - VinumCA wrote: 88 Points
Dark ruby with minimal bricking. Beautiful aromatics: cassis and violets, fresh earth, with minor stemminess. Unfortunately, the palate fell flat: hollow, with some black fruit buffering the noticeable alcohol and moderate tannins. The finish felt clipped, and it was at this point that we noted some VA. A disappointment, especially considering the price and the WS score. Earlier tastings of this wine were better, and one may chalk this up to bottle variation.
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12/24/2008 - Marc S wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful bottle of wine. Red and black fruit on the palate. This wine is very approachable. Tannins were present but mellowed after wine was decanted for 1 hour. Full bodied and a long finish. (
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12/21/2008 - g-man wrote: 92 Points
By far the best botle of this I've had. Starting to lose the baby fat but with enough tanic structure to show this will get better over the next few years. I'll probably wait 4 or 5 years before finishing the last bottle.
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11/7/2008 - mimik wrote: 91 Points
Wine Guy Weekend Chez Doktas Take 2; 11/7/2008-11/8/2008 (Collingwood, Ontario): Wine Guy Weekend 2 Chez DoktaP's: New world meets old. Cassis and bell pepper notes(the good kind. Lots of heat on the palate with vanilla notes. Smells like a bordeaux. Long vanilla finish and maybe a bit monolithic but shows its well made. Revisit in 3-4 years.
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11/1/2008 - SalN wrote: 90 Points
I drank this wine in Nov. 2008 with a Filet Mignon. It was good but not like the 1992 Robert Mondavi Reserve. There was a sharpness to it, (no to be confused with the sharpness of cheap wine). This sharpness may be the Tannins being very present. I tasted the fruit but there seemed to be a lacking of that creamy, chocolaty, velvety smoothness that the Robert Mondavi had present. I decanted it for about 20 minutes before drinking it. It was smooth but just seemed not flavorful and creamy enough for what I was looking for. I was able to detect the oak coming through during the sampling. I tried the remaining two glasses 2 hours and 3 hours later. It was a little better but still had noticeable tannins. This wine was mediocre, not much better than the $20 bottle of Rosenblum Zinfindale that I like. Last note – the initial 20 minute decanting was not long enough for this wine and it was also too cool. I give it a 90. $109
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10/28/2008 - zinfidel wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Finally starting to open up. Dark and rich with a nose of boysenberry and a touch of earth, and mellow but present tannins. Very nice.
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10/15/2008 - Dardanarius wrote: 89 Points
Not a huge wine by any means. Medium body with a nice cab nose. Round balanced flavors with some earthy/mineral notes - more Bordeaux in style than Cal cab. Feels a bit short on the finish. Definitely time to start drinking this.
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10/6/2008 - il_diavolo wrote: 93 Points
puzzled by RP rating on this as it is seriously good. Great cab nose, long finish and just classy
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9/6/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at the CT Weekend Event. Always one of my favorites from CA, this showed a Bordelais nose, and palate of blackberries, cassis. There is a minerality to this wine that I just don't see in many CA blends. Good tannins.
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5/27/2008 - Mark wrote: 92 Points
Brought to dinner with Maja & Eugene. My first tasting of the 99, opened for one hour prior to serving, and this was sufficient to open up. Great dark rich fruit, some leather and earth and mild chocolate. Medium weight, medium finish. Still young, and will continue to evolve, but drinking very well right now.
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2/8/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 93 Points
Morton's of HK Chinese New Years night, window table, 25 minute spectacular fireworks show. . 99 point atmoshphere & food & service. Wine beautiful dried cherry nose, cocco in the back. Rusty red color. Complex, brooding. Young. Palate is rich, a bit alch on the nose and palate, but that vapered off over the hours. Nice 30+ second conplex finish. Great winemaking, this baby need more time.Better than last bottle.
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2/2/2008 - James B wrote: 93 Points
Definitely the WOTN. It is right in the heart of its drinkability window. Powerful nose; exquisitely balanced on the palate with a supple mouth feel; light tannins. Notes of black cherry, plum, dark red fruits. The artistry of a winemaker skilled in the Bordeaux style comes through strongly. I can't wait to try the '02, an even more highly regarded vintage for this wine.
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1/6/2008 - TomOfCT wrote: 93 Points
Had this bottle after an earlier magnum of the same wine on the same evening (as part of a dinner party for 6 people). This bottle shared many of the same traits as the magnum, but did not have any hint of tang, even on the first pour. Its finish was a little smoother, and perhaps less dry. 93.
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1/6/2008 - TomOfCT wrote: 92 Points
This was my first time having the 99. I opened from a magnum. The first tastes were closed, and even had a small tang. I decanted in a magnum-sized decanter (a magnum Riedel Ultra from wineglassguys.com) and tasted it slowly over 1.5 hours. It opened, and the tang slowly eased. From time 1.5h to 3.0h, the wine drank very well. It was slightly dry from tannins, but had subtle flavors of earth and berries. It had a relatively long finish, perhaps somewhat because of the tannins. The wine was very good, but did not overwhelm. Not sold on the PQR for this bottle. 92.
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12/31/2007 - mcneil7 wrote: 92 Points
lots of dark fruit, blackberry being the predominate one, some oak and earth notes. Good balance long linger.
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12/26/2007 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Chocolate, leather, loaded with ripe black fruits, cassis, blackberries, good bitterness. Very concentrated and intense wine.
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12/6/2007 - tendring wrote: 66 Points
Wine Education Service - Bordeaux Style (Imperial College): Vegetal nose, baked fruit, a bit minted.
Dirty in the mouth but fruit and tannins come through.
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11/24/2007 - tplskylrk wrote:
Thanksgiving 2007 (Chateau de' Stearns): Strong alch nose, corky, earthy. Bitter, harsh and sour. Strong tannins give way to hints of blackberry, strong pepper. Needs time, or just bad bottle?
Can't rate it, very off.
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11/17/2007 - futronic wrote: 90 Points
Dominus Vertical Tasting (Toronto Food & Wine Show, Toronto, Canada): Medium ruby colour. Aromas of chocolate, plums, sandalwood, currant, and dried violets. Medium-bodied, with red fruit, cola, plum, spice, and licorice. Tannins are well integrated. Moderate finish, ~35s, with red fruit. Drink now.
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11/16/2007 - jc-mmb wrote: 94 Points
actually showed better than i would have thought. thick nose of tar, blackberry and cola. palate followed thru wtih dark fruits well integrated with oak and tannins. finish was well integrated and surprisingly lasting.
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9/1/2007 - TKendrickIV wrote: 95 Points
maybe a notch high- needs time to breath
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8/27/2007 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
Best bottle of Dominus that I have opened yet. Other bottles were not as good. Red and black fruit on the palate. This wine is very approachable. Tannins were present but mellowed after wine was decanted for 1 hour. Full bodied and a long finish.
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6/30/2007 - jc-mmb wrote: 92 Points
tasted blind against the 99 ducru. tobacco, coffee, black fruits on the nose. palate follows the nose for the most part. tannins quite obvious. lighter mouthfeel than i would have thought. finish just ok due to some element of burnt chocolate.
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5/13/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 95 Points
Exquisite wine.
Deep dark red in the glass with a tiny clear hue visible. Very strong aromas of red and black fruits and coffee. On the palate, this wine exhibits one of the best balances I have ever experienced. Fruit forward, with red berries, plums, blackberries and very nice notes of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and silky smooth. A nice long finish easily over 45 seconds. A remarkable wine in my opinion, without too much fruit, acid, alcohol or tannin. Just the right balance of everything which leads me to believe this wine is peaking right now.
40+5+5+18+18+9=95
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5/5/2007 - tplskylrk wrote: 92 Points
Dan D's Home Coming (Chateau D Massive Stearns): Nice leather, like an aging Bordaux, balanced, ready. Beautiful craftmanship.
Round Bordeaux fruit, nice mouth feel, complex, with a long finish, but not super French style. Fresh light, high alch opening up later to lots of cocco. Tannins a bit rough, but fine at spots, many years to go, even through color looks aged?
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4/13/2007 - g-man wrote: flawed
CORKED badly, yech!
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4/11/2007 - Marc S wrote: 85 Points
Disapointed in this wine. It lacked the "punch" that I thought this wine would posess.
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4/7/2007 - Eric wrote: flawed
Dumbfounded by Dominus (Kirkland, WA): Vitamin pill. Rootbeer on the dark and again bitter palate. Astringent. NR as I felt this was off.
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3/22/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Dominus Vertical Dinner (onesixtyblue): Full red purple color. Full red fruit on the nose with hints of mint or eucalyptus (only wine I got this on). Nice round red fruit on the palate. A different wine, but I really liked it.
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3/22/2007 - Nanda wrote: 89 Points
DOMINUS VERTICAL DINNER (160 Blue - Chicago, IL): Nose shows sweeter styled fruit, caramel, herbs and soy. Palate has toasty vanilla with candied fruit. A decidedly sweeter profile than past vintages and more like an Aussie cab than any other Dominus in the vertical. That said, it's still a nice wine, but in a different style. (4+13+16+6=89).
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12/23/2006 - rael007 wrote: 88 Points
A decent bottle of chocolate infused merlot and cabernet. Not quite the body I remember from last time, nor the fruit, nor the sweetness. Perhaps my taster is tired tonight...
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9/20/2006 - sonakul_t wrote: 89 Points
Very nice, gets better after about an hour decanting. Should get better with age
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8/13/2006 - rael007 wrote: 90 Points
I actually enjoyed this very much, despite being a bit on the tannic side. Noticed aromas of chocolate and coffee on a few sips, and decent amounts of black fruit and acid. Well-balanced on the whole, and a good match for smoke-roasted trout. I'm looking forward to the 2001, 2002, and 2003 vintages for comparisons.
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6/19/2006 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was better than the previous bottle. My notes are about the same but this bottle had a much better finish. Ultimately not worth the $$ even if there is some improvement down the road.
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1/28/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 86 Points
one bottle was corked (not ours). unfortunately, no back up. i'm not a dominus fan, and this bottle didn't draw me into the fold. yes, it needs time, but, c'mon, give me something. too austere, and just not enough fruit. i don't think it will ever catch up. others don't agree.
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1/10/2006 - Winetex wrote: 90 Points
Probably more like a 91 with potential for improvement. Dark ruby red in color and surprisingly clear. This wine was medium weight with good structure but really did not have the complexity to match it. It had aromas and flavors of cassis and red fruits, an herbal leafy note and vanilla (oak) on the finish. There were some drying tannins. It's hard to say at this point because more time might improve it but this one may be a dud for Dominus, a winery with a pretty good track record. This bore little resemblance to even a medium-level Bordeaux of the same age and varietal make-up. As Vino Me notes WS gave this 95 points and I just don't see it. [$75 on release; Decanted about 30 minutes and needed it; Hold it ??? Drink it???]
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12/18/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Young Dominus Vertical: Wine tasting. Lush, concentrated black cherry and black currant on nose. Similar fruit on palate with good textures. Structure is a bit firm right now, so I expect this to be better in 2010.
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12/11/2005 - psmith wrote:
Holiday Tasting Event (Columbus, OH): Initially very grapey. Develops some more characteristic coffee, vanilla, and chocolate notes in the glass. Good weight on the palate. Hard to get a read on - in need of lots of time but certainly seems capable of improvement. ***-/5
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10/20/2005 - JLL wrote: 76 Points
See my unedited note on MSBB. Terrible
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5/5/2005 - bdenuyl wrote: 93 Points
Still young, and will benefit from a few more years of aging, but very nice Dominus. Rich, elegant (but not as much as older siblings) with great balance.
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12/27/2004 - johnnywebs wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Acqua in Vernon with TyMetrix team. Clean, lean Bordelaise nose of black cherry, currant, rar, black soil, coffee and dark chocolate. A bit more alcohol on the nose than I would expect. Beautiful, etched attack with slightly hot mid-palate and longish finish. Give it 5-7 years.
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11/7/2004 - jmcmchi wrote:
Burnt toffee
Potential is there, but not fit for prime time at the moment
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5/15/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
Tasted at the WS Grand Tour in Vegas. Not impressed by this effort and I'm not completely sure why. Flat tasting with blackberry and raspberry notes. 88 points.
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4/7/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
1999 California Cabernet and Blends (Chicago- Various Tastings): WS gave this a 95. I didn't see it and if it is a 95 pointer it has a lot of developing to do. It had a nose of blackberry and charcoal. Filled with sharp bitter fruit. Heavy tannins which are not allowing much through. Some chocolate and earthy notes at the present. Don't touch this for a long time if you have any. 89 points now.
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4/3/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 90 Points
A wall of tannins block everything! 89+
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11/5/2002 - Double-A wrote:
Closed nose. Big, rich and chocolaty palate; tannic, gripping finish.
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