This was the best 85 Dominus I've had, and, surprisingly, one of the best from the 80s. More youthful than others, but still with some tannins, this bottle gave the impression that it might actually continue to improve for some years. Surprisingly aggressive for merlot, this wine might actually be just coming into its own, compared to later vintages where the merlot was blended out in favor of cabernet sauvignon.
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BYO Litteraturhuset (Litteraturhuset i Oslo): Dyp rød med mørk kjerne og murstensfarget kant. Servert blindt, og de fleste gikk rett til moden bordeaux med duft av solbær, fuktig trevirke, tobakk og sort te. En fabelaktig vin med stor konsentrasjon, massiv smak av mørke søtlige bær, heftig tanninstrutkur man allikevel alt i balanse. Elegant hele smakskurven gjennom og med lang, ytterst behagelig smakskurve med søtlig bærpreg i avslutningen
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Had I tasted this blind, I probably would have gone straight to Bordeaux. This example of 85 Dominus (with a base neck fill) seems to be at or just past its apogee, full of mellow black fruit and cool earth augmented by a refreshing, subtle pine forest and bell pepper green note. Though this is my first time with 85 Dominus, I can imagine this having been slightly more vivid a few years ago. Nevertheless, it’s a pleasure to drink now.
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Nose: beautiful black fruit, dark cherry,, tobacco, cedar and camphor. Instantly takes you to the old world with just a bit of ripeness showing itself. Palate: complex, loamy and dark fruited. Well balanced and no faded edges. Finish: detailed cedar, spice, dark berries and bell pepper.
A really well made wine. Bordelaise in every way.
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Tasted at dinner with 5 couples and 9 other vintages (91,92,95,96,02,05,08,10). Showing very well, very complex nose with cedar, cigar box, solid core of fruit with currants, cherry, beautiful in mid palate with a long finish. Tied for my favorite with the 1995, also my favorite at a vertical of 13 vintages in 2018.
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Aromas of match stick, barnyard, blackberry and currant. Flavors of blackberry, currant, dried cherry and earth. Ends with a great finish of 35 seconds with blackberry and earth notes. Palate was better than the nose.
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Purchased from an Acker Internet auction about 2 years ago. For our first indoor restaurant dinner with other humanity in over a year. No advance decant, but I removed the capsule and washed the top with a terry cloth and clear water at home until it was clean. Due to travel to the restaurant and the fact that my prior bottle had a lot of sediment, the waiter decanted through a coffee filter after I pulled the cork with a Durand. The cork was fully soaked through to within 1/4 inch of the top and easily split into three pieces when I removed it from the screw. The color was correct and no sign of bricking.
A nice smooth wine with earthy, leathery characteristics, some coffee and spice. Not a lot of fruit, but some dark berries. went down easy and disappeared across the table so I opened my backup wine as well. I drank this with the fois gras appetizer and it was a good choice - not over the top and the wine did not blow away the food, or vice versa. Not as great as the 1991, but still an outstanding wine. I would love to drink this side my side with a 1985 Paulliac. RMP rated both areas 90 pts in 1985. I do not know which would show better, maybe this, maybe a first or second growth, but this would certainly not be outclassed.
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A nose full of cedar and dried tobacco leaf. A hint of dried red fruits, woodsy smoke on the palate. The wine was fresh and elegant with medium acidity and medium plus finish. Impressive showing for this vintage Napa wine. Enjoy!
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Drank over 2 days starting Xmas 2020. Excellent wine - Purity of fruit is sensational, and there is plenty of it at 35 years of age. Nose is intoxicating with a beautiful mix of tertiary (dominant aromas with tea leaves and cedar), secondary (Mediterranean herbs and oak), and primary (dark fruit/cassis). Mineral and savory mid palette. Long finish. Simply joyous. Medium-Full bodied. Tannins are fully resolved and I don’t believe the wine will improve further with aging. The fruit revealed itself after an hour or so of coaxing.
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All graphite, pencil lead, cassism bell pepper, earth and forrest floor. Still so youthful. This bottle came from Bistro Champlain and was signed by Christian Moueix.
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not blind, Best vintages of Dominus, all bottles perfectly stored (subcription) and decanted for 2 hours Still so tight and fresh, much too Young, black currant, pencil, very classical Bordeaux. This wine has a lot of energy, after half an hour in the glas it started to Show his Beauty. 98+
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Double decanted at about 6:00 PM and then brought to Frankie and Johnnie's in Rye for dinner at their outdoor tables in the middle of the street. Started drinking it is about 7:00 PM and followed it for about an hour. Excellent wine with fully resolved tanins, no bricking, and excellent development of the flavors of age. Not fruit driven. I would have guessed it to be a mid-1980s Bordeaux because it did not have the fruit of a California Cabernet-based wine, but it certainly had the power. Smooth leather, a bit of dark cherry, earthiness and spice, with some forest floor herbal components.. I bought this at auction last year. Fill was bottom neck. Color was perfect. Enough sediment to justify the double decant.
This was smooth and went down fast. One of the notes from 2019 mentions grippy tanins. Not in my bottle. It turned out that they had the 1987 and the wine list for $400.
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IWFSC Virtual take out dinner: Wow. Never disappoints. Great deep color, floating flavors swirling in the mouth. While it was a pop and pour, sitting in the glass it opened like a flower and delivered pure finesse. Love this timeless aging Cabernet.
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From Magnum - purchased from The Post Hotel in Lake Louise, Alta. This was bought on release, stored at 54F and never moved. Pop n pour....followed over 4 hours.
Pours medium ruby with slight orange bricking at the edge Nose shows such powerful fruit....Blackcherry, BlackBerry, currant, cassis, lead pencil, graphite, moss, earth, forest floor, cedar, leather and spice. Palate is in a pinnacle of development....pure dark fruit with such tertiary development....leather, cedar, spice and earthy gorgeousness....stunning. Finish is never ending.....reference point napa cabernet from a bygone era.
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The cork kind of disintegrated on opening, so this was decanted. One thing that surprises me here is the mint on the nose - blind, I would be calling this Heitz Martha's.
Seamless on the palate, good persistence and fairly interesting at basically 35 years of age. Blackberry fruit on the nose, and for my palate a little deficient in acidity. Not really in my stylistic wheelhouse anymore, but I can appreciate it as a well-made wine.
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Dominus Estate 1983-1995 Vertical (RPM Steak): Nose of forest floor and hazelnut, very fresh but with less happening in the realm of fruits, aromatically. Expressive palate with tobacco and cedar, a bit lower acidity with dried figs and a notable finish. Nice tonight, but not quite in the upper echelon.
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Dominus: 1983-1994 (RPM Steak): 83/84/85: The nose took some time to get going, but when it did the intensity and layering of mature fruit with cedar and spice was just terrific. Rich and round in the mouth with grippy tannin. Such a satisfying mouthfeel and texture.
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Spectacular. Cork saturated 3/4, but came out whole. I bought this at auction probably 15 years ago and haven't had it in 10 years. Beautiful deep red color with a stunning nose of tobacco, earth, dark fruits, cedar, typical old style Dominus cloves and holiday spices. Wonderfully full and balanced in the mouth with pure red and black fruits intertwined with its earth elements, long finish and terrific mouthfeel. My wife birthday dinner, I brought the '87 as a backup...no need, this was near perfection and I think will drink beautifully through its 50th anniversary. Possible WOTY.
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Nose of cedar, tobacco, black berry, black cherry and mocha coffee, same on the palate, big body, mouth filling fruit and richness, great complexity, held up for three hours in the glass, then faded quickly so time to enjoy is now, elegant, delicious, Cabernet Sauvignon with a Bordeaux heritage, regret trading 2 1985 for 2 1996+2 1997, and a long flavorful finish and aftertaste!!!
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Started out with a great nose, great color, clear, good flavors, nice finish but then after a half hour, dried up and tart. Drink early with quick decant.
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From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a very deep red center and oranging rims. The high- intensity nose of coffee, black cherries, mocha, and some red dust.
This had a bit of an edge for the first couple hours, however, after 5+ hours it was ripe with rounded tannin and good length. This wine was nice but maybe needed a bit more complexity to be great.
This wine is coming into the zone and will easily last 10 years. Will it get better?
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Tasted at a dinner with a 13 year vertical of Dominus between 1985 and 2007. For many, this was wine of the night. Drinking very young, almost voluptuous, soft tannins, but still with superb structure, complex aromatics, loaded with dark fruits and currants, pencil lead, great mouth feel, long finish.
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From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a very deep red center and orange rims. The high- intensity nose emanated mocha, black cherries, soil, and some mild black spices.
In the mouth, this was pretty attractive right off the bat. After a few hours of air strong, rounded tannins developed. After a few more hours the tannins became more integrated with the noteworthy fruit.
This is an attractive wine that is finishing up the process of integrating its powerful tannin. The balance and the detailed fruit suggest to me this wine is still developing. An excellent showing! My score may improve in 5-10 years.
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Luis' "Bring a very good bottle" event (St. Genevieve): Pop and pour, this is an amazing wine. Harmonious, classic Napa cab, completely resolved, seemless and friendly. Saddle leather, red fruit, so complex, almost subtle in the numerous scents and tastes in it. Jason, buy more!
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A Mixed Bag at St. Genevieve (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Basically a PNP, this was singing out of the gate. Fantastic floral perfume of violets, crushed rose hips and potpourri, soil, damp earth, saddle leather, pretty red fruits and cigar. The palate is integrated, whistful and elegant, a refined expression of the nose it has that essence of sheer beauty that captivates and beguiles. Gorgeous and drinking at peak I would say.
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unfortunately, a bit over the hill but still has alot of character once decanted. has managed to retain its inky purple color. no orange our browning of the edges. tannins are silky smooth but still providing some structure.fruit has faded in favorof earthy flavors. touch of acidity remains. a very special wine that I only wish we had stored more carefully.
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What a wine! Still very much bright and alive and with still a dark colour. We chose to decant to help it evolve and we were rewarded. Dark fruited still, nice depth of flavor and full of layers, still very much alive and healthy fruit, silky tannin, light tobacco. This is a very much classic Bordeaux in style and we would have loved to have it side by side with a Mouton 86 which is probably a wine of equal worth. Very solid wine a a huge bravo from us. what a wine
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Vinetasters- Dominus from 1983-2014 (Holiday Inn, Skokie IL): Nose: The nose is refined and expressive with dark red cherries, currants, cranberries, cocoa powder, currants, tobacco, pencil lead, herbs, and cassis tones. There is good depth and a refined nature that is a real pleasure to smell.
Taste: The feel is Full bodied with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The feel is polished and balanced, but slightly lacks the depth of the nose with dark red cherries, cranberries, currants, cocoa powder, cassis, pencil lead, and herbs.
Overall: This was my #5 and the group's #6. There was still some freshness to the fruit while showing a lot of refinement across the nose and palate.
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Vinetaster's does Dominus 1983-2014 (Holiday Inn NorthShore): Dark dusty fall leaves aromas with an interesting sweet edge. Palate was dry and earthy, yet showed a pleasant roasted game quality. Nice underlying flavors of dried cherry, yet on the simpler side and finishing with a rusty quality. Overall simpler, but good with an earthy tone. My #9/12 although #6 for the group.
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Decanted for 30 mins. Nose has graphite, sous bois, black fruit and tobacco. The palate is smoothe with integrated tobacco, ash and dark fruit. Its a balanced aged napa with lots of old claret character. This is not a blockbuster wine but its drinking very well. I dont see much upside from aging longer. Drink up.
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A tight and austere nose that has damp tobacco with some spice, damp soil, scorched earth, and traces of smouldering smoke and embers. Overall this is tertiary and a little rough with gritty old cabernet fruit mostly yielding to dirty earth notes. Palate still has some blackberry and creme de cassis with smoke throughout the fruit. Herbal and vegetal. A lot of cellar funk in this bottle that spurred a 'corked-non-corked' debate for some time. Final conclusion was no TCA but an old and somehow off bottle. Would try this again on the theory that regression to the mean would produce a better bottle, and this was enjoyed out of small cups at John's of Bleecker...
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Opened up after about 30 minutes in the decanter. A very complex nose of cassis, star anise, sawdust, tobacco, cigar box, and some herbal/medicinal notes. With a deep whiff, I get ripe strawberry. On the palate, this has plenty of fruit: blackberry, cassis, a little jammy. Graphite. Decent finish. Tannins totally integrated, oak still present, a touch of heat. A fun ride for sure!
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Like an old Medoc. Cigar box nose that revealed some fruit after a half hour decant. On the palate very mature leather and tobacco. Not an exciting bottle but certainly not disappointing.
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Six courses on short notice with some great football: Decanted about 2-3 hours before tasting. The color is right medium to dark garnet with ever so slight bricking on the meniscus. the nose is almost Bordeaux-like with some barnyard, lavender, graphite, leather, cedar, black currant, red plum and tarry chocolate. Well structured but not tannic. The flavors were similar to the nose with the addition of some cigar box and sandalwood on the finish. This wine did seem to fade a bit at about the 4 hour point and was best earlier. The mouth feel was very elegant and yet full of flavor. Impeccably balanced and such an unbelievable melding of California fruit and European styling. Terrific with the venison.
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Contributed to a lunch which also included the '83, '86, '87, '88, '89, '91, and '99. This 1985 is an old-world wine with mature notes of eucalyptus, dried berries, tobacco. Solid nose, good depth on the palette, and a moderately flavorful finish.
The oldest four wines all drank old world. The younger four wines all drank new world. The 1986 was the favorite of the older flight and the 1991 was the favorite of the younger.
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Dinner at the White House: Semi-transparent/semi-opaque deep black-red colour with no transparency or watering at the meniscus at all. Nose is gosh...no, it's BLAM!....slightly farmyard in a good way then gorgeous blackcurrant and red cherry fruit with a little bit of spice from perfectly integrated oak. Palate is ....oh...gosh....so balanced, linearly precise and still a ton of fruit. The nose and palate then become silence-creating as it just keeps evolving and unfolding into different layers of great mature fruit, spice, totally integrated oak and tannin...then after two hours after opening it shifts up from the 95-point experience into something even more.....dirt, blackberry and a bit of blackcurrant as if getting down to its essence....by this stage it has a wonderful semi-confit richness of fruit. Deeply resonant and reverberant yet a triumph of elegance and fine wine-making before everyone cranked up the alcohol level (this is 12.5%). Stunning....an absolute delight and I still have one left. I think that a good bottle could have another 5+ years' life......but why risk it? My wine of 2016 so far.
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Smells nice, with some aged, earthy, leathery notes and perhaps some decaying leaves. This seemed to have some life left when first tasted but coming back to this after some other wines it seemed a bit tired. I liked it more than Ann who found it more fun and interesting than enjoyable.
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Aged Bordeaux comes to Napa..exceptionsl wine..classic nose of forest floor, burnt tobacco..on the palate very balanced..spice, pepper, leather and tobacco but not overly so..enjoyed my last bottle..so sad!
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Wow, big, dense and rich aromatics. Aromas of black cherry, herbs, tobacco with a big spice kick. Palate is delicious, dark, brooding fruit. Still quite young with lowish acidity, but still balanced and fresh. Refined tannin.
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California (Private Location): Nose: Little red dried berries, a bit of oak, tabacco, herbs, leather, cinnamon, strawberry, pencil lead and a hint of tomato. Complex nose. Palate: Lacks a bit the complexity from the nose on the palate. Not the punch & length. More on the medium-body side. Think the wine is now at its peak and will not getting better in any sense. Drink up.
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Ripe California Wines (Private Location): *** Please see this note only in the context of the whole tasting *** Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah Wine: Double decanted Clear, medium ruby color. Very young looking! Clean, medium intense and fully developed nose with lots of herbs, iron, blood, red fruits. Very BDX like style. Dry, medium+ acidity and tannins, which are both well integrated. Medium body and medium intensity. Red fruits, oak, earthy and animal notes on the medium finish. Still quite young, so it has several more years ahead. Will it improve? Hard to say, but I guess it will stay at this level for at leat 5 more years.
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Popped & poured. Dark crimson color showing little age. Initial aromas of violets, roasted game, black currant and leather. Initially a little thin on the palate with pronounced acidity, but nice black fruit, forest floor, herb, and leather flavors. Adds weight on the palate as it opens and sits in the glass. Plum, violets and black fruit on the finish which lingers for a bit, ending with a nice cedar quality. Very pretty. 93+ pts.
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2h decanting. On the nose at first elegant (Forest fruit, eucalyptus) then more and more dark berries and leather. On the palate big and strong, again dark berries, chocolate and nice toasting. Very Long finish, but almost a bit tannic. Great 30 years old wine!
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HDH Bordeaux Auction; 10/31/2014-11/1/2014 (Chicago, IL): Exactly what a Napa cabernet should be. Tons of fruit and richness, lovely secondary characteristics, leather, stems, pencil lead, what more could you really want? A very lithe and pretty wine.
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HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Beautiful aromas of leather, cherry, earth, tobacco, and smoke. Palate is slender and sleek with cool red fruits, layers of floral notes, and some green notes. Tons of elegance and charm to this and it's drinking in a really nice spot.
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This is a ringer for a classed-growth Northern Medoc in a tannic vintage like 86. Black cassisy fruit, lots of cedar and graphite and pencil lead and iron, good fruit intensity but lots of hard and bitter tannins. Better with food and a little air. Seems like it still needs significant time. Will it come out on the other side?
Really interesting contrast to the 85 Mondavi Reserve I drank the day before, which was completely different in style, despite both being valley floor cabs from the same year.
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Very closed at first, it took 2 hours to open up. Blackberry & tobacco. Good tannins but fruit starting to fade. Not as good as it was but still a very good wine.
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Aged Bordeaux, Cali Cabs and more with the Benchmark Wine Group in Greenwich (The Ginger Man in Greenwich, CT): Interesting to try this next to the Bordeaux because it fit right in. Again, this bottle must have been well stored because this 85 tasted very young and fresh for its age. Notes of blackberry, currant, cigar box and leather. The finish on this was also quite nice displaying an understated elegance. To me the older Dominus wines seem so much different from the newer Dominus wines, not taking the age into account.
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Lovely nose of porcini mushroom, tobacco like a Padron Maduro cigar, leather and dark, ripe cherry fruit, intense and lovely bouquet, more of the same on the palate, medium body and medium finish, part Chateau Clinet and part Spring Mountain Winery taste.
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Nice red color with no significant signs of age. Penetrating nose of blackberry, currant with a whiff of something sweet like banana cream pie. Elegant, still some tannins but nice soft fruit. Drying out a bit on the finish but still drinking pretty well. Perhaps (and not surprisingly) past its prime as I remember a richer fruit palate in the past. (Yet the color is still red and beautiful.) Almost 30 years in it has definitely stood the test of time. I do think this would make for an interesting side-by-side with some of the '85 Bordeaux!
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Outstanding... Amazing to see just how youthful this Dominus still is. From a closed case of 6 from the Mouiex family from auction, so the bottles were kept in very good condition. The tannins are still very much present and I think it still has a good 5-7 years before its peak. Medium bodied and juicy but velvety and full of blackcurrant, licorice and tobacco, and due to its age, starts to show great terroir. Truly an inspirational wine. I am happy to still have 5 remaining bottles...
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Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage): Still very fresh and rich, this was a great bottle of wine. Lovely rustic nose with crushed rock, dry-aged beef, lead, red fruit and spices. The palate was lithe and feminine yet packed fruit, smoke and earth. The tannins were smooth and integrated on the finish. Great stuff!
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taste: medium bodied with medium acidity and beautifully balanced tones of cedar, currants, spice box and a good amount of dark red cherries and dark red fruits.There is a very regal touch to this on the palate that makes it extra enjoyable.
overall: A beautiful wine. When I got to this it had been opened for about 3 hrs. There is still much life left in it and a real pleasure to drink.
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Tasted double blind in a lineup of 13 wines from the 1980's. Nose of leather, cassis and some earth. Palate had cedar and blackberries with a faint hint of floral and graphite. More graphite and some rubber on the medium to long length finish. It still has some structure left. I initially guessed BDX but changed to guess Robert Mondavi Reserve (my only somewhat specific guess) after tasting a few times. This was the groups overall #1 wine.
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Definitely a lot of barnyard and a bit of chemically funk on the nose. Completely different on the palate. Floral, delicate, with great taste of perfume. Some roast beef, some brisket, some philly cheesesteak. Lots and lots of tannin left in this one. Long finish with cedar, good good spice, vegetal mix, all melding beautifully. That, combined with the tannin lasts and lasts and lasts. Like 45-60 second finish. A bit of perfume at the very very end of the palate. Lovely wine for sure! Lots of life left in this one!
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, asphalt, earth and wet stones. Flavors of berries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd likely drink.
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CT Texas IV - A Hill Country Treat; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin, Texas): Opened for two hours and re-corked. Great nose of black fruit,pencil shavings, tobacco, mint, smoke, and nice floral lift. On the palate, dense and powerful with black currant, plum, red cherries, tobacco, cedar, Finishes dry with quite a bit of tannic grip. Beautiful stuff. My #1, Group #1. This particular bottle could have gone on for many more years.
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Cork 3/4 saturated but came out in a solid piece. Not much bricking in colour, and the nose is quite fragrant. On the palette there was a worrying tartness at first pour, but with air time in the glass more fruit revealed itself and the acidity was toned down a little. A medium bodied wine with smooth red cherries, tobacco, and a general old world profile. Lacks the depth or complexity of better Dominuses but still a lovely wine.
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Great wine and beat the '85 Cos we had at the same sitting. I tend to favor Bordeaux's but this was clearly the winner. Beautiful color and nose. Complex and broad on the palate, long lasting, great finish. This bottle has lots of life in it.
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Dinner at Cyrus in Sonoma. This was the last of 3 bottles they had, so sommelier assured me that wines was still in good condition. Decanted 20 min, but clearly opened up with time. Cork was is good shape, color was turning deep brown with thinning edges. Initial nose had a bit of a funk, which blew off in about 5 minutes. Nose blossomed into deep earth. Flavor was most shocking...still very strong fruit, not faded at all. Felt like it could live another 25 yrs in the bottle. Bright red fruit. Long finish. Very pleased.
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Dinner with Eric/Katherine (富瑤酒家): needs a little time to open up. then appealing nose of smoke, lead pencil, earth, black currant. hint of leaf. very left bank, possibly margaux region. good structure. just a little dry on the finish.
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Decanted 1-2 hours prior to tasting. C- Medium garnet, bright N- Earth, blueberries, herbs, cedar, and a hint of mint T- Medium to full-bodied, soft tannins still in residence for some further aging. Very complex mix of fruit, earthiness, herbal characteristices that are well integrated. Very long finish. Definitely worth the wait.
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The color shows much younger than 25. Impressive youth in this wine. I popped it and let sit without decanting about 30 minutes prior to pouring. The wine is drinking very well. Nice nose of leather, mint, and a touch of coffee. The fruits are typical of aged cali cab, with mostly dark fruits showing their age. On the mouth the tannin are slightly astringent but mostly smooth and well integrated. The blue fruits are more prevalent on the palate. I think a quick decant would have helped resolve the tannin. All in all in excellent wine, made (for obvious reasons) in a very old world style. Very good wine that I would consider at its peak right now. This will drink well for a couple more years before beginning to decline.
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Dinner with Todd & Mina (The Library, Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Colour is incredibly deep crimson red that is only semi-translucent. Gorgeous Boedeaux earthy nose of blackberries, pencil lead, cedar woods, pine needles, black truffles and damp forest ferns. Smells like a first growth. Palate is taut, high note, lovely sharp black ink and blackberries, great taut and lively acidity. High toned. Steely. Austere. Aloof. Still very young. Sweetness of cherry fruit and cherry stones come through, minerality too.... slate. Very persistent length and good resonance in the head. Still a puppy. This had been double decanted but kept very cool 3 hours in advance of drinking. Drank alongside a 1998 La Mission Haut Brion and interesting that at one stage before the Dominus opened up there was some confusion which wine was which.
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cork was still nice and moist. beautiful ruby color, not a tinge of brown. we did not decant. first taste was good and wine got better and better as it opened up over about 2 hours. very good fruit and smooth full finish.
this wine was cellared at 57 since I purchased about 10 years ago and has held up beautifully.
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Phenomenal. Nose of loam and truffles. No orange around the edges. Fruit very much alive but tannins gone. Great length with layer after layer. Black fruit, truffles, leather. Perfectly ready now - will probably hold for a while then decline.
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20 Years of Dominus - Part 3 - The 1980s: By all means a tremendous wine, but the weakest wine of this flight (although that is no shame). The most full bodied wine in the flight, it showed coffee, roasted notes, caramel and torrefaction. Pure velvet texture and luxurious mouthfeel. Lower acid though and lacking a little excitement.
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Cedar, tobacco, cherry, herbal notes, resolved tannin, nice balance, good acidity. Perfectly mature and drinking beautifully. Finish is a little short but all else is where it should be. Very nice.
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Bottle brought by the ever generous Bill to dinner at the Petrus Restaurant in Hong Kong. Not decanted.
Nose: Deceptively Margaux-like. Actually it was very similar to Chateau Margaux! Smoked meat, fragrance of petals, berries and cedar.
Color: Ruby/garnet color, with slight amber at the edge. Mature looking.
Agreed with the friendly sommelier Patrice that this should not be decanted. Left in bottle for about 20 minutes before serving.
First sniff in the glass I noticed some barnyard stink for the first 15 minutes or so. After that the symphony began! This is the first time I had a bottle of Napa that tasted like a top mature Médoc first growth. It was unreal! On the palate - medium bodied, suave, complex with secondary nuance appearing. Underlying notes of cooked meat, wild mushrooms and a silky smooth mouth feel. Good balance and just the right amount of acidity to keep the wine on its feet. The finish was over 30 seconds. I truly appreciate the fine wine-making skills here as I savour each sip. Finished the bottle after about 3 hours and tasted better and better until the last drop! This is truly an outstanding bottle. If I can only get my hands on more of them.
Well kept bottles can last until at least the middle of the next decade methinks. But why wait?
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Note on first bottle in 1996: ugh - cellar for 10 yrs. Next one in 2006 through last bottle last week: Bordeaux pedigree has emerged on nose and palate, still some tannin but with good fruit and terrific balance. Drink now!
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Mature Cabs in Philly; 5/11/2009-5/12/2009 (Conshohocken, PA - Blackfish): Ruby red with some bricking. Mature black cherry nose. Some hints of fruit left (primarly sour cherry/plum notes) and a faded note of mint. Some sweat in the background, plenty of acidity driving slightly imbalanced high-toned notes. While the wine was certainly enjoyable and showed some of the tell-tale Dominus features, I have had better bottles of this vintage.
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Good ruby core with slight bricking at the edges. Nice complexity with dark fruit, cedar, smoke, and tobacco. Tannins fully resolved. Just starting to dry out so drink up soon if you have any!
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5/23/2008 rated 96 points: From a 750 ml bottle purchased upon release from a Northern California wine merchant; stored in a temperature and humidity controlled cellar until opening. Garnet color with amber at the edge; evaluated using Impitoyable No. 3 glassware. Slight sediment in the bottle, but much less so than other high-end 1985 California Cabernet Sauvignons opened recently. Full bodied with a dramatic bouquet of ripe cherries, tobacco, saddle leather, cedar, wet slate, cherry blossom and a hint of sandlewood after 90 minutes in a decanter. Fully mature with integrated tannins; clearly in the plateau of maturity. The flavors on the palate are intense -- sweet black cherries, leather, minerals, with a creme de menthe note on the finish, which I timed at 60 seconds. This wine could easily pass for a top Ch. Pape Clement rouge from the late 1980s or 1990 vintage, albeit with slightly more fruit. Tasted alongside the 1987 Dominus.
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Aromas of coffee, cedar, tobacco, and sour cherry. Complex flavors of dried fruits and nuts intertwine on the palate. Extremely smooth finish that lingers nicely. A bit of sour cherry over-dominates on the finish but not so bad as to become unpleasant. Showing signs of age and it's decline from its peak but still nice.
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White Truffle Dinner (Toscana Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Hong Kong): Incredibly bright, alive, light colour. Huge viscosity in the glass. Sweaty saddle and Cussons Imperial Leather soap on the nose. Almost Shiraz-like. Beautifully round in the mouth. Absolutely gorgeous. Stunningly good. Great structure and balance. Wonderful " in your head" sensations. Enormous length. Unbelievable that it's so old......more like a 1996; so vibrant and fresh. Only fault is that it wasn't quite so multi-dimensional as the Haut Brion 1996 .....or as, especially, the 1959 Musar.
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Dominus Vertical Dinner (onesixtyblue): Full bright red color. Medium tight black fruit nose. Pale palate with some structure and tannin, but lacking fruit. Disappointing for a vintage I've liked a lot in other top cali cabs.
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DOMINUS VERTICAL DINNER (160 Blue - Chicago, IL): Earthy nose also features a distinct vanilla note. Mid palate is full of bright fruit. Vanilla comes back in the finish. Not as complex as the 84 or 86. Shows younger than its 20+ years. (4+12+16+7=89)
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The '85 Dominus is waning in power, if not in poise; discrepencies in the tasting notes indicate the different storage experience of various lots, and, increasingly, individual bottles. Cooler and drier cellars probably hold sugar better, but I'm just a hack with good taste, so there. My bottle was tasty, dry, and showed leather, roses, fig and hints of buttered apple when warmed and aired. Truly. A good wine to get that old bordeaux vibe for under 100 bucks. Will turn into a pumkin by Halloween, almost certainly.
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Part of our Thanksgiving Day blind tasting. (Cork disintegrated, so I wonder about the storage quality. It was purchased from a respected wine shop the week before consuming.) Dark red to brick color. Little fruit on the nose, but nice earthy, woody aromas. Medium body, with acid, tannin and earthy flavors in balance. VG to E.
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1985 California Cab Tasting: Clear ruby color. Nose of a classic left-bank Bordeaux. Pauillac maybe? Still incredibly tannic, big wine that shows beautiful cedar and black truffle flavors. I called this one blind as the Dominus. Everything an aged Cal Cab should and can be. My WOTN.
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This seemed like it was slightly past its peak. However, this was still a silky smooth elegant wine which is drinking well. Integrated tannins. It had plum notes although some of the fruit seems to have faded. 89-90.
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Sweet/sour Cabernet fruit on the nose, touch watery on the palate, intense, roasted coffee quality on the palate, great touch of cranberry on the palate, big amount of soft tannins on the long finish. My #3 of 10.
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dark red, rich full nose, bit of earthy, mushroomy aroma, lots of fruit, dense rich fruit on the palate, smooth rich mouthfeel, well integrated tannins, mature, nice finish
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Tasting of 5 Dominus vs. 3 Opus. Big, rich, sweet fruit with hints of smoke on the nose, opulent and rich fruit on the palate, mouth filling richness and intensity, Bordeaux like, complex, needs 4 years, fabulous tasting Cabernet tonight, long finish. My #1 of 8.
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With Michael Lehmann and Brett Raven at Singer & Foy survey of '85 Cabs. Extremely dark ruby color. Good viscosity. Nose is a bit weird, but I like it. On the palate, it is big, full, dense and chewy. Bitter finish. Coffee there too. Controversial. Needs time. 5-10-16-7: 88/100.
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With K at home at dinner (roast). Dark ruby-purple. Good legs. Loads of dense, earthy fruit in the nose. Very fruity. In the mouth, very powerful and rich. Plenty of tannin, but not so tannic as to overshadow the ripe, deep fruit underneath. In fact, it's an excellent Cabernet for drinking even now with rich hearty dishes. Very long in the mouth. I think this wine has a long and glorious future. What in the world are Grapevine (15.1/20) and Connoisseur's Guide (*) tasting that I'm not? (This is great stuff.) 5-11-17-9: 92/100.
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12/29/2023 - mick978@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking superbly
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10/11/2022 - glucker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oct 10 2022 thanksgiving dinner. Still has a lot of time.Had to use screwpull as cork was disintegrating .Lots of fruit and tannins .Long aftertaste
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8/7/2022 - salcorn Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was the best 85 Dominus I've had, and, surprisingly, one of the best from the 80s. More youthful than others, but still with some tannins, this bottle gave the impression that it might actually continue to improve for some years. Surprisingly aggressive for merlot, this wine might actually be just coming into its own, compared to later vintages where the merlot was blended out in favor of cabernet sauvignon.
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1/8/2022 - Dustonthebottle wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/20/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious. Drink
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10/14/2021 - GuWin wrote: 95 Points
BYO Litteraturhuset (Litteraturhuset i Oslo): Dyp rød med mørk kjerne og murstensfarget kant. Servert blindt, og de fleste gikk rett til moden bordeaux med duft av solbær, fuktig trevirke, tobakk og sort te. En fabelaktig vin med stor konsentrasjon, massiv smak av mørke søtlige bær, heftig tanninstrutkur man allikevel alt i balanse. Elegant hele smakskurven gjennom og med lang, ytterst behagelig smakskurve med søtlig bærpreg i avslutningen
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10/13/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Had I tasted this blind, I probably would have gone straight to Bordeaux. This example of 85 Dominus (with a base neck fill) seems to be at or just past its apogee, full of mellow black fruit and cool earth augmented by a refreshing, subtle pine forest and bell pepper green note. Though this is my first time with 85 Dominus, I can imagine this having been slightly more vivid a few years ago. Nevertheless, it’s a pleasure to drink now.
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10/9/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: beautiful black fruit, dark cherry,, tobacco, cedar and camphor. Instantly takes you to the old world with just a bit of ripeness showing itself. Palate: complex, loamy and dark fruited. Well balanced and no faded edges. Finish: detailed cedar, spice, dark berries and bell pepper.
A really well made wine. Bordelaise in every way.
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7/2/2021 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted at dinner with 5 couples and 9 other vintages (91,92,95,96,02,05,08,10). Showing very well, very complex nose with cedar, cigar box, solid core of fruit with currants, cherry, beautiful in mid palate with a long finish. Tied for my favorite with the 1995, also my favorite at a vertical of 13 vintages in 2018.
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6/17/2021 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aromas of match stick, barnyard, blackberry and currant. Flavors of blackberry, currant, dried cherry and earth. Ends with a great finish of 35 seconds with blackberry and earth notes. Palate was better than the nose.
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4/25/2021 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purchased from an Acker Internet auction about 2 years ago. For our first indoor restaurant dinner with other humanity in over a year. No advance decant, but I removed the capsule and washed the top with a terry cloth and clear water at home until it was clean. Due to travel to the restaurant and the fact that my prior bottle had a lot of sediment, the waiter decanted through a coffee filter after I pulled the cork with a Durand. The cork was fully soaked through to within 1/4 inch of the top and easily split into three pieces when I removed it from the screw. The color was correct and no sign of bricking.
A nice smooth wine with earthy, leathery characteristics, some coffee and spice. Not a lot of fruit, but some dark berries. went down easy and disappeared across the table so I opened my backup wine as well. I drank this with the fois gras appetizer and it was a good choice - not over the top and the wine did not blow away the food, or vice versa. Not as great as the 1991, but still an outstanding wine. I would love to drink this side my side with a 1985 Paulliac. RMP rated both areas 90 pts in 1985. I do not know which would show better, maybe this, maybe a first or second growth, but this would certainly not be outclassed.
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3/28/2021 - facchair Likes this wine: 96 Points
unbelievable at 35+ years.
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3/21/2021 - Rgentile wrote: 94 Points
A nose full of cedar and dried tobacco leaf. A hint of dried red fruits, woodsy smoke on the palate. The wine was fresh and elegant with medium acidity and medium plus finish. Impressive showing for this vintage Napa wine. Enjoy!
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12/26/2020 - AjitK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over 2 days starting Xmas 2020. Excellent wine - Purity of fruit is sensational, and there is plenty of it at 35 years of age. Nose is intoxicating with a beautiful mix of tertiary (dominant aromas with tea leaves and cedar), secondary (Mediterranean herbs and oak), and primary (dark fruit/cassis). Mineral and savory mid palette. Long finish. Simply joyous. Medium-Full bodied. Tannins are fully resolved and I don’t believe the wine will improve further with aging. The fruit revealed itself after an hour or so of coaxing.
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12/20/2020 - Dave Canada wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Courreur du Bois n Montreal.
This is stunning! From 750ml
All graphite, pencil lead, cassism bell pepper, earth and forrest floor. Still so youthful. This bottle came from Bistro Champlain and was signed by Christian Moueix.
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9/6/2020 - aquacongas wrote: 98 Points
not blind, Best vintages of Dominus, all bottles perfectly stored (subcription) and decanted for 2 hours
Still so tight and fresh, much too Young, black currant, pencil, very classical Bordeaux. This wine has a lot of energy, after half an hour in the glas it started to Show his Beauty. 98+
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8/13/2020 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted at about 6:00 PM and then brought to Frankie and Johnnie's in Rye for dinner at their outdoor tables in the middle of the street. Started drinking it is about 7:00 PM and followed it for about an hour. Excellent wine with fully resolved tanins, no bricking, and excellent development of the flavors of age. Not fruit driven. I would have guessed it to be a mid-1980s Bordeaux because it did not have the fruit of a California Cabernet-based wine, but it certainly had the power. Smooth leather, a bit of dark cherry, earthiness and spice, with some forest floor herbal components.. I bought this at auction last year. Fill was bottom neck. Color was perfect. Enough sediment to justify the double decant.
This was smooth and went down fast. One of the notes from 2019 mentions grippy tanins. Not in my bottle. It turned out that they had the 1987 and the wine list for $400.
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4/21/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
IWFSC Virtual take out dinner: Wow. Never disappoints. Great deep color, floating flavors swirling in the mouth. While it was a pop and pour, sitting in the glass it opened like a flower and delivered pure finesse. Love this timeless aging Cabernet.
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2/19/2020 - Dave Canada wrote: 98 Points
From Magnum - purchased from The Post Hotel in Lake Louise, Alta. This was bought on release, stored at 54F and never moved.
Pop n pour....followed over 4 hours.
Pours medium ruby with slight orange bricking at the edge
Nose shows such powerful fruit....Blackcherry, BlackBerry, currant, cassis, lead pencil, graphite, moss, earth, forest floor, cedar, leather and spice.
Palate is in a pinnacle of development....pure dark fruit with such tertiary development....leather, cedar, spice and earthy gorgeousness....stunning.
Finish is never ending.....reference point napa cabernet from a bygone era.
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1/11/2020 - Bob H wrote:
The cork kind of disintegrated on opening, so this was decanted. One thing that surprises me here is the mint on the nose - blind, I would be calling this Heitz Martha's.
Seamless on the palate, good persistence and fairly interesting at basically 35 years of age. Blackberry fruit on the nose, and for my palate a little deficient in acidity. Not really in my stylistic wheelhouse anymore, but I can appreciate it as a well-made wine.
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12/3/2019 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Dominus Estate 1983-1995 Vertical (RPM Steak): Nose of forest floor and hazelnut, very fresh but with less happening in the realm of fruits, aromatically. Expressive palate with tobacco and cedar, a bit lower acidity with dried figs and a notable finish. Nice tonight, but not quite in the upper echelon.
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12/3/2019 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Dominus: 1983-1994 (RPM Steak): 83/84/85: The nose took some time to get going, but when it did the intensity and layering of mature fruit with cedar and spice was just terrific. Rich and round in the mouth with grippy tannin. Such a satisfying mouthfeel and texture.
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11/10/2019 - stealthman_1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular. Cork saturated 3/4, but came out whole. I bought this at auction probably 15 years ago and haven't had it in 10 years. Beautiful deep red color with a stunning nose of tobacco, earth, dark fruits, cedar, typical old style Dominus cloves and holiday spices. Wonderfully full and balanced in the mouth with pure red and black fruits intertwined with its earth elements, long finish and terrific mouthfeel. My wife birthday dinner, I brought the '87 as a backup...no need, this was near perfection and I think will drink beautifully through its 50th anniversary. Possible WOTY.
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4/13/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Classic Cali blend. Smooth, tasty, delicious and long palate feel. Glad I have a couple of more btls. Went great with filet.
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2/21/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 100 Points
Nose of cedar, tobacco, black berry, black cherry and mocha coffee, same on the palate, big body, mouth filling fruit and richness, great complexity, held up for three hours in the glass, then faded quickly so time to enjoy is now, elegant, delicious, Cabernet Sauvignon with a Bordeaux heritage, regret trading 2 1985 for 2 1996+2 1997, and a long flavorful finish and aftertaste!!!
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12/25/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Started out with a great nose, great color, clear, good flavors, nice finish but then after a half hour, dried up and tart. Drink early with quick decant.
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9/1/2018 - fclarity wrote: 93 Points
From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a very deep red center and oranging rims. The high- intensity nose of coffee, black cherries, mocha, and some red dust.
This had a bit of an edge for the first couple hours, however, after 5+ hours it was ripe with rounded tannin and good length. This wine was nice but maybe needed a bit more complexity to be great.
This wine is coming into the zone and will easily last 10 years. Will it get better?
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6/3/2018 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted at a dinner with a 13 year vertical of Dominus between 1985 and 2007. For many, this was wine of the night. Drinking very young, almost voluptuous, soft tannins, but still with superb structure, complex aromatics, loaded with dark fruits and currants, pencil lead, great mouth feel, long finish.
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5/6/2018 - fclarity wrote: 93 Points
From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a very deep red center and orange rims. The high- intensity nose emanated mocha, black cherries, soil, and some mild black spices.
In the mouth, this was pretty attractive right off the bat. After a few hours of air strong, rounded tannins developed. After a few more hours the tannins became more integrated with the noteworthy fruit.
This is an attractive wine that is finishing up the process of integrating its powerful tannin. The balance and the detailed fruit suggest to me this wine is still developing. An excellent showing! My score may improve in 5-10 years.
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3/4/2018 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Luis' "Bring a very good bottle" event (St. Genevieve): Pop and pour, this is an amazing wine. Harmonious, classic Napa cab, completely resolved, seemless and friendly. Saddle leather, red fruit, so complex, almost subtle in the numerous scents and tastes in it. Jason, buy more!
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3/1/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
A Mixed Bag at St. Genevieve (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Basically a PNP, this was singing out of the gate. Fantastic floral perfume of violets, crushed rose hips and potpourri, soil, damp earth, saddle leather, pretty red fruits and cigar. The palate is integrated, whistful and elegant, a refined expression of the nose it has that essence of sheer beauty that captivates and beguiles. Gorgeous and drinking at peak I would say.
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12/25/2017 - Bradlundquist Likes this wine: 95 Points
unfortunately, a bit over the hill but still has alot of character once decanted. has managed to retain its inky purple color. no orange our browning of the edges. tannins are silky smooth but still providing some structure.fruit has faded in favorof earthy flavors. touch of acidity remains. a very special wine that I only wish we had stored more carefully.
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11/4/2017 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
What a wine! Still very much bright and alive and with still a dark colour. We chose to decant to help it evolve and we were rewarded. Dark fruited still, nice depth of flavor and full of layers, still very much alive and healthy fruit, silky tannin, light tobacco. This is a very much classic Bordeaux in style and we would have loved to have it side by side with a Mouton 86 which is probably a wine of equal worth. Very solid wine a a huge bravo from us. what a wine
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10/1/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Vinetasters- Dominus from 1983-2014 (Holiday Inn, Skokie IL): Nose: The nose is refined and expressive with dark red cherries, currants, cranberries, cocoa powder, currants, tobacco, pencil lead, herbs, and cassis tones. There is good depth and a refined nature that is a real pleasure to smell.
Taste: The feel is Full bodied with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The feel is polished and balanced, but slightly lacks the depth of the nose with dark red cherries, cranberries, currants, cocoa powder, cassis, pencil lead, and herbs.
Overall: This was my #5 and the group's #6. There was still some freshness to the fruit while showing a lot of refinement across the nose and palate.
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10/1/2017 - KenK wrote: 90 Points
Vinetaster's does Dominus 1983-2014 (Holiday Inn NorthShore): Dark dusty fall leaves aromas with an interesting sweet edge. Palate was dry and earthy, yet showed a pleasant roasted game quality. Nice underlying flavors of dried cherry, yet on the simpler side and finishing with a rusty quality. Overall simpler, but good with an earthy tone. My #9/12 although #6 for the group.
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8/4/2017 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Nose: A- Palate: B++/A-
My #5, Group's #8 (76 pts). Tasted Blind
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5/31/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 97 Points
Les Degustateurs 1985 New World vs Old World (George Trois Winnetka, IL): My WOTN and groups 3/8. Deep flavor, lots of structure, great long finish.
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5/29/2017 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 mins. Nose has graphite, sous bois, black fruit and tobacco. The palate is smoothe with integrated tobacco, ash and dark fruit. Its a balanced aged napa with lots of old claret character. This is not a blockbuster wine but its drinking very well. I dont see much upside from aging longer. Drink up.
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4/30/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 88 Points
A tight and austere nose that has damp tobacco with some spice, damp soil, scorched earth, and traces of smouldering smoke and embers. Overall this is tertiary and a little rough with gritty old cabernet fruit mostly yielding to dirty earth notes. Palate still has some blackberry and creme de cassis with smoke throughout the fruit. Herbal and vegetal. A lot of cellar funk in this bottle that spurred a 'corked-non-corked' debate for some time. Final conclusion was no TCA but an old and somehow off bottle. Would try this again on the theory that regression to the mean would produce a better bottle, and this was enjoyed out of small cups at John's of Bleecker...
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3/1/2017 - Quiet Lion wrote: flawed
Brett
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2/14/2017 - Eric.S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up after about 30 minutes in the decanter. A very complex nose of cassis, star anise, sawdust, tobacco, cigar box, and some herbal/medicinal notes. With a deep whiff, I get ripe strawberry. On the palate, this has plenty of fruit: blackberry, cassis, a little jammy. Graphite. Decent finish. Tannins totally integrated, oak still present, a touch of heat.
A fun ride for sure!
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2/3/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Like an old Medoc. Cigar box nose that revealed some fruit after a half hour decant. On the palate very mature leather and tobacco. Not an exciting bottle but certainly not disappointing.
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1/15/2017 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Six courses on short notice with some great football: Decanted about 2-3 hours before tasting. The color is right medium to dark garnet with ever so slight bricking on the meniscus. the nose is almost Bordeaux-like with some barnyard, lavender, graphite, leather, cedar, black currant, red plum and tarry chocolate. Well structured but not tannic. The flavors were similar to the nose with the addition of some cigar box and sandalwood on the finish. This wine did seem to fade a bit at about the 4 hour point and was best earlier. The mouth feel was very elegant and yet full of flavor. Impeccably balanced and such an unbelievable melding of California fruit and European styling. Terrific with the venison.
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11/18/2016 - overhill wrote: 92 Points
Contributed to a lunch which also included the '83, '86, '87, '88, '89, '91, and '99. This 1985 is an old-world wine with mature notes of eucalyptus, dried berries, tobacco. Solid nose, good depth on the palette, and a moderately flavorful finish.
The oldest four wines all drank old world. The younger four wines all drank new world. The 1986 was the favorite of the older flight and the 1991 was the favorite of the younger.
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5/20/2016 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner at the White House: Semi-transparent/semi-opaque deep black-red colour with no transparency or watering at the meniscus at all. Nose is gosh...no, it's BLAM!....slightly farmyard in a good way then gorgeous blackcurrant and red cherry fruit with a little bit of spice from perfectly integrated oak. Palate is ....oh...gosh....so balanced, linearly precise and still a ton of fruit. The nose and palate then become silence-creating as it just keeps evolving and unfolding into different layers of great mature fruit, spice, totally integrated oak and tannin...then after two hours after opening it shifts up from the 95-point experience into something even more.....dirt, blackberry and a bit of blackcurrant as if getting down to its essence....by this stage it has a wonderful semi-confit richness of fruit. Deeply resonant and reverberant yet a triumph of elegance and fine wine-making before everyone cranked up the alcohol level (this is 12.5%). Stunning....an absolute delight and I still have one left. I think that a good bottle could have another 5+ years' life......but why risk it? My wine of 2016 so far.
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5/7/2016 - davidrh1 wrote: 93 Points
Man, did this hold up well.Still good fruit after 31 years.
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4/11/2016 - Outplaying wrote:
Smells nice, with some aged, earthy, leathery notes and perhaps some decaying leaves. This seemed to have some life left when first tasted but coming back to this after some other wines it seemed a bit tired. I liked it more than Ann who found it more fun and interesting than enjoyable.
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2/4/2016 - DesertDrinker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aged Bordeaux comes to Napa..exceptionsl wine..classic nose of forest floor, burnt tobacco..on the palate very balanced..spice, pepper, leather and tobacco but not overly so..enjoyed my last bottle..so sad!
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10/24/2015 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Wow, big, dense and rich aromatics. Aromas of black cherry, herbs, tobacco with a big spice kick. Palate is delicious, dark, brooding fruit. Still quite young with lowish acidity, but still balanced and fresh. Refined tannin.
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4/24/2015 - m_arcon wrote: 92 Points
California (Private Location): Nose: Little red dried berries, a bit of oak, tabacco, herbs, leather, cinnamon, strawberry, pencil lead and a hint of tomato. Complex nose.
Palate: Lacks a bit the complexity from the nose on the palate. Not the punch & length. More on the medium-body side. Think the wine is now at its peak and will not getting better in any sense. Drink up.
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4/24/2015 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 92 Points
Ripe California Wines (Private Location): *** Please see this note only in the context of the whole tasting ***
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah
Wine: Double decanted
Clear, medium ruby color. Very young looking! Clean, medium intense and fully developed nose with lots of herbs, iron, blood, red fruits. Very BDX like style.
Dry, medium+ acidity and tannins, which are both well integrated. Medium body and medium intensity. Red fruits, oak, earthy and animal notes on the medium finish.
Still quite young, so it has several more years ahead. Will it improve? Hard to say, but I guess it will stay at this level for at leat 5 more years.
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3/13/2015 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Popped & poured. Dark crimson color showing little age. Initial aromas of violets, roasted game, black currant and leather. Initially a little thin on the palate with pronounced acidity, but nice black fruit, forest floor, herb, and leather flavors. Adds weight on the palate as it opens and sits in the glass. Plum, violets and black fruit on the finish which lingers for a bit, ending with a nice cedar quality. Very pretty. 93+ pts.
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2/22/2015 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous bottle- drinking great 30 years young. a cab for the aging! well done.
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12/26/2014 - CarloM Likes this wine: 94 Points
2h decanting. On the nose at first elegant (Forest fruit, eucalyptus) then more and more dark berries and leather. On the palate big and strong, again dark berries, chocolate and nice toasting. Very Long finish, but almost a bit tannic. Great 30 years old wine!
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11/1/2014 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH Bordeaux Auction; 10/31/2014-11/1/2014 (Chicago, IL): Exactly what a Napa cabernet should be. Tons of fruit and richness, lovely secondary characteristics, leather, stems, pencil lead, what more could you really want? A very lithe and pretty wine.
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11/1/2014 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Beautiful aromas of leather, cherry, earth, tobacco, and smoke. Palate is slender and sleek with cool red fruits, layers of floral notes, and some green notes. Tons of elegance and charm to this and it's drinking in a really nice spot.
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10/14/2014 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
This is a ringer for a classed-growth Northern Medoc in a tannic vintage like 86. Black cassisy fruit, lots of cedar and graphite and pencil lead and iron, good fruit intensity but lots of hard and bitter tannins. Better with food and a little air. Seems like it still needs significant time. Will it come out on the other side?
Really interesting contrast to the 85 Mondavi Reserve I drank the day before, which was completely different in style, despite both being valley floor cabs from the same year.
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5/25/2014 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very closed at first, it took 2 hours to open up. Blackberry & tobacco. Good tannins but fruit starting to fade. Not as good as it was but still a very good wine.
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5/24/2014 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aged Bordeaux, Cali Cabs and more with the Benchmark Wine Group in Greenwich (The Ginger Man in Greenwich, CT): Interesting to try this next to the Bordeaux because it fit right in. Again, this bottle must have been well stored because this 85 tasted very young and fresh for its age. Notes of blackberry, currant, cigar box and leather. The finish on this was also quite nice displaying an understated elegance. To me the older Dominus wines seem so much different from the newer Dominus wines, not taking the age into account.
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5/19/2014 - vindictive wrote:
magnum - a fine wine, definitely a California wine, but has some Bordeaux like nuance. Still vigorous and should hold for many years.
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11/23/2013 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened up beautifully after 2 hours.
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11/9/2013 - KimberlyDo wrote: 91 Points
Bottle was in great condition. Color deep ruby red, no browning. Boquet tight with currants. On palate wine has medium long length. Nice balance.
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8/24/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely nose of porcini mushroom, tobacco like a Padron Maduro cigar, leather and dark, ripe cherry fruit, intense and lovely bouquet, more of the same on the palate, medium body and medium finish, part Chateau Clinet and part Spring Mountain Winery taste.
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3/29/2013 - rcg62 wrote: 92 Points
Nice red color with no significant signs of age. Penetrating nose of blackberry, currant with a whiff of something sweet like banana cream pie. Elegant, still some tannins but nice soft fruit. Drying out a bit on the finish but still drinking pretty well. Perhaps (and not surprisingly) past its prime as I remember a richer fruit palate in the past. (Yet the color is still red and beautiful.) Almost 30 years in it has definitely stood the test of time. I do think this would make for an interesting side-by-side with some of the '85 Bordeaux!
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10/19/2012 - DDH-VitisVinifera wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding... Amazing to see just how youthful this Dominus still is. From a closed case of 6 from the Mouiex family from auction, so the bottles were kept in very good condition. The tannins are still very much present and I think it still has a good 5-7 years before its peak. Medium bodied and juicy but velvety and full of blackcurrant, licorice and tobacco, and due to its age, starts to show great terroir. Truly an inspirational wine. I am happy to still have 5 remaining bottles...
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8/4/2012 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage): Still very fresh and rich, this was a great bottle of wine. Lovely rustic nose with crushed rock, dry-aged beef, lead, red fruit and spices. The palate was lithe and feminine yet packed fruit, smoke and earth. The tannins were smooth and integrated on the finish. Great stuff!
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8/3/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Another Friday afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): nose: flowing and balanced nose filled with tones of cedar, currants, dark red cherries, pencil lead and spice box tones. Very nice depth as well and very aromatic as well.
taste: medium bodied with medium acidity and beautifully balanced tones of cedar, currants, spice box and a good amount of dark red cherries and dark red fruits.There is a very regal touch to this on the palate that makes it extra enjoyable.
overall: A beautiful wine. When I got to this it had been opened for about 3 hrs. There is still much life left in it and a real pleasure to drink.
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5/19/2012 - floydtp wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double blind in a lineup of 13 wines from the 1980's. Nose of leather, cassis and some earth. Palate had cedar and blackberries with a faint hint of floral and graphite. More graphite and some rubber on the medium to long length finish. It still has some structure left. I initially guessed BDX but changed to guess Robert Mondavi Reserve (my only somewhat specific guess) after tasting a few times. This was the groups overall #1 wine.
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5/19/2012 - ckinv368 wrote: 94 Points
CT Offline IV--Hill Country Edition; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin / Texas Hill Country / Castleman Ranch): Consensus winner of '80s double-blind tasting.
Definitely a lot of barnyard and a bit of chemically funk on the nose. Completely different on the palate. Floral, delicate, with great taste of perfume. Some roast beef, some brisket, some philly cheesesteak. Lots and lots of tannin left in this one. Long finish with cedar, good good spice, vegetal mix, all melding beautifully. That, combined with the tannin lasts and lasts and lasts. Like 45-60 second finish. A bit of perfume at the very very end of the palate. Lovely wine for sure! Lots of life left in this one!
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5/19/2012 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
CT Texas IV - Saturday Afternoon Double Blind Tasting (Holiday Inn Express, Ranch Road, Austin, TX): WIML91
Tasted double blind.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, asphalt, earth and wet stones. Flavors of berries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd likely drink.
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5/19/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
CT Texas IV - A Hill Country Treat; 5/18/2012-5/19/2012 (Austin, Texas): Opened for two hours and re-corked. Great nose of black fruit,pencil shavings, tobacco, mint, smoke, and nice floral lift. On the palate, dense and powerful with black currant, plum, red cherries, tobacco, cedar, Finishes dry with quite a bit of tannic grip. Beautiful stuff. My #1, Group #1. This particular bottle could have gone on for many more years.
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4/2/2012 - mygrogro wrote: 91 Points
burnt red color,
musty at first 1/2 decanting revealed
its soft special rose and berry fruit with a perfect finish
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2/24/2012 - anonymoose12345 Does not like this wine:
Seems out of balance. Not a fan.
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1/2/2012 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
Cork 3/4 saturated but came out in a solid piece. Not much bricking in colour, and the nose is quite fragrant. On the palette there was a worrying tartness at first pour, but with air time in the glass more fruit revealed itself and the acidity was toned down a little. A medium bodied wine with smooth red cherries, tobacco, and a general old world profile. Lacks the depth or complexity of better Dominuses but still a lovely wine.
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10/25/2011 - dbermanmd Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine and beat the '85 Cos we had at the same sitting. I tend to favor Bordeaux's but this was clearly the winner. Beautiful color and nose. Complex and broad on the palate, long lasting, great finish. This bottle has lots of life in it.
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10/7/2011 - smkl123 wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Cyrus in Sonoma. This was the last of 3 bottles they had, so sommelier assured me that wines was still in good condition. Decanted 20 min, but clearly opened up with time. Cork was is good shape, color was turning deep brown with thinning edges. Initial nose had a bit of a funk, which blew off in about 5 minutes. Nose blossomed into deep earth. Flavor was most shocking...still very strong fruit, not faded at all. Felt like it could live another 25 yrs in the bottle. Bright red fruit. Long finish. Very pleased.
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1/25/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Eric/Katherine (富瑤酒家): needs a little time to open up. then appealing nose of smoke, lead pencil, earth, black currant. hint of leaf. very left bank, possibly margaux region. good structure. just a little dry on the finish.
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1/3/2011 - jbrob1 wrote:
too late
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10/22/2010 - VinoMax wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1-2 hours prior to tasting. C- Medium garnet, bright N- Earth, blueberries, herbs, cedar, and a hint of mint T- Medium to full-bodied, soft tannins still in residence for some further aging. Very complex mix of fruit, earthiness, herbal characteristices that are well integrated. Very long finish. Definitely worth the wait.
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8/5/2010 - jorgerunfast wrote: 91 Points
The color shows much younger than 25. Impressive youth in this wine. I popped it and let sit without decanting about 30 minutes prior to pouring. The wine is drinking very well. Nice nose of leather, mint, and a touch of coffee. The fruits are typical of aged cali cab, with mostly dark fruits showing their age. On the mouth the tannin are slightly astringent but mostly smooth and well integrated. The blue fruits are more prevalent on the palate. I think a quick decant would have helped resolve the tannin. All in all in excellent wine, made (for obvious reasons) in a very old world style. Very good wine that I would consider at its peak right now. This will drink well for a couple more years before beginning to decline.
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7/24/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Todd & Mina (The Library, Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Colour is incredibly deep crimson red that is only semi-translucent. Gorgeous Boedeaux earthy nose of blackberries, pencil lead, cedar woods, pine needles, black truffles and damp forest ferns. Smells like a first growth. Palate is taut, high note, lovely sharp black ink and blackberries, great taut and lively acidity. High toned. Steely. Austere. Aloof. Still very young. Sweetness of cherry fruit and cherry stones come through, minerality too.... slate. Very persistent length and good resonance in the head. Still a puppy. This had been double decanted but kept very cool 3 hours in advance of drinking. Drank alongside a 1998 La Mission Haut Brion and interesting that at one stage before the Dominus opened up there was some confusion which wine was which.
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7/1/2010 - jdlee1232 wrote: 92 Points
A gorgeous wine, still youthful. Well balanced, earthy yet subtle. Very old world.
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5/22/2010 - DKabakoff wrote: 90 Points
cork was still nice and moist. beautiful ruby color, not a tinge of brown.
we did not decant. first taste was good and wine got better and better as it opened up over about 2 hours.
very good fruit and smooth full finish.
this wine was cellared at 57 since I purchased about 10 years ago and has held up beautifully.
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2/27/2010 - Zitan wrote: 96 Points
Phenomenal. Nose of loam and truffles. No orange around the edges. Fruit very much alive but tannins gone. Great length with layer after layer. Black fruit, truffles, leather. Perfectly ready now - will probably hold for a while then decline.
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1/31/2010 - GA wrote: 78 Points
1/10 Dead. 78 pts.
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12/6/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
20 Years of Dominus - Part 3 - The 1980s: By all means a tremendous wine, but the weakest wine of this flight (although that is no shame). The most full bodied wine in the flight, it showed coffee, roasted notes, caramel and torrefaction. Pure velvet texture and luxurious mouthfeel. Lower acid though and lacking a little excitement.
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10/18/2009 - NVWINE79 wrote: 91 Points
Cedar, tobacco, cherry, herbal notes, resolved tannin, nice balance, good acidity. Perfectly mature and drinking beautifully. Finish is a little short but all else is where it should be. Very nice.
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7/11/2009 - Chisato wrote: 95 Points
Bottle brought by the ever generous Bill to dinner at the Petrus Restaurant in Hong Kong. Not decanted.
Nose: Deceptively Margaux-like. Actually it was very similar to Chateau Margaux! Smoked meat, fragrance of petals, berries and cedar.
Color: Ruby/garnet color, with slight amber at the edge. Mature looking.
Agreed with the friendly sommelier Patrice that this should not be decanted. Left in bottle for about 20 minutes before serving.
First sniff in the glass I noticed some barnyard stink for the first 15 minutes or so. After that the symphony began! This is the first time I had a bottle of Napa that tasted like a top mature Médoc first growth. It was unreal! On the palate - medium bodied, suave, complex with secondary nuance appearing. Underlying notes of cooked meat, wild mushrooms and a silky smooth mouth feel. Good balance and just the right amount of acidity to keep the wine on its feet. The finish was over 30 seconds. I truly appreciate the fine wine-making skills here as I savour each sip. Finished the bottle after about 3 hours and tasted better and better until the last drop! This is truly an outstanding bottle. If I can only get my hands on more of them.
Well kept bottles can last until at least the middle of the next decade methinks. But why wait?
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6/1/2009 - lastone wrote: 91 Points
Note on first bottle in 1996: ugh - cellar for 10 yrs. Next one in 2006 through last bottle last week: Bordeaux pedigree has emerged on nose and palate, still some tannin but with good fruit and terrific balance. Drink now!
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5/12/2009 - dwmcubed wrote:
Mature Cabs in Philly; 5/11/2009-5/12/2009 (Conshohocken, PA - Blackfish): Ruby red with some bricking. Mature black cherry nose. Some hints of fruit left (primarly sour cherry/plum notes) and a faded note of mint. Some sweat in the background, plenty of acidity driving slightly imbalanced high-toned notes. While the wine was certainly enjoyable and showed some of the tell-tale Dominus features, I have had better bottles of this vintage.
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6/15/2008 - rsepulve wrote: 92 Points
Good ruby core with slight bricking at the edges. Nice complexity with dark fruit, cedar, smoke, and tobacco. Tannins fully resolved. Just starting to dry out so drink up soon if you have any!
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5/23/2008 - vinpre wrote: 96 Points
5/23/2008 rated 96 points: From a 750 ml bottle purchased upon release from a Northern California wine merchant; stored in a temperature and humidity controlled cellar until opening. Garnet color with amber at the edge; evaluated using Impitoyable No. 3 glassware. Slight sediment in the bottle, but much less so than other high-end 1985 California Cabernet Sauvignons opened recently. Full bodied with a dramatic bouquet of ripe cherries, tobacco, saddle leather, cedar, wet slate, cherry blossom and a hint of sandlewood after 90 minutes in a decanter. Fully mature with integrated tannins; clearly in the plateau of maturity. The flavors on the palate are intense -- sweet black cherries, leather, minerals, with a creme de menthe note on the finish, which I timed at 60 seconds. This wine could easily pass for a top Ch. Pape Clement rouge from the late 1980s or 1990 vintage, albeit with slightly more fruit. Tasted alongside the 1987 Dominus.
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4/12/2008 - dv002i wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of coffee, cedar, tobacco, and sour cherry. Complex flavors of dried fruits and nuts intertwine on the palate. Extremely smooth finish that lingers nicely. A bit of sour cherry over-dominates on the finish but not so bad as to become unpleasant. Showing signs of age and it's decline from its peak but still nice.
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11/30/2007 - Avimd wrote: 94 Points
After it opened up - fantastic
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11/19/2007 - Goldstone wrote: 95 Points
White Truffle Dinner (Toscana Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Hong Kong): Incredibly bright, alive, light colour. Huge viscosity in the glass. Sweaty saddle and Cussons Imperial Leather soap on the nose. Almost Shiraz-like. Beautifully round in the mouth. Absolutely gorgeous. Stunningly good. Great structure and balance. Wonderful " in your head" sensations. Enormous length. Unbelievable that it's so old......more like a 1996; so vibrant and fresh. Only fault is that it wasn't quite so multi-dimensional as the Haut Brion 1996 .....or as, especially, the 1959 Musar.
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5/6/2007 - Avimd wrote: 89 Points
vegetal
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3/22/2007 - winefool wrote: 87 Points
Dominus Vertical Dinner (onesixtyblue): Full bright red color. Medium tight black fruit nose. Pale palate with some structure and tannin, but lacking fruit. Disappointing for a vintage I've liked a lot in other top cali cabs.
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3/22/2007 - Nanda wrote: 89 Points
DOMINUS VERTICAL DINNER (160 Blue - Chicago, IL): Earthy nose also features a distinct vanilla note. Mid palate is full of bright fruit. Vanilla comes back in the finish. Not as complex as the 84 or 86. Shows younger than its 20+ years. (4+12+16+7=89)
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6/9/2006 - Will wrote:
Irremediably corked. We tried to save it with the saran wrap technique but it didn't help at all.
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2/27/2006 - jdtonic wrote: 90 Points
The '85 Dominus is waning in power, if not in poise; discrepencies in the tasting notes indicate the different storage experience of various lots, and, increasingly, individual bottles. Cooler and drier cellars probably hold sugar better, but I'm just a hack with good taste, so there. My bottle was tasty, dry, and showed leather, roses, fig and hints of buttered apple when warmed and aired. Truly. A good wine to get that old bordeaux vibe for under 100 bucks. Will turn into a pumkin by Halloween, almost certainly.
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12/4/2005 - jpan wrote:
Part of our Thanksgiving Day blind tasting. (Cork disintegrated, so I wonder about the storage quality. It was purchased from a respected wine shop the week before consuming.) Dark red to brick color. Little fruit on the nose, but nice earthy, woody aromas. Medium body, with acid, tannin and earthy flavors in balance. VG to E.
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8/21/2005 - dbg wrote:
thought this would be mistaken for Bdx in flight with '85 Cos and '92
Beringer PR, but this was ID'd as American, excellent still if a bit
rustic
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3/4/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 94 Points
1985 California Cab Tasting: Clear ruby color. Nose of a classic left-bank Bordeaux. Pauillac maybe? Still incredibly tannic, big wine that shows beautiful cedar and black truffle flavors. I called this one blind as the Dominus. Everything an aged Cal Cab should and can be. My WOTN.
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8/26/2002 - R2-D2 wrote:
No notes
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8/8/2002 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
This seemed like it was slightly past its peak. However, this was still a silky smooth elegant wine which is drinking well. Integrated tannins. It had plum notes although some of the fruit seems to have faded. 89-90.
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1/27/2000 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sweet/sour Cabernet fruit on the nose, touch watery on the palate, intense, roasted coffee quality on the palate, great touch of cranberry on the palate, big amount of soft tannins on the long finish. My #3 of 10.
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4/25/1998 - dbg wrote:
dark red, rich full nose, bit of earthy, mushroomy aroma, lots of
fruit, dense rich fruit on the palate, smooth rich mouthfeel, well
integrated tannins, mature, nice finish
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2/1/1995 - sdr Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Very dark, no sign of age. Unidimensional cedary nose. Strong on the attack. Too extracted. Very coarse bitter finish.
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8/17/1994 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasting of 5 Dominus vs. 3 Opus. Big, rich, sweet fruit with hints of smoke on the nose, opulent and rich fruit on the palate, mouth filling richness and intensity, Bordeaux like, complex, needs 4 years, fabulous tasting Cabernet tonight, long finish. My #1 of 8.
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4/12/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
With Michael Lehmann and Brett Raven at Singer & Foy survey of '85 Cabs. Extremely dark ruby color. Good viscosity. Nose is a bit weird, but I like it. On the palate, it is big, full, dense and chewy. Bitter finish. Coffee there too. Controversial. Needs time. 5-10-16-7: 88/100.
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4/29/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
With K at home at dinner (roast). Dark ruby-purple. Good legs. Loads of dense, earthy fruit in the nose. Very fruity. In the mouth, very powerful and rich. Plenty of tannin, but not so tannic as to overshadow the ripe, deep fruit underneath. In fact, it's an excellent Cabernet for drinking even now with rich hearty dishes. Very long in the mouth. I think this wine has a long and glorious future. What in the world are Grapevine (15.1/20) and Connoisseur's Guide (*) tasting that I'm not? (This is great stuff.) 5-11-17-9: 92/100.
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3/1/1990 - sdr Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Shy nose but a little sweet already. On the palate, rather light and short. Just okay.
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