WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): [Double decanted all at 1:00 PM, recorked at 5:00 PM.] Smoky black currant nose. This is still young, but already long and complex. Seems a little more Bordeaux-like than the previous wines. I suspect this isn't 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Amazing bottle of wine. Sampled with other exquisite bordeaux and bordeaux blend wines that night and this easily won WOTN. Still, black inky color with tremendous nose of black cherries, rose, liquorice, toast and jasmine perfume. Mouthfeel was light, ephemeral like a pomerol without the weight. Tannins were there, barely, yet the fruit was not heady or over bearing. Earth notes of forrest floor and graphite, cherry and other black frutis, but VELVET smooth. Long lasting finish that waffted through the back palate and into the nose. Tremedous wine
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This may have been a bad bottle or a storage issue, but this wine was very disappointing. Even over the course of several hours it never amounted to much. Nose and palate were bland. Occasional hints of menthol but nothing of note. Mostly just tired tasting and a little sad.
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Decanted an hour. Almost a teaspoon of sediment. My first Dominus from a 21st century vintage. I prefer the more classic style of the 80s and 90s vintages, but this was still really great for what it is. A very fruit forward and nearly jammy wine filled with waves of blackberries, black cherry and touch of plum and black raspberry. Lush and velvety. Some sweet vanilla Oak. A long finish.
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Very classic style. Initially green but opened up after an hour. Dark fruit, dusty red fruit, pencil, espresso and earth. Still plenty of life here and great for the vintage.
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The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like medium toast, oak, phenolic, blueberry and raspberry. It tastes like raisin, prune, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, forest floor, mineral, medium toast, phenolic and lead pencil. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has high acidity.
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Opened and decanted for an hour, drank over the next four hours. Well made and has that smooth Dominus texture and feel. French style with some Ca fruit, but lacking some zip compared to better vintages. 94/95
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New world right bank. Poured from magnum, shimmering purple velvet. A bit tight up front, but opening after 2 hours to black cherry, licorice and hint of cocoa.
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New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped, well-balanced iron, black fruit, finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped, well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped opening gives way to well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped opening gives way to well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and lingering finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, offering smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped opening gives way to well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and lingering finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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Double decanted fir 2 hours and placed in the fridge for about 10 min.
The wine is clear rubby in color, fine sediments around the bottle, no briks, no sings of age on the ring. Body is medium plus, good acidity, subtle tannins, dark notes, a bit earthy. It’s king of a hybrid between a Classic Napa and a good Bordeaux!
Drink but no rush!
PS: 6 hours after opened (4 drinking) it’s solid as a rock!!!!
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à l'ouverture, nez sur les fruits noirs, herbal, cuir. Première lampé, pas certain, un peu de chauffe, fruits compotés, je lui laisse un peu d'air, ce que lui a fait un grand bien.
Après 2 hr en carafe, le vin s'assouplit, prend forme. En bouche nous sommes sur des fruits foncé, les herbes, la tabc, vin bien balancé, la chauffe se résorbe, les tannins sont fondus, la finale est moyennement longue.
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From 75cl purchased from The Wine Society in 2009, not moved since, perfect cork. Decanted 2 hours. Expressive from the first pour, this opened up beautifully over the evening. Dark, expressive, spicy super-second-Bordeaux aromatics (Ducru from a ripe vintage?) but the entry is clearly New World, if restrained: well assimilated, classy, new oak, deep purple fruit and surprisingly resolved tannins (OK, I'm back in my Bordeaux mindset now, where 18 years is but a heartbeat). Long finish with expressive reflexes of licquorice and dried spices I can't remember now (star anise?) Outstanding wine, well priced at the 60-odd Euros I paid back in the day. Mature now, but no hurry. 93-94P
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1 hour decant. Etta Ripe Blackberry, plum and green pepper. There’s a stemy element that’s interesting but not detracting , and noticeable oaky tannin on what’s a very nice finish. The Cabernet flavor dominates but it’s not monolithic like many Cali cult Cab’s. Full bodied , complex and interesting with tons of potential but perhaps the fruit is slightly too ripe to age significantly more.
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Rarities dinner “Spectacular Californians” late Nov 2021: rubin red color; restrained start, opened up over 2 hours; cassis and red berries flavors mixed with mint notes; balanced and smooth on the palate accompanied by a mild Cabernet sweetness.
Excellent Dominus 2004. Dominus 2005 tasted at the same event provided very similar observations (see tasting note).
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Clear deep garnet. Pronounced nose of tar, vanilla, toast, dried blackberries, mushrooms, chocolate. Wine is fully developed. Palate: dry, medium acidity, medium plus tannins and body making very pleasant and satisfying mouthfeel. Medium alcohol, pronounced flavors of toast, cedar, dark chocolate, prunes with very meaty and savory notes. Very pleasant an long finish that lingers in the back of the mouth. Very good wine in its prime. Can be cellared further and can probably last for 10 more years easily
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Nice rich nose of black and blue fruit, some red meat, licorice, chocolate, and flowers. Body is a touch thin but once again ripe tannins, strong acidity and a nice finish. Good but a touch below the 05
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YESim. So call me an old world snob but as a bdx -related wine this too a/c and fruity to qualify. It is a very nice wine and rich but ther is a distinct lack of complexity to it that disqualifies it as really great. And, i hesitate to say, not worth the price. Not an issue for me as i bought it 11 years ago for a lot less.
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One off as part of a 4 bottle purchase of high end wines (hard to price individual bottles, but probably about $130) about 4 and a half years ago. Small pour, then about 75 minutes of air, but it was singing straight out of the bottle (and I recorked it after the 75 minutes so it wouldn't dissipate). As vibrant a nose as I've experienced, led by creamy cassis, ripe and rich boysenberries, black cherries, black currants, plums, wet earth, smoke, cigar box, camphor, spice, dark chocolate, graphite, with powerful dark coffee notes on the back end. Almost blackish purple, medium+++ bodied, tree trunk legs. Medium- acidity, fairly powerful but super silky tannins, no heat. Tremendous complexity, very good intensity, medium+ persistence. I've had a couple of other vintages of this bottling, but this is the first bottle of this I've bought, and with a one-off seller and a mediocre CT score, I had some concerns, but this bottle blew them away quickly. Powerful, rich, subtle and supple but in no way soft, this tumbled out the bottle perfectly balanced and elegant, surprisingly fulsome for a wine renowned for its Bordeaux nature--perhaps the vintage--not to be confused with a cult cab, but clearly grounded in the 707. Great on its own, it hit another gear with a grass-fed, organic Wagyu ribeye, as if they were twinned, and was also a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate. Lost just a touch of steam night 2 and was good but several notches below with spaghetti and meatballs, but this at no point was less than memorable and outstanding, a stunner bang in the middle of its drinking window (agree with CT friend msu that estimating DWs is a mug's game, but hard to imagine that this doesn't have at least 5 peak years left). Not quite the elegance of the Montrose, the power of the Ovid, the sophistication of the Verite or the electricity of the Spotteswood, but it's close, and that's damned fine company. 97+ night one, 95-96 night two. Would buy again and again at what I paid for this.
At the risk of touching a third rail, this is one of the most mis-scored wines I've encountered on CT IMO. I'd love to taste everything I buy beforehand, but that's not possible, and CT is my go-to source of choice, at least when there's a critical mass of reviews, when I make buying decisions for wines I haven't had. That said, I've noticed habitual underscoring of "classic" cabs viz "cult" cabs; how else to possibly explain this wine scoring the same or lower than entry level wines from Mike Smith or Kirk Venge which I believe barely scrape pretty good, well below very good (but to my mind, far from exceptional) higher priced wines from Mike Smith, as well as excellent, but not superior, high-end wines from TRB? I know taste is, at some level, personal, but are the winedrinkers who appreciate this style really that underrepresented on this site? I'd welcome others thoughts on this, but I'd take a couple of bottles of this anytime over a mixed half case of the Quivet LPV and Myriad BGIII. Well, as my dad used to say, that's what makes horse racing.
we had the 2001, 2003 and 2004 - all are fine wines and the warmer climate is obvious. Not drinking a lot of Napa wines i thought there was not a huge difference between the three vintages.
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During a Zoom blind tasting. 2001/2003/2004. Lots of ripeness jumps from the glass, were were tossing around Australia, South of France, Priorat and Ribeira del Duero until one of us mentioned "Ripe right bank Bordeaux". All were wrong in the place but the ripeness stands out here, for me more than I am used to with Bdx. The 2001 had lots of vanilla and some heat (93), the 2003 was the most complex with a meaty side (95) and the 2004 somewhere in the middle with a nice bacon mix in the aromatics (94). All very well done and if you like your CabSav plush yet still complex Dominus is a good bet.
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Dominus Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): An odd bottle, clearly off kilter. Almost bretty, but not quite, clearly dirty, with a particularity odd, tinny character. Some wondered if slightly corked given faded/ stripped fruit, and maybe so, but not quite like any form of corked wine I've experienced before. But clearly incorrect.
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Just wow. Never had this vintage Dominus before, this is showing incredibly well. Cassis, cedar, and spices. Structured with tannins starting to shy away — pleasantly silky and light on its feet. Decanted for one hour.
Of course this will hold for 10-15 more years easily, but it is in a fantastic sweet spot to drink now!
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Still relatively youthful. Ripe cassis, plum, baking chocolate, with noticeable wood on the nose. Rich, ripe and round, yet structured. Very well done but a bit opulent. Maybe the heat of the vintage? Needs time. 92
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Drank this from the magnum at Mastro's Ocean Grill in Malibu for my birthday. Absolutely in its prime right now. This wine is the closest to Bordeaux in the Napa Valley. Amazing... fricking amazing!
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This has a huge structure, big tannin and acidity, with a generous fruit cloak. Plush and luxurious. Right now I think some of the youthful fruit has subsided but the structure has not yet softened, leaving it a little tough to drink right now. I am pretty sure this will mature into a very special wine - but needs lots of time. Blackberry, black cherry and underbrush, with a mere hint of tertiary saddle, accompanied by cake mixed spices.
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Napa with friends; 8/15/2019-8/18/2019 (Napa, CA): Side by side with the '95 Heitz Bella Oaks this was less impressive tonight. While not bad, it just was not as pulled together - sill had a bit of alcohol poking through on the finish. The mouthfeel here is silky as I usually find with Dominus but I think this still needs time to knit together - would hold for 5-10 more years.
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Decanted 2 hours, very approachable, tannins pretty much gone. A very nice Bordeaux blend. paired with beef and lamb, a big hit. I dont think it has more than 4 to 5 years left. Subtle hints of berries.
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Great dark berry notes, dried cassis, tootsie rool; cool complex stuff going on, tannins almost all resolved, really good right now, won't get better, drink up, why wait. Actually worked with Uni pasta as I found older Bordeaux seems to as well. But the Fiano was best with the uni. Miro Dirty Dozen
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No decant, could have used it. Enticing nose of sweet, ripe blue and red fruit, muted spice and a touch of fennel. Smooth and restrained palate, echoing the nose but adding a touch of coffee flavor. Still a bit primary, with fine grained tannins. No noticeable oak. Best in 3-5 years, I'd think.
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2 hour decant before pour. Flavor of dark berries and leather on the nose and palate. The fruit is slightly stewed and without the sweetness of other Napa cab’s Still slightly tannic even after 3 hours of decant but this may allow for more cellaring, as it evolved in a good way the longer the bottle was opened. By hour 5 it was great. The finish is complex with some oregano and lasts for days ..
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beautiful wine, such incredibly high quality fruit. Perhaps lacked the drive of a bottle of the same wine tasted last year, I think it might need another couple of years. Still, that is being picky, this is a fabulous wine.
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Terrific! With a short decant of 30 minutes, this beauty bloomed. Beautiful rich fruit with a subtle dash of cocoa and smoke. Great balance, soft tannins and a long finish. Just great! It will probably last longer, but it sure is a winner right now.
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Medium-light rosewood color. Floral and sweet nose, with a gentle nuance of old wood, and a subtle but pervasive note of stone. This is Old World in style, but with an unmistakable whiff of Napa Valley Cabernet. The palate starts smooth and round, with moderate concentration of black fruit, This goes a bit mute at midpalate, but perks up with a bit of ferric, grainy tannin on the finish, which lingers with the flavors of ink and brambles. Not a brilliant vintage, but this wine is well-balanced and delicious nonetheless. No need to wait; this will likely be in its drinking window for another 3-5 years.
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Decanted for an hour then back in the bottle to drink tonight, deep ruby, red & dark fruit, with a hint of tobacco & leather (Bordeaux), mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, drinks like an 03 Left Bank, drink or preferably hold
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Intimate Dinner Series: Cabernet Sauvignon (G&R's): Double blind. Aromas of brown sugar, black fruit and rose petals. A bit softer than the others in the flight, but only by comparison- this is still big and structured. Dark fruit and black cherry on the palate. Nicely balanced despite its size- there's plenty of fruit for the tannins.
Flight ranking: My #2, Domino's #4 Group #1, 15 pts
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A week in Napa for the Napa Valley Grape Growers Harvest STOMP party; 8/22/2017-8/27/2017 (Napa, CA): 3rd in the lineup of wines and a transition back to elegance and restraint after the '98 Solaia. This was drinking well tonight on pop and pour. Subtle nose of red fruit and earth. On the palate, rides that nice line between old and new world, red fruits with a nice balance of acidity and earth that keep it well balanced. Some dusty tannins on the long finish. Elegant and lovely.
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Regular dinner group (@ PZ): In the bouquet ripe dark berries like cassis, beautiful oak and sweet spices. On the palate a truly great wine with beautiful dark berries, fresh acidity and round tannin with still a pleasant bite. Ready now and the next 5+ years. 94 – 95
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From a magnum. Drinking excellent right now. Well balanced, beautiful fruit, like velvet on the palate with good layers. In my experience 2004 has been an awesome vintage for Napa.
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First for me out of a six pack purchased on release. A favorite of mine with 15 other vintages in my cellar, this one seemed closed to me. Bordeaux from Napa, with all the components there, just not opened up yet.
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One of my Napa favourites. Yet again, they have fashioned a big, rich wine with precision and focus. Lots of chocolate, dark berries and mid-palate sweetness for the lover's of the New World versions of this variety, yet finishes long, savoury and refreshing, begging another sip. Bravo!! No hurry to drink this, might even improve a little over the next five years, but really don't see any reason to wait.
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A private tasting (Restaurant De Ertepeller, Papendrecht. NL): Tasted blind. 40% new oak. Darker pitch than both the previous wines, hint of cocoa, quite closed; big and rich palate, quite alcoholic, young and strong, quite structured, rich fruit, excellent length.
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A nice Napa Cabernet Sauvignon dominated (85%): full-bodied, rich, powerful, but balanced with polished tanins. Aromas of red berries, moccha, vanilla, cedar, cigar box, it is a big wine that needs more time to settle down and gain more elegance. Quite enjoyable now though.
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We had 2 bottles - the 1st took 2 hours + some glass time to open, the 2nd almost pnp. Both were phenomenol. What a great drink. We had some serious Japanese beef with it, and there was a good atmosphere to add to the score I admit, but I have no hesitation putting this label up there once again. It's Napa, but so elegant with it.
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Really enjoyable bottle -- I don't drink much California wine, but wouldn't mind having more of this...agree this was not jammy and quite elegant. Didn't seem to be showing any signs of decline and just entering its prime.
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Drank at my neighbour's house. Nice smell of chocolate. Tastes like 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with dark cherries and some spices. Therafter some scents of coffee. Great earthy finish!
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Great wine. Beautiful French style bordeauz. Not a fruit bomb; lovely food wine. Great with. Wonderful fruit with medium and dark fruit layers; lots of complexity. Fine tannins. Perfectly ready now but no hurry. Decanted 2 hours, stayed wonderful until finished 2 hours later. (With carpe dinner)
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I second the view expressed in the note below - its exactly as stated. People I tasted it found it very impressive - this 2004 Dominus is definitely very underrated and im glad I still have a few bottles.
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Maturing wine with some bricking and the opacity associated with aged Bordeaux. The nose is amazing, very Right bank in ripeness of the red and blue berries, with tertiary notes of nutmeg, chocolate shavings and some dustiness - quite intoxicating. The palate is smooth yet bursting with fruit and nicely round with a dose of oak that is not too heavy. Finishes long and begs for more. This is truly outstanding stuff and rivals the '04 Insignia for best values in The upper echelons of Napa
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4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Our house): Notes of cassis, blackberry and herbs. The palate follows the bouquet, adding hints of chocolate and violets. Lengthy finish. Guessed Napa Cabernet.
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First sip right out of the bottle was a bit thin, but after 2 hours in the decanter it began to shine. Beautiful, elegant wine. Perfect to drink right now. 93+pts.
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Recently rated by Parker 97 points so expectations were high. Very dark and rich. Blueberry syrup but not jammy at all. Mocha notes as well. Sweet and ripe but not in an over the top way. Soft tannins. Opulent wine. It's still pretty primary and I think will continue to develop despite the already soft structure. Not a style everyone enjoys but I liked it.
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Oaky bouquet that immediately put my mind to the 2003 Ducru-Beaucalliou. The palate does not show nearly as much oak as the bouquet. It is remarkably refined, and features pencil lead, gravel, peppers (green and jalapeno), and blackcurrant. Great acid, light to medium acid, wonderfully balanced. Soft, layered and rounded mouthfeel, in a word, sophisticated. Long and charming finish. Drinking incredibly well right now, and it should hold for five to seven years, but I cannot see it improving. 93-94.
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Pnp, deep garnet in color yield a bordeaux-like nose resembling Paulliac and bit of Margaux. Fresh dark fruit and cassis, hint of vanilla without the overpowering oak. Leathery in mouth with cedar, hint of eucalyptus. Extremely fine balance of acidity, sweetness and tannin. Med to long finish, this is the type of US wines I adore.
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Beautiful dark Ruby that shows no sign of fading. Delicious nose of red and black berries with some spices. Blackberry bramble and cedar with strong tannins. Tannins are surprisingly still a bit backwards. This wine has another 15 years in front of it, easy.
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Delicious. Good Napa cab - the minerals come through on this wonderfully. It's got plenty of legs but this is certainly no overlooked fruit bomb. Stood its ground and then some maybe against a gaja conteisa on the night
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Dark black red core with deep Alizarin Crimson rim. Smokey black cherry nose and flavors. A bit more hedonistic for this property, no doubt it's from Napa, an excellent one. This wine is already integrated and with some life ahead, but at a beautiful spot at the moment. Ready to drink now or hold for short/mid term. Pairs well with a steak. Tasty juice! 94+
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Beautiful and complex bouquet with e.g. smoke, chocolate, sweet spices and tart berry fruits. Same on the palate. A lot of sweetness and alcohol, but also beautiful spiciness, (rhubarb) acidity and melting tannin. The wine is ready now, but with this structure it can easily last until 2020. 93+
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A really good Cab Sav. I decanted for 2-3 hours, probablys should have done even more. Taking into account that this is a 10 years old wine the color was still farily dark and concentrated. Dark red fruit in the nose, also some vanilla, a hint of dried figs. Lovely long aftertaste.
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Opened at Husk restaurant in Nashville perfect timing for this 10 year old beauty. Complex full balanced wine that consistently delivers best comment I can make on notes is this can be opened or cellared for several more years.
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Perfect with grilled Flannery burger blends, the wine is soft, fat, round and lush, with lots of chocolate covered blackberries, earth, sweet jam and black cherry notes. This is drinking in a very good place at 10 years of age.
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nose - bright cherry, candy mouth - sweet, slightly candied, a style that will be wildly admired but in my mind lacks complexity. a slight disappointment
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Wine dinner with the Johnson's (Our lake house): Awesome wine. Ready now. Decanted for 6 hours as well. Opened up nicely. Clear WOTN for the ladies. The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Cranberry, and Cherry. The body is Full. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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Wonderfully balanced Cali cab that is drinking very well at the nearly ten-year mark. Quite enjoyable. Although it may add some depth in the coming years, there really isn't a reason to wait on this one.
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Very nice nose and taste. Some sweet and spicy berries, a touch of dark chocolate and a nice bit of tobbaco too. Very noce to drink now but will last another decade easily.
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Took a couple hours to really open up but a very balanced and fruit-forward Dominus. Not as over the top and bold as many vintages but still a very pleasing wine.
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This sat in my cellar for a long time (by my standards), and ultimately was something of a disappointment. It was good, but not particularly awesome. Certainly not as awesome as I would have hoped for the price point.
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Elegant all the way. Notes of blackberry liquor, coffee, tobacco, herb, mint, and vanilla. A little heat on the nose was the only downside. This will probably subside with more time.
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Second Sunday Group: 2004 California Cabs (Rich & Dana's): Inky garnet color. Notes of pine resin, black fruit- cassis and blackberry; later on, raspberry and herb qualities. Full-bodied with fairly heavy tannins and red and black fruit, plum and vanilla flavors. Nice fruit with a long finish. 93-94 pts.
My #7, Domino's #8 Group #4, 52 pts
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it's been awhile since I opened this wine. only able to decant for about 30 minutes so it was really tight in the begining. Opened up nicely with a great noise. Nice balance and bouquet. reaffirmed my reason for buying this wine every year since 2004.
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One of the 'best of the best' wines we've ever had, this was simply fabulous and a great Father's Day weekend treat - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, plum, cherry, mocha, cigar box, tobacco and vanilla, great structure, balance and amazing integration, complex, sweet, silky smooth with awesome length, wish we had a case of this! (95 Points).
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Had this one at churrasqueria argentina with good friends and wife. It was marvelous. A perfect marriage between french elegance and American Power. It had such an incredible nose of cream de cassis liqueur, dark fruit marmalade. The balance was impeccable. Longley fresh and minty finish. Amazing
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DE Double blind Best Bottle (DE): My blind notes: Aromas of cream, oak, and an unusual but not unpleasant citrus element. Full palate with dark berries, tobacco. Abundant tannins, medium finish. My 5/9, group's 9/9
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Drank alongside the '01 which I liked a touch better given the age on the bottle. 04 had nice red fruit, smooth and very easy to drinks. Secondary spice and tobacco flavors not there as much. Nice wine.
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tight and inexpressive, even if decanted, and also on the second day. blackcurrant, mint, cocholate, but all in very low tones. alcohol quite evident in the mouth, a bit bitter and disjoined. will it improve?
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this wine was incredible and we had 4 people do a sise by dside with the pahlmeyer and Winter both 2006 ( 2 rated akll thgree equal); one rated the Pahlmeyer best
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Decanted about 1 hour. Great nose of red fruit up front followed by moderate amount of heat. Started off with a lot of fruit on the palate. After about an hour it really opened up and really showed off its great structure and long finish. Very elegant with silkly tannins. Did I mention the finish? Looking forward to the next bottle already.
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Celebration dinner for closing a deal. Jim picked this bottle. I thought it would be too young as the 02's need signifcant more time but this made the most sense on the menu. Decanted for 15 minutes. Wonderful nose of cherry, earth, flowers. Taste of dark fruit, minerals, cassis. Medium bodied, concentrated flavors, good strucutre. long finish. This just had it all. We killed this bottle quickly and ordered another which was just as good.
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On the nose: Cherris, vanilla, plum, raisins and mint
Decanted for a couple hours, really opened up to reveal lots of cherry and rhubarb. Wonderful silky smooth tannins contributed to a great mouthfeel, and an outstanding finish
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Tasted over 2 days vs. a 2004 Montelena. This wine started a bit slow, and took some time to open. But after a couple of hours it showed really well, with a packed, dense mid-palate that was very impressive. But the next day it had faded/shut down, and the Montelena was back showing solid fruit. I think this will be good, but not clear when. I would give it some time. A-
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Dark berries on the nose. Currant and cherry on the palate along with obvious oak, a vegetal streak, and assertive tannins. It was much better than I expected it to be. As was noted by some other recent tasters it seems to have entered its drinking window.
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WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Provence Restaurant, Albany, NY): Backward nose. Thick, silky, sweet black fruit. Very young and backward. Hard to judge 93-95 points. Day 2: Still a huge wine with lots of black fruit and tannin. I would hold off drinking this for 5-8 years. Could be another great Dominus! 94-97 points.
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(2) Drank with Jen, Shaun, Chuck & Stephanie. Was a little disappointed - not very complex and a fair touch of oak. I’ll keep the other bottle for long-term aging to see if it improves.
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Very good stuff. Straightfoward attack and good secondary flavors. Not the most effusive on the nose, and not a well priced wine, but I thought it was smooth and balanced [more Monte Bello than Harlan].
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A big and very young dominus. Very French oriented considering it's from Napa. Black fruits with minerals, damp stone, herbs. Very ripe and still tannic. Very young and should be untouched for a long long time.
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A huge, monolithic wine, and puts on even more weight after opening. Definitely needs to be paired with something heavy. On the whole it seemed better at first sip, but became a bit cloying after a glass or two. Last third of the bottle went down the drain.
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Tasted at Vino Volo. Nose of black currant, leather, tobacco, black cherry, asian spice, mocha. On the palate, black currant, tobacco, black cherry, mocha, and spicy oak. Finishes with strong tannins and a little heat. There is some upside with this as it is extremely complex and has a nice transition from throughout the palate. Value judgement withheld until a future tasting.
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While it has come a long way since the last bottle, it still needs alot more time. Lay down for at least two years or a long hour decant. Somme great potential here.
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Dark red, ripe, round and rich. Lovely mouthfull of sweet fruit, with silky tannins and great mouthfeel. Tasted with first growth bordeaux and was among the standouts of the evening.
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Nice ruby color. Closed nose. Acidic with grainy tannins. Nothing there to attract me. Didn't stand up to the other wines at the tasting. Ranked it #8 (out of 8) and that was a popular spot for it with the other tasters.
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Tasted against Rubicon Cask Cabernet '04 and Quintessa '04: The finest of the three - shows a lot of mint, cream and red fruit, a lot of delicacy but a lot of delivery too, particularly on the red fruit and sour cream filled finish.
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Tasted blind against 2004 Lafite Rothschild and 2004 Chateau Reignac. Immediately recognizable for the intensity of the fruit on the palate, like biting into a perfectly ripe tomato. Long finish with ample tannic support. Immediately ran out and bought another bottle to cellar for a decade at the minimum.
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Enormous and closed. This wine will be excellent in a few years, but is not very approachable. Cassis, oak, lots of tannin structure, and hints of mineral and earth. The finish is moderate, and the wine will improve, I think, in about 3-5 years.
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Dark, dark purple/red, closed nose of vanilla and high-toned red fruit, palate is very tight and restrained dominated by red fruits, finishes with good length and hints of chocolate, didn't really smell or taste much like cabernet, 88?
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Binny's California Night (Highland Park): nose: nice creamy nose with vanilla, red fruit, and a slight hint of toasted oak. Very nice polished nose that is pretty fun to smell
taste: nice silky mouthfeel. Getting some cranberry, sour cherry, vanilla, and slight hints of toasted oak
overall: nice well polished wine. THe finish doesn't last as long as I'd like, and there isn't as much depth to the wine as one would want from such a pedigree. Still, this is a pretty darn good wine
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Fairly tannic but not as angular as the 2003. Seems softer in general, and it is hard to say which will be better in the long run. Not getting much of anything from this wine right now. A hint of mintiness on the finish. Has potential but perhaps not as much as 2003. Some barnyard and blueberry aromas as it opens, but not tons of structure on the finish.
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3/7/2024 - salil wrote: 87 Points
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): One of those wines that seems well made and impressive but not really enjoyable. Plenty of black fruit and oak here, but not a lot of complexity otherwise and rather charmless.
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3/7/2024 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): [Double decanted all at 1:00 PM, recorked at 5:00 PM.] Smoky black currant nose. This is still young, but already long and complex. Seems a little more Bordeaux-like than the previous wines. I suspect this isn't 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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12/30/2023 - Cholera Likes this wine: 99 Points
Amazing bottle of wine. Sampled with other exquisite bordeaux and bordeaux blend wines that night and this easily won WOTN. Still, black inky color with tremendous nose of black cherries, rose, liquorice, toast and jasmine perfume. Mouthfeel was light, ephemeral like a pomerol without the weight. Tannins were there, barely, yet the fruit was not heady or over bearing. Earth notes of forrest floor and graphite, cherry and other black frutis, but VELVET smooth. Long lasting finish that waffted through the back palate and into the nose. Tremedous wine
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11/23/2023 - aif wrote: 85 Points
This may have been a bad bottle or a storage issue, but this wine was very disappointing. Even over the course of several hours it never amounted to much. Nose and palate were bland. Occasional hints of menthol but nothing of note. Mostly just tired tasting and a little sad.
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9/5/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted an hour. Almost a teaspoon of sediment. My first Dominus from a 21st century vintage. I prefer the more classic style of the 80s and 90s vintages, but this was still really great for what it is. A very fruit forward and nearly jammy wine filled with waves of blackberries, black cherry and touch of plum and black raspberry. Lush and velvety. Some sweet vanilla Oak. A long finish.
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9/2/2023 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Very classic style. Initially green but opened up after an hour. Dark fruit, dusty red fruit, pencil, espresso and earth. Still plenty of life here and great for the vintage.
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6/26/2023 - ebunderson wrote: 93 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like medium toast, oak, phenolic, blueberry and raspberry. It tastes like raisin, prune, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, forest floor, mineral, medium toast, phenolic and lead pencil. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has high acidity.
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1/22/2023 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted for an hour, drank over the next four hours. Well made and has that smooth Dominus texture and feel. French style with some Ca fruit, but lacking some zip compared to better vintages. 94/95
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
In drink window, from magnum. Bright purple, no bricking. Right bank twin, offering black fruit, smoke, licorice and leather on long finish.
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
New world right bank. Poured from magnum, shimmering purple velvet. A bit tight up front, but opening after 2 hours to black cherry, licorice and hint of cocoa.
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped, well-balanced iron, black fruit, finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped, well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped opening gives way to well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped opening gives way to well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and lingering finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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12/4/2022 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
New world right bank. From magnum. Shimmering in the glass, offering smoke and wet earth on the nose. Tightly wrapped opening gives way to well-balanced array of iron, black fruit, and lingering finish of cocoa and malt. Drink now-2025
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11/20/2022 - Dpark8 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still needed time to open up
Peppery, spicey, smooth tannins. Yogurt. The oak has really melted well into the wine
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9/18/2022 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted fir 2 hours and placed in the fridge for about 10 min.
The wine is clear rubby in color, fine sediments around the bottle, no briks, no sings of age on the ring. Body is medium plus, good acidity, subtle tannins, dark notes, a bit earthy. It’s king of a hybrid between a Classic Napa and a good Bordeaux!
Drink but no rush!
PS: 6 hours after opened (4 drinking) it’s solid as a rock!!!!
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8/21/2022 - paul canet wrote: 92 Points
à l'ouverture, nez sur les fruits noirs, herbal, cuir. Première lampé, pas certain, un peu de chauffe, fruits compotés, je lui laisse un peu d'air, ce que lui a fait un grand bien.
Après 2 hr en carafe, le vin s'assouplit, prend forme. En bouche nous sommes sur des fruits foncé, les herbes, la tabc, vin bien balancé, la chauffe se résorbe, les tannins sont fondus, la finale est moyennement longue.
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5/21/2022 - honest bob wrote: 93 Points
From 75cl purchased from The Wine Society in 2009, not moved since, perfect cork. Decanted 2 hours. Expressive from the first pour, this opened up beautifully over the evening. Dark, expressive, spicy super-second-Bordeaux aromatics (Ducru from a ripe vintage?) but the entry is clearly New World, if restrained: well assimilated, classy, new oak, deep purple fruit and surprisingly resolved tannins (OK, I'm back in my Bordeaux mindset now, where 18 years is but a heartbeat). Long finish with expressive reflexes of licquorice and dried spices I can't remember now (star anise?) Outstanding wine, well priced at the 60-odd Euros I paid back in the day. Mature now, but no hurry. 93-94P
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4/10/2022 - mukden wrote: flawed
2/6 fail rate for this wine ; poor show. Every bottle I have had from 03, 04, 05 have poor corks that break or disintegrate on opening ! Why?
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3/27/2022 - Backdoctor wrote: 93 Points
Had side by side with 07Caymus SS. Much more old world style, delicious
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2/1/2022 - Kevnzworld wrote: 94 Points
1 hour decant. Etta
Ripe Blackberry, plum and green pepper. There’s a stemy element that’s interesting but not detracting , and noticeable oaky tannin on what’s a very nice finish.
The Cabernet flavor dominates but it’s not monolithic like many Cali cult Cab’s.
Full bodied , complex and interesting with tons of potential but perhaps the fruit is slightly too ripe to age significantly more.
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11/27/2021 - Fatty Cat wrote: 92 Points
Rarities dinner “Spectacular Californians” late Nov 2021: rubin red color; restrained start, opened up over 2 hours; cassis and red berries flavors mixed with mint notes; balanced and smooth on the palate accompanied by a mild Cabernet sweetness.
Excellent Dominus 2004. Dominus 2005 tasted at the same event provided very similar observations (see tasting note).
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6/12/2021 - mukden wrote: 90 Points
OK. But can’t believe the price; bought for around 50.
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5/31/2021 - BrianGM Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very Good, aged well. Drank 2018
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5/1/2021 - vpoms wrote: 93 Points
Clear deep garnet. Pronounced nose of tar, vanilla, toast, dried blackberries, mushrooms, chocolate. Wine is fully developed. Palate: dry, medium acidity, medium plus tannins and body making very pleasant and satisfying mouthfeel. Medium alcohol, pronounced flavors of toast, cedar, dark chocolate, prunes with very meaty and savory notes. Very pleasant an long finish that lingers in the back of the mouth. Very good wine in its prime. Can be cellared further and can probably last for 10 more years easily
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2/15/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant; drank next to the 2005
Nice rich nose of black and blue fruit, some red meat, licorice, chocolate, and flowers. Body is a touch thin but once again ripe tannins, strong acidity and a nice finish. Good but a touch below the 05
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1/29/2021 - mukden wrote: 90 Points
YESim. So call me an old world snob but as a bdx -related wine this too a/c and fruity to qualify. It is a very nice wine and rich but ther is a distinct lack of complexity to it that disqualifies it as really great. And, i hesitate to say, not worth the price. Not an issue for me as i bought it 11 years ago for a lot less.
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12/30/2020 - BiillyBob wrote:
Cassis, cherries, dark chocolate. 3rd of 4. Plenty of life left
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12/7/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
One off as part of a 4 bottle purchase of high end wines (hard to price individual bottles, but probably about $130) about 4 and a half years ago. Small pour, then about 75 minutes of air, but it was singing straight out of the bottle (and I recorked it after the 75 minutes so it wouldn't dissipate). As vibrant a nose as I've experienced, led by creamy cassis, ripe and rich boysenberries, black cherries, black currants, plums, wet earth, smoke, cigar box, camphor, spice, dark chocolate, graphite, with powerful dark coffee notes on the back end. Almost blackish purple, medium+++ bodied, tree trunk legs. Medium- acidity, fairly powerful but super silky tannins, no heat. Tremendous complexity, very good intensity, medium+ persistence. I've had a couple of other vintages of this bottling, but this is the first bottle of this I've bought, and with a one-off seller and a mediocre CT score, I had some concerns, but this bottle blew them away quickly. Powerful, rich, subtle and supple but in no way soft, this tumbled out the bottle perfectly balanced and elegant, surprisingly fulsome for a wine renowned for its Bordeaux nature--perhaps the vintage--not to be confused with a cult cab, but clearly grounded in the 707. Great on its own, it hit another gear with a grass-fed, organic Wagyu ribeye, as if they were twinned, and was also a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate. Lost just a touch of steam night 2 and was good but several notches below with spaghetti and meatballs, but this at no point was less than memorable and outstanding, a stunner bang in the middle of its drinking window (agree with CT friend msu that estimating DWs is a mug's game, but hard to imagine that this doesn't have at least 5 peak years left). Not quite the elegance of the Montrose, the power of the Ovid, the sophistication of the Verite or the electricity of the Spotteswood, but it's close, and that's damned fine company. 97+ night one, 95-96 night two. Would buy again and again at what I paid for this.
At the risk of touching a third rail, this is one of the most mis-scored wines I've encountered on CT IMO. I'd love to taste everything I buy beforehand, but that's not possible, and CT is my go-to source of choice, at least when there's a critical mass of reviews, when I make buying decisions for wines I haven't had. That said, I've noticed habitual underscoring of "classic" cabs viz "cult" cabs; how else to possibly explain this wine scoring the same or lower than entry level wines from Mike Smith or Kirk Venge which I believe barely scrape pretty good, well below very good (but to my mind, far from exceptional) higher priced wines from Mike Smith, as well as excellent, but not superior, high-end wines from TRB? I know taste is, at some level, personal, but are the winedrinkers who appreciate this style really that underrepresented on this site? I'd welcome others thoughts on this, but I'd take a couple of bottles of this anytime over a mixed half case of the Quivet LPV and Myriad BGIII. Well, as my dad used to say, that's what makes horse racing.
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5/9/2020 - steinersing wrote: 92 Points
we had the 2001, 2003 and 2004 - all are fine wines and the warmer climate is obvious. Not drinking a lot of Napa wines i thought there was not a huge difference between the three vintages.
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5/9/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
During a Zoom blind tasting. 2001/2003/2004. Lots of ripeness jumps from the glass, were were tossing around Australia, South of France, Priorat and Ribeira del Duero until one of us mentioned "Ripe right bank Bordeaux". All were wrong in the place but the ripeness stands out here, for me more than I am used to with Bdx. The 2001 had lots of vanilla and some heat (93), the 2003 was the most complex with a meaty side (95) and the 2004 somewhere in the middle with a nice bacon mix in the aromatics (94). All very well done and if you like your CabSav plush yet still complex Dominus is a good bet.
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2/16/2020 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple in color. Notes of cassis, tobacco and dark chocolate. Dry, med body, med acidity and smooth tannins. Great wine, very elegant
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1/9/2020 - KenK wrote: 88 Points
Hard to say this was obviously flawed, but came across lean and rather simple in this 12 year vertical.
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1/9/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Dominus Dinner (Formento's - Chicago IL): An odd bottle, clearly off kilter. Almost bretty, but not quite, clearly dirty, with a particularity odd, tinny character. Some wondered if slightly corked given faded/ stripped fruit, and maybe so, but not quite like any form of corked wine I've experienced before. But clearly incorrect.
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12/12/2019 - c.roy90 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just wow. Never had this vintage Dominus before, this is showing incredibly well. Cassis, cedar, and spices. Structured with tannins starting to shy away — pleasantly silky and light on its feet. Decanted for one hour.
Of course this will hold for 10-15 more years easily, but it is in a fantastic sweet spot to drink now!
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11/13/2019 - cct wrote: 92 Points
Still relatively youthful. Ripe cassis, plum, baking chocolate, with noticeable wood on the nose. Rich, ripe and round, yet structured. Very well done but a bit opulent. Maybe the heat of the vintage? Needs time. 92
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11/10/2019 - Bachus Maling Likes this wine: 99 Points
Drank this from the magnum at Mastro's Ocean Grill in Malibu for my birthday. Absolutely in its prime right now. This wine is the closest to Bordeaux in the Napa Valley. Amazing... fricking amazing!
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9/27/2019 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has a huge structure, big tannin and acidity, with a generous fruit cloak. Plush and luxurious. Right now I think some of the youthful fruit has subsided but the structure has not yet softened, leaving it a little tough to drink right now. I am pretty sure this will mature into a very special wine - but needs lots of time. Blackberry, black cherry and underbrush, with a mere hint of tertiary saddle, accompanied by cake mixed spices.
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8/15/2019 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Napa with friends; 8/15/2019-8/18/2019 (Napa, CA): Side by side with the '95 Heitz Bella Oaks this was less impressive tonight. While not bad, it just was not as pulled together - sill had a bit of alcohol poking through on the finish. The mouthfeel here is silky as I usually find with Dominus but I think this still needs time to knit together - would hold for 5-10 more years.
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5/8/2019 - Dougak wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours, very approachable, tannins pretty much gone. A very nice Bordeaux blend. paired with beef and lamb, a big hit. I dont think it has more than 4 to 5 years left. Subtle hints of berries.
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12/13/2018 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Great dark berry notes, dried cassis, tootsie rool; cool complex stuff going on, tannins almost all resolved, really good right now, won't get better, drink up, why wait. Actually worked with Uni pasta as I found older Bordeaux seems to as well. But the Fiano was best with the uni. Miro Dirty Dozen
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11/7/2018 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
No decant, could have used it. Enticing nose of sweet, ripe blue and red fruit, muted spice and a touch of fennel. Smooth and restrained palate, echoing the nose but adding a touch of coffee flavor. Still a bit primary, with fine grained tannins. No noticeable oak. Best in 3-5 years, I'd think.
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8/28/2018 - Kevnzworld wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant before pour.
Flavor of dark berries and leather on the nose and palate.
The fruit is slightly stewed and without the sweetness of other Napa cab’s
Still slightly tannic even after 3 hours of decant but this may allow for more cellaring, as it evolved in a good way the longer the bottle was opened. By hour 5 it was great.
The finish is complex with some oregano and lasts for days ..
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7/1/2018 - felixp Likes this wine: 93 Points
beautiful wine, such incredibly high quality fruit. Perhaps lacked the drive of a bottle of the same wine tasted last year, I think it might need another couple of years. Still, that is being picky, this is a fabulous wine.
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6/17/2018 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful. Waited 5 days so can’t remember much more!
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6/4/2018 - brubron Likes this wine:
Terrific!
With a short decant of 30 minutes, this beauty bloomed.
Beautiful rich fruit with a subtle dash of cocoa and smoke. Great balance, soft tannins and a long finish. Just great! It will probably last longer, but it sure is a winner right now.
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1/24/2018 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium-light rosewood color. Floral and sweet nose, with a gentle nuance of old wood, and a subtle but pervasive note of stone. This is Old World in style, but with an unmistakable whiff of Napa Valley Cabernet. The palate starts smooth and round, with moderate concentration of black fruit, This goes a bit mute at midpalate, but perks up with a bit of ferric, grainy tannin on the finish, which lingers with the flavors of ink and brambles. Not a brilliant vintage, but this wine is well-balanced and delicious nonetheless. No need to wait; this will likely be in its drinking window for another 3-5 years.
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12/29/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for an hour then back in the bottle to drink tonight, deep ruby, red & dark fruit, with a hint of tobacco & leather (Bordeaux), mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, drinks like an 03 Left Bank, drink or preferably hold
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12/17/2017 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Intimate Dinner Series: Cabernet Sauvignon (G&R's): Double blind. Aromas of brown sugar, black fruit and rose petals. A bit softer than the others in the flight, but only by comparison- this is still big and structured. Dark fruit and black cherry on the palate. Nicely balanced despite its size- there's plenty of fruit for the tannins.
Flight ranking:
My #2, Domino's #4
Group #1, 15 pts
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8/27/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
A week in Napa for the Napa Valley Grape Growers Harvest STOMP party; 8/22/2017-8/27/2017 (Napa, CA): 3rd in the lineup of wines and a transition back to elegance and restraint after the '98 Solaia. This was drinking well tonight on pop and pour. Subtle nose of red fruit and earth. On the palate, rides that nice line between old and new world, red fruits with a nice balance of acidity and earth that keep it well balanced. Some dusty tannins on the long finish. Elegant and lovely.
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7/8/2017 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Regular dinner group (@ PZ): In the bouquet ripe dark berries like cassis, beautiful oak and sweet spices. On the palate a truly great wine with beautiful dark berries, fresh acidity and round tannin with still a pleasant bite. Ready now and the next 5+ years. 94 – 95
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3/31/2017 - SonnyChiba wrote: 95 Points
From a magnum. Drinking excellent right now. Well balanced, beautiful fruit, like velvet on the palate with good layers. In my experience 2004 has been an awesome vintage for Napa.
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3/18/2017 - WinoRick wrote: 91 Points
First for me out of a six pack purchased on release. A favorite of mine with 15 other vintages in my cellar, this one seemed closed to me. Bordeaux from Napa, with all the components there, just not opened up yet.
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3/11/2017 - felixp Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of my Napa favourites. Yet again, they have fashioned a big, rich wine with precision and focus. Lots of chocolate, dark berries and mid-palate sweetness for the lover's of the New World versions of this variety, yet finishes long, savoury and refreshing, begging another sip.
Bravo!!
No hurry to drink this, might even improve a little over the next five years, but really don't see any reason to wait.
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2/6/2017 - vinko84 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. Much lighter than any red blend from Cali that I ever had.
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12/10/2016 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private tasting (Restaurant De Ertepeller, Papendrecht. NL): Tasted blind. 40% new oak. Darker pitch than both the previous wines, hint of cocoa, quite closed; big and rich palate, quite alcoholic, young and strong, quite structured, rich fruit, excellent length.
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11/17/2016 - Fosgrove Likes this wine: 95 Points
Elegant beautifully balanced and sophisticated. Effortless to drink. I don't think you could want for much more in a wine
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7/21/2016 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 92 Points
A nice Napa Cabernet Sauvignon dominated (85%): full-bodied, rich, powerful, but balanced with polished tanins. Aromas of red berries, moccha, vanilla, cedar, cigar box, it is a big wine that needs more time to settle down and gain more elegance. Quite enjoyable now though.
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6/14/2016 - Charogers Likes this wine: 95 Points
We had 2 bottles - the 1st took 2 hours + some glass time to open, the 2nd almost pnp. Both were phenomenol. What a great drink. We had some serious Japanese beef with it, and there was a good atmosphere to add to the score I admit, but I have no hesitation putting this label up there once again. It's Napa, but so elegant with it.
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1/31/2016 - tdelorme wrote:
Really enjoyable bottle -- I don't drink much California wine, but wouldn't mind having more of this...agree this was not jammy and quite elegant. Didn't seem to be showing any signs of decline and just entering its prime.
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12/24/2015 - Romol Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2,5 hours. Very good wine. Perfect to drink right now. 93 pts.
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12/21/2015 - Longrange380 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at my neighbour's house.
Nice smell of chocolate. Tastes like 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with dark cherries and some spices. Therafter some scents of coffee. Great earthy finish!
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10/13/2015 - NapaTom Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. Beautiful French style bordeauz. Not a fruit bomb; lovely food wine. Great with. Wonderful fruit with medium and dark fruit layers; lots of complexity. Fine tannins. Perfectly ready now but no hurry. Decanted 2 hours, stayed wonderful until finished 2 hours later.
(With carpe dinner)
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6/25/2015 - bnord81 wrote: 95 Points
At Spoon and Stable with Jerry and Carrie of Veya. Needed about two hours in the decanter then wonderful
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6/14/2015 - RodLloyd wrote: 94 Points
I second the view expressed in the note below - its exactly as stated. People I tasted it found it very impressive - this 2004 Dominus is definitely very underrated and im glad I still have a few bottles.
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6/13/2015 - farinas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Maturing wine with some bricking and the opacity associated with aged Bordeaux. The nose is amazing, very Right bank in ripeness of the red and blue berries, with tertiary notes of nutmeg, chocolate shavings and some dustiness - quite intoxicating. The palate is smooth yet bursting with fruit and nicely round with a dose of oak that is not too heavy. Finishes long and begs for more. This is truly outstanding stuff and rivals the '04 Insignia for best values in The upper echelons of Napa
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4/25/2015 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Our house): Notes of cassis, blackberry and herbs. The palate follows the bouquet, adding hints of chocolate and violets. Lengthy finish. Guessed Napa Cabernet.
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3/26/2015 - Romol Likes this wine: 93 Points
First sip right out of the bottle was a bit thin, but after 2 hours in the decanter it began to shine. Beautiful, elegant wine. Perfect to drink right now. 93+pts.
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1/20/2015 - Charogers Likes this wine: 94 Points
As before. Good stuff
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12/29/2014 - winesteward Likes this wine: 92 Points
Recently rated by Parker 97 points so expectations were high. Very dark and rich. Blueberry syrup but not jammy at all. Mocha notes as well. Sweet and ripe but not in an over the top way. Soft tannins. Opulent wine. It's still pretty primary and I think will continue to develop despite the already soft structure. Not a style everyone enjoys but I liked it.
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12/22/2014 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Oaky bouquet that immediately put my mind to the 2003 Ducru-Beaucalliou. The palate does not show nearly as much oak as the bouquet. It is remarkably refined, and features pencil lead, gravel, peppers (green and jalapeno), and blackcurrant. Great acid, light to medium acid, wonderfully balanced. Soft, layered and rounded mouthfeel, in a word, sophisticated. Long and charming finish. Drinking incredibly well right now, and it should hold for five to seven years, but I cannot see it improving. 93-94.
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12/15/2014 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp, deep garnet in color yield a bordeaux-like nose resembling Paulliac and bit of Margaux. Fresh dark fruit and cassis, hint of vanilla without the overpowering oak. Leathery in mouth with cedar, hint of eucalyptus. Extremely fine balance of acidity, sweetness and tannin. Med to long finish, this is the type of US wines I adore.
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10/24/2014 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful dark Ruby that shows no sign of fading. Delicious nose of red and black berries with some spices. Blackberry bramble and cedar with strong tannins. Tannins are surprisingly still a bit backwards. This wine has another 15 years in front of it, easy.
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10/4/2014 - Charogers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Good Napa cab - the minerals come through on this wonderfully. It's got plenty of legs but this is certainly no overlooked fruit bomb. Stood its ground and then some maybe against a gaja conteisa on the night
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7/5/2014 - edub7 wrote: 94 Points
Dark black red core with deep Alizarin Crimson rim. Smokey black cherry nose and flavors. A bit more hedonistic for this property, no doubt it's from Napa, an excellent one. This wine is already integrated and with some life ahead, but at a beautiful spot at the moment. Ready to drink now or hold for short/mid term. Pairs well with a steak. Tasty juice! 94+
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5/17/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful and complex bouquet with e.g. smoke, chocolate, sweet spices and tart berry fruits. Same on the palate. A lot of sweetness and alcohol, but also beautiful spiciness, (rhubarb) acidity and melting tannin. The wine is ready now, but with this structure it can easily last until 2020. 93+
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4/17/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): Heady complex nose of browning beef and black fruit. Still very young, tart and tannic up front, but waves of ripe fruit on the long finish. Better in 8-10 years. 93-96 points.
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3/9/2014 - Kaerhoeg Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really good Cab Sav. I decanted for 2-3 hours, probablys should have done even more. Taking into account that this is a 10 years old wine the color was still farily dark and concentrated. Dark red fruit in the nose, also some vanilla, a hint of dried figs. Lovely long aftertaste.
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2/22/2014 - The Wine Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened at Husk restaurant in Nashville perfect timing for this 10 year old beauty. Complex full balanced wine that consistently delivers best comment I can make on notes is this can be opened or cellared for several more years.
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2/20/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Perfect with grilled Flannery burger blends, the wine is soft, fat, round and lush, with lots of chocolate covered blackberries, earth, sweet jam and black cherry notes. This is drinking in a very good place at 10 years of age.
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1/10/2014 - soyhead wrote:
nose - bright cherry, candy
mouth - sweet, slightly candied, a style that will be wildly admired but in my mind lacks complexity. a slight disappointment
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12/29/2013 - WojoWineCave Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine dinner with the Johnson's (Our lake house): Awesome wine. Ready now. Decanted for 6 hours as well. Opened up nicely. Clear WOTN for the ladies.
The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Cranberry, and Cherry. The body is Full. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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12/2/2013 - MLwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderfully balanced Cali cab that is drinking very well at the nearly ten-year mark. Quite enjoyable. Although it may add some depth in the coming years, there really isn't a reason to wait on this one.
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6/1/2013 - andyf wrote: 94 Points
Very nice nose and taste. Some sweet and spicy berries, a touch of dark chocolate and a nice bit of tobbaco too.
Very noce to drink now but will last another decade easily.
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5/29/2013 - Dfsmiths wrote: 90 Points
Good front tasting but a better lasting taste. A good 3hrs to open and deliciously smooth
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5/4/2013 - jfowler812 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Took a couple hours to really open up but a very balanced and fruit-forward Dominus. Not as over the top and bold as many vintages but still a very pleasing wine.
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3/10/2013 - Nuromri Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color. Bit jammy on nose which subsided over time. Richly textured, long. With Vital and Olea in Wien
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2/16/2013 - Regina Likes this wine: 91 Points
3D Pomerol. A really wonderful example of a new-world version of the right bank. Dark and juicy with smoke. Exciting.
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12/31/2012 - randymac88 wrote: 92 Points
This sat in my cellar for a long time (by my standards), and ultimately was something of a disappointment. It was good, but not particularly awesome. Certainly not as awesome as I would have hoped for the price point.
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11/22/2012 - clarktoews wrote: 92 Points
decanted for 3hrs, everything was working extremely well together and was very enjoyable
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11/16/2012 - scotty_b wrote: 94 Points
Elegant all the way. Notes of blackberry liquor, coffee, tobacco, herb, mint, and vanilla. A little heat on the nose was the only downside. This will probably subside with more time.
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10/14/2012 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2004 California Cabs (Rich & Dana's): Inky garnet color. Notes of pine resin, black fruit- cassis and blackberry; later on, raspberry and herb qualities. Full-bodied with fairly heavy tannins and red and black fruit, plum and vanilla flavors. Nice fruit with a long finish. 93-94 pts.
My #7, Domino's #8
Group #4, 52 pts
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10/4/2012 - briquette wrote: 94 Points
it's been awhile since I opened this wine. only able to decant for about 30 minutes so it was really tight in the begining. Opened up nicely with a great noise. Nice balance and bouquet. reaffirmed my reason for buying this wine every year since 2004.
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9/13/2012 - clarktoews wrote: 91 Points
def a great wine. very fresh and lots of fruit but also very well balanced.
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9/5/2012 - dicehk wrote: 90 Points
The wine was in magnum format and enjoyed a good 90 minute decant. Bold, good dark fruits on the bouquet and palate. Very new world.
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6/16/2012 - Tarrant wrote: 95 Points
One of the 'best of the best' wines we've ever had, this was simply fabulous and a great Father's Day weekend treat - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, plum, cherry, mocha, cigar box, tobacco and vanilla, great structure, balance and amazing integration, complex, sweet, silky smooth with awesome length, wish we had a case of this! (95 Points).
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5/26/2012 - yayinski wrote: 96 Points
Had this one at churrasqueria argentina with good friends and wife. It was marvelous. A perfect marriage between french elegance and American Power. It had such an incredible nose of cream de cassis liqueur, dark fruit marmalade. The balance was impeccable. Longley fresh and minty finish. Amazing
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5/14/2012 - clarktoews wrote: 92 Points
much more consistent with the previous bottles of '03 i have drank. def a very good wine
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1/27/2012 - jinks wrote: 92 Points
DE Double blind Best Bottle (DE): My blind notes:
Aromas of cream, oak, and an unusual but not unpleasant citrus element.
Full palate with dark berries, tobacco. Abundant tannins, medium finish.
My 5/9, group's 9/9
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1/3/2012 - hankj wrote: 90 Points
Solid and w/o a lot to criticize but a little oxidized character as others have noted. Drank nice but not $100 nice.
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11/5/2011 - webbaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit brown on the edge, but not tawny at all. Good fruit, soft tannins. Not much depth, a tad disappointing considering it IS Dominus.
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11/2/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 91 Points
Drank alongside the '01 which I liked a touch better given the age on the bottle. 04 had nice red fruit, smooth and very easy to drinks. Secondary spice and tobacco flavors not there as much. Nice wine.
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9/26/2011 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Dominus with Edouard Moueix (The Ledbury, London): Oaky, ripe, young, softly textured, with a lifted tone. Very nice
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7/7/2011 - elledeca wrote:
tight and inexpressive, even if decanted, and also on the second day. blackcurrant, mint, cocholate, but all in very low tones. alcohol quite evident in the mouth, a bit bitter and disjoined. will it improve?
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7/4/2011 - JJB007 wrote: 100 Points
this wine was incredible and we had 4 people do a sise by dside with the pahlmeyer and Winter both 2006 ( 2 rated akll thgree equal); one rated the Pahlmeyer best
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3/6/2011 - bmacartney wrote:
Decanted about 1 hour. Great nose of red fruit up front followed by moderate amount of heat. Started off with a lot of fruit on the palate. After about an hour it really opened up and really showed off its great structure and long finish. Very elegant with silkly tannins. Did I mention the finish? Looking forward to the next bottle already.
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12/24/2010 - HOS wrote: 95 Points
Celebration dinner for closing a deal. Jim picked this bottle. I thought it would be too young as the 02's need signifcant more time but this made the most sense on the menu. Decanted for 15 minutes. Wonderful nose of cherry, earth, flowers. Taste of dark fruit, minerals, cassis. Medium bodied, concentrated flavors, good strucutre. long finish. This just had it all. We killed this bottle quickly and ordered another which was just as good.
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11/19/2010 - campinmonkey wrote: 94 Points
On the nose: Cherris, vanilla, plum, raisins and mint
Decanted for a couple hours, really opened up to reveal lots of cherry and rhubarb. Wonderful silky smooth tannins contributed to a great mouthfeel, and an outstanding finish
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9/12/2010 - jeboisdubonvin wrote: 92 Points
Cassis and dark red fruits. Quite tanic but very enjoyable. It has a very French nose and taste. Needs to breath though so open it an hour ahead.
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7/28/2010 - dowhouse wrote: 94 Points
Drank with Steve Dolan for Cyn ironman celebration
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6/27/2010 - MC wrote:
Tasted over 2 days vs. a 2004 Montelena. This wine started a bit slow, and took some time to open. But after a couple of hours it showed really well, with a packed, dense mid-palate that was very impressive. But the next day it had faded/shut down, and the Montelena was back showing solid fruit. I think this will be good, but not clear when. I would give it some time. A-
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6/21/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club does Bordeaux; 6/20/2010-6/24/2010 (Kevin's House): Spice, violets, and dark fruits on the nose. Concentrated wine and you can sense the alcohol on this one. Medium finish and new world to the bone. Overall nice but I would not pay over $50 for the wine.
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6/19/2010 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club: Bordeaux and Bordeaux Blends (Kevin and Vicki's): Moderately deep red color. Nose of oak, black fruits, some spice, not as earthy. Firm tannins, moderate finish. Not much trouble picking this out as a New World Bordeaux blend from the mix. 92+pts.
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4/11/2010 - bburke13 wrote: 90 Points
Good fruit, herbs, bordeaux style. Could pass for French wine.
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4/9/2010 - mreinitz wrote: 92 Points
Dark berries on the nose. Currant and cherry on the palate along with obvious oak, a vegetal streak, and assertive tannins. It was much better than I expected it to be. As was noted by some other recent tasters it seems to have entered its drinking window.
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3/28/2010 - SGS wrote: 92 Points
Nose of blackberries and strawberries. Very smooth and round, like Harlan but not near as concentrated. Smooth tannins, seemed ready to drink to me.
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3/4/2010 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Provence Restaurant, Albany, NY): Backward nose. Thick, silky, sweet black fruit. Very young and backward. Hard to judge 93-95 points.
Day 2: Still a huge wine with lots of black fruit and tannin. I would hold off drinking this for 5-8 years. Could be another great Dominus! 94-97 points.
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3/4/2010 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
Opulent and luscious nose. Very well made, big nose with plenty of structure. Not the wine producer favourite but is simply singing to me tonight.
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1/15/2010 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2) Drank with Jen, Shaun, Chuck & Stephanie. Was a little disappointed - not very complex and a fair touch of oak. I’ll keep the other bottle for long-term aging to see if it improves.
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12/25/2009 - joefouche wrote: 92 Points
Very good stuff. Straightfoward attack and good secondary flavors. Not the most effusive on the nose, and not a well priced wine, but I thought it was smooth and balanced [more Monte Bello than Harlan].
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1/17/2009 - apeisach wrote: 88 Points
I had a bottle tonight. Disapointing at best. Weak. nice vanilla. needs strength and time.
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12/28/2008 - jasonkle wrote: 80 Points
Nice enough, but just okay. Better second day. Probably overpriced.
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12/20/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Very dry and textured flavours of vanillin, sour cherry and minerals. Could well improve with age. Very subtle now.
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12/10/2008 - loverboy wrote: 91 Points
A big and very young dominus. Very French oriented considering it's from Napa. Black fruits with minerals, damp stone, herbs. Very ripe and still tannic. Very young and should be untouched for a long long time.
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10/28/2008 - Niagara wrote: 86 Points
A huge, monolithic wine, and puts on even more weight after opening. Definitely needs to be paired with something heavy. On the whole it seemed better at first sip, but became a bit cloying after a glass or two. Last third of the bottle went down the drain.
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9/8/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at Vino Volo. Nose of black currant, leather, tobacco, black cherry, asian spice, mocha. On the palate, black currant, tobacco, black cherry, mocha, and spicy oak. Finishes with strong tannins and a little heat. There is some upside with this as it is extremely complex and has a nice transition from throughout the palate. Value judgement withheld until a future tasting.
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8/31/2008 - caplone wrote: 89 Points
While it has come a long way since the last bottle, it still needs alot more time. Lay down for at least two years or a long hour decant. Somme great potential here.
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8/12/2008 - michael47 wrote: 94 Points
Dark red, ripe, round and rich. Lovely mouthfull of sweet fruit, with silky tannins and great mouthfeel. Tasted with first growth bordeaux and was among the standouts of the evening.
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5/24/2008 - bdenuyl wrote: 92 Points
Nice but not distinctive Dominus. Not as great a depth as some, good balance. J liked much better.
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4/5/2008 - ScottGoodwin wrote:
Hingham Wine Merchant Tasting:
Nice ruby color. Closed nose. Acidic with grainy tannins. Nothing there to attract me. Didn't stand up to the other wines at the tasting. Ranked it #8 (out of 8) and that was a popular spot for it with the other tasters.
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3/23/2008 - caplone wrote: 88 Points
This one needs time, very closed.
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3/16/2008 - wino_tim wrote: 92 Points
Tasted against Rubicon Cask Cabernet '04 and Quintessa '04: The finest of the three - shows a lot of mint, cream and red fruit, a lot of delicacy but a lot of delivery too, particularly on the red fruit and sour cream filled finish.
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2/20/2008 - NineteenEightyTwo wrote: 97 Points
Tasted blind against 2004 Lafite Rothschild and 2004 Chateau Reignac. Immediately recognizable for the intensity of the fruit on the palate, like biting into a perfectly ripe tomato. Long finish with ample tannic support. Immediately ran out and bought another bottle to cellar for a decade at the minimum.
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12/7/2007 - mmyette wrote: 91 Points
Enormous and closed. This wine will be excellent in a few years, but is not very approachable. Cassis, oak, lots of tannin structure, and hints of mineral and earth. The finish is moderate, and the wine will improve, I think, in about 3-5 years.
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11/30/2007 - duchamp wrote: 88 Points
Dark, dark purple/red, closed nose of vanilla and high-toned red fruit, palate is very tight and restrained dominated by red fruits, finishes with good length and hints of chocolate, didn't really smell or taste much like cabernet, 88?
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11/29/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Binny's California Night (Highland Park): nose: nice creamy nose with vanilla, red fruit, and a slight hint of toasted oak. Very nice polished nose that is pretty fun to smell
taste: nice silky mouthfeel. Getting some cranberry, sour cherry, vanilla, and slight hints of toasted oak
overall: nice well polished wine. THe finish doesn't last as long as I'd like, and there isn't as much depth to the wine as one would want from such a pedigree. Still, this is a pretty darn good wine
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8/23/2007 - johnphinney8 wrote: 89 Points
Fairly tannic but not as angular as the 2003. Seems softer in general, and it is hard to say which will be better in the long run. Not getting much of anything from this wine right now. A hint of mintiness on the finish. Has potential but perhaps not as much as 2003. Some barnyard and blueberry aromas as it opens, but not tons of structure on the finish.
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2/6/2007 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well-integrated black currant and vanilla toast nose. Rich and ripe palate though not over-extracted; long, smoky currant finish.
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