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| | Vintage | 1994 |  Label 1 of 629 
 | | Type | Red | | Producer | Dominus (web) | | Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | | Designation | Estate | | Vineyard | Napanook Vineyard | | Country | USA | | Region | California | | SubRegion | Napa Valley | | Appellation | Napa Valley | | UPC Code(s) | 000000638050, 017224712107, 099993542048, 121272415337, 3157719387049, 636595106751, 636595107758, 636595115753, 636595116750, 636595196752, 636595199753, 636595211752, 636595212759, 636595219758 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.9 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 549 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Cailles on 4/21/2024 & rated 100 points: It’s no secret that the 1994 vintage always delivers: highly layered, with a great blend of tertiary and fresh aromas, good freshness and tension, pure elegance with beautiful balance, and particularly a lots of drinking pleasure. But this specific bottle set a new benchmark: it had all that and much more: even more expressiveness, an even broader aromatic spectrum down to olives (where did those come from?) and a irresistible hint of brett (at least to my palate), meaty notes, aromatic precision that couldn’t be better and a harmony reaching unthinkable heights. Hands down, this was a perfect Bordeaux, better than every Bordeaux I’ve had in some time, better than all previous bottles of the 1994. A genuine Wow moment, unparalleled and unforgettable.
TN: Right from the first sniff to the long-lasting, expanding finish, this is highly expressive with intense and highly precise aromas that are too many to mention them all. A perfect mixture of mature aromas (tobacco, black truffle), fresh, primary aromas (vibrant, fresh forest fruit core mixed with ripe red and dark fruit), a touch of barnyard funk, meaty notes like a mature Pomerol, spices, minerality, vegetal aromas adding more crunch...... endless beauty. Impeccable structural frame with finely melted tannins, high tension and freshness, and a silky texture. The balance between all the components couldn’t be better. A dream wine.
Decanting: Some Dominus 1994 bottles needed hours, some no decanting at all. This one didn’t need any decanting. (657 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/23/2024 & rated 98 points: Tasted blind at a social event. Obviously guessed beautifully aged Bordeaux as always with this one. Clear fruit of blueberry, cherry and lighter red berries on a bed of wet earth. Toppings of black truffles and spicy seasoning, sweet pipe tobacco and contrasting vegetal notes. Palate impresses with great tension and soft, caressing tannin. Aromatically showing seductive sweet fruit and leathery elements. Bottle nr. 8 in the last 6 years (from various sources) and this one was the best so far. A fabulous wine and one the best “Bordeaux” I’ve had. (875 views) | | | Tasted by EMAZurich on 3/23/2024 & rated 98 points: Ich habe an diesem Abend nicht mitgeschrieben aber dieser Wein war nicht von dieser Welt - schreibe diese Notiz auch hauptsächlich um dieses unglaubliche Aroma (das ich immer noch so klar präsent habe) nicht zu vergessen.
Böse Zungen mögen sagen „könnte meine Nase auch in einen Pferdearsch stecken“, ja, der Wein war in der Nase wie auch am Gaumen von deutlichen Stallaromen geprägt. Aber diese war mit umwerfenden Waldbeerentönen, Trüffel, Honig und Teer kombiniert, Fruchtdruck wie ein Jungwein und eine tolle, süssliche Komponente, die ein endloses Finale einleitet. Showstopper. (868 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 3/23/2024 & rated 97 points: OMG this was so good. Super layered and complex, showing notes of cassis, dark fruit, menthol, some black truffle, forest floor, leather, tobacco and also a touch of pyrazine (reminding me of Cab Franc). It‘s medium-full bodied, ripe but classic at the same time, with some medium super silky tannin, medium+ acidity adding freshness and just a mouthfeel of creaminess and richness without weight. Super long finish. An epic bottle and a testament to the greatness of Napa. Too bad most wines are much more extracted now and much riper… (1070 views) | | | Tasted by Anca Bernet on 3/23/2024 & rated 97 points: Wiedermal mit altem bordeaux verwechselt. Schöne tertieräre aromen. Erinnert am figeac 1993. Scheint ein warmer 30 jähriger Bordeaux. Rote frucht, herbal, tabacco (883 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 3/23/2024 & rated 98 points: Very expressive nose, lots of farmyard, lots of greens, tobacco, leather, very aged Medoc in the nose. The palate has amazing sweetness, grippy tannins. Everybody guessed Bordeaux. (885 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 12/31/2023 & rated 93 points: No notes taken. This second bottle from a weaker batch didn’t showcase the peak qualities that the 1994 vintage can achieve. It had just a bit less of everything that typically makes this wine outstanding: less density, a weaker and less pure fruit core, fewer tertiary aromas, and less tension and verve. It was still a very good wine, but not exceptional. (2239 views) | | | Tasted by Lipsman on 12/26/2023 & rated 98 points: Still going strong, from a magnum. That beautiful aroma of plums and a bit of brett hits you first. Then the smooth complexity of licorice, smoke, chocolate, mocha, cedar, dark fruits, it’s almost beyond description. Wonderful! (1324 views) | | | Tasted by G_H on 11/25/2023 & rated 95 points: Not as great as other bottles, but still a very fine wine. Cranberreis, black cherries, chocolate milk with this dense ripe sexy california-meets-bordeaux structure. (1093 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 11/25/2023 & rated 92 points: 1983 vintage horizontal with >20 wines, mostly from Bordeaux. Key observations: 1/ Acceptable vintage for Champagne with DP over-delivering, 2/ Laville Haut Brion is a masterpiece among the whites, 3/ Bordeaux is going strong at 40 years of age with stand-outs Latour and Margaux. 4/ No need to chase any Napa’s from the vintage, 5/ off-piste Italians kept up impressively with Soldera an undisputed medalist.
Tasting note:
Double-decanted. An unusually bretty nose. Fresh and dense aromatically with fresh, on balance dark berry fruit and vegetal notes. Very structured with still quite grainy tannins, but well balanced. While good, the bertty notes were distracting and this is the weakest bottle I’ve tasted in the last 5 years (sample size of 7). (1826 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 11/19/2023 & rated 94 points: No notes taken. Probably the weakest bottle of this legendary vintage I’ve had but in no way a weak wine. All the traits are there: beautiful fruit core, wonderful mature Bordeaux aromas, minerality and freshness. However, the wine remained a bit muted and was missing a bit of tension. Still a very good wine. (2291 views) | | | Tasted by dkwins on 10/24/2023 & rated 95 points: Near peak, but excellent balanced wine from a favorite Napa year. It finished 3rd place for me in a special Napa lineup, appearing slightly muted versus others. (1854 views) | | | Tasted by levinml on 10/7/2023: I don't get it. I wait 30 years and this is what I get? I mean, it's good and everything, but why? So many better wines, so much younger and for so much less. Sorry I don't have any more. I'd sell the lot for $500 each (Benchmark price) any day. Someone please explain this to me. (1949 views) | | | Tasted by Ericsson on 9/15/2023 & rated 95 points: Bouteille et bouchon impeccables. Ouvert 2 heures avant dégustation, il lui a fallu encore 30 minutes dans les verres pour être au top.
Robe prune. Nez sur les fruits noirs, le poivron rouge (assez marqué) et le café en grains. J’ai préféré la bouche, puissante mais équilibrée, ronde avec des tanins fondus, une touche de bitume, longue finale presqu’un peu poivrée.
Pour mon goût, il manque un filet d’acidité supplémentaire mais grand vin. (1763 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 9/3/2023 & rated 96 points: No notes taken. This vintage always delivers. Like a great Pauillac in its prime, this is full of ripe cassis fruit, some red berries too, loads of tobacco, black truffles, forest floor, minerality. Pure and precise. Impeccable structure, so fine and light but full of tension and poise, ending in a long finish. The best bottles show even fresher and more precise than this bottle, nevertheless, this was amazing.
Decanting: No extensive decant necessary. (2208 views) | | | Tasted by dkentaustin on 8/18/2023 & rated 96 points: This wine Never Disappoints W a slight old word nose, it bursts into beautiful purple flowers and red fruit
New leather fragrance is intoxicating This wine , If You Have It! Drink and share Blue/red and finish of dry minerality all In
Ps. W grilled burgers (1656 views) | | | Tasted by tritip on 5/28/2023 flawed bottle: Corked, sadly (2188 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 5/26/2023 & rated 94 points: Just like a bottle consumed earlier this year. Still drinking very well. Decanted for one and a half plus hours. One bottle left. Will likely consume it later this year. No need to risk it beginning to go south. (1891 views) | | | Tasted by doctornoah on 5/8/2023 & rated 94 points: River School Auction Tasting (Washington DC): An excellent Dominus, with classic sunny dark fruits, a touch of green pepper, and excellent length. A smooth and pretty wine. (2185 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 4/23/2023 & rated 97 points: No notes taken. An amazing bottle and in its prime. Classic Bordeaux-esque tertiary nose, intense, layered, highly precise, superb harmony and lots of tension and freshness. Everything you want in a Cab. Easily 97pts today and I suspect that it will remain on that level for many years. In good bottles like this one, there is no sign of fading or weakness. My favorite 1994 in California.
TN: Intense, expressive bouquet displaying lots of tobacco, chalk and slate minerality, black truffles and dark fruits. Same on the palate with all those glorious tertiary aromas, a strong, fresh dark fruit core, some luxurious oak notes, some herbs and lots of minerality. The satin-like structure is paired with superb freshness, a satin-like texture, good concentration, and tension but not one shred of excess weight. Long and expanding finish. The balance is superb, from start to finish.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed. Some bottles needed it, this one not. (2857 views) | | | Tasted by lesz on 4/9/2023 & rated 93 points: decanted 1 1/2 hours. lots of tobacco on nose. very delicious. (2048 views) | | | Tasted by BVal on 4/3/2023 & rated 97 points: Color/App: dense, deep, dark, nearly opaque ruby core -> moderately dense garnet rim; medium ++ viscosity. Screamingly great Bordeaux nose right on PnP: blackcurrant and blackberries, leather, soy, earth and tobacco. Had a little trepidation as I was sure the palate couldn't hold up to the promise of that bouquet. I need not have worried. Lovely, balanced palate that was still a powerhouse: cassis, earth, mineral and savoury herbs with a touch of barnyard and smoke. Fully mature and likely to hold at this level for quite a few years more. Stellar palate presence with great midpalate concentration and stupendous length. This one has it all and would easily fit in as a ringer in any mature Bordeaux tasting. I'd have to say this is probably in my top two or three California Cabernets I've ever enjoyed (1763 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 3/6/2023 & rated 94 points: Still drinking very well. Opened for an hour and then decanted for one and a half hours. That worked well. (1925 views) | | | Tasted by ash_then_chase on 2/4/2023 & rated 96 points: Perfect vanilla and oak. Dominus? A hint of tomato compote as well? Obviously I bitched out at the end and called it ‘82 PL. A hint of rubber as well, to finish. @ Napa Boys Trip (2006 views) | | | Tasted by ash_then_chase on 2/4/2023 & rated 95 points: Flight #2. Too similar to #5. I switched the Dommie years. TP after #5 reveal 10 secs before #6 reveal —> “1000% this is ‘96 Lafite”. Just a hint of VAs, less of the vanilla you see in the ‘94 Dommie. I will say it again… the dinner ZB and I are organizing will be a Dom P / Dominus vertical (probably paired with Domino’s — thin crust, we’re not animals). WOTN (consensus opinion). (1720 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By William Kelley
Decanter, Dominus Estate Vertical (11/5/2016)
(Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Horizontal Tasting of Napa Valley’s 1994 Cabernets (Jul 2015) (3/1/2015)
(Dominus Red Wine Napa Valley Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/8/2013)
(Dominus Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Alex Hunt, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/3/2012)
(Dominus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Alex Hunt, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/3/2012)
(Dominus Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (10/4/2008)
(Dominus Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 1999, IWC Issue #85
(Dominus Estate Red Wine Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/9/2012)
(Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard) Very dark red violet color; bretty, bell pepper, tart plum, olive, pyrazene nose; tart black fruit, bell pepper, bretty, pyrazine, grass clippings palate; medium-plus finish (too bretty to rate) | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/6/2012)
(Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard) Bricking medium dark red violet color; mature, cedar, dried currant, dried cherry nose; mature, poised, tart cassis, cedar, dried currant palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points 92 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/13/2007)
(Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard) Red violet color; intriguing, focused, leather and tart plum nose; good leather, mushroom, mature, tangy black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (7/21/2007)
(Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard) corked | By Lyle Fass
Rockss and Fruit (1/6/2003)
(Dominus) What a nose! Leather, jammy fruit, smoke, oak, mocha, hint of dried cherry. Reminded me of a 1990 Montrose I had recently on the nose. The palate was pretty good. No complaints here. Glyceril, jammy, super-ripe, balanced, layered, and long. Lighter than I expected. I never have had Dominus until tonight and it was everything it was built up to be. Easily the most Bordeaux-like Cali wine I have ever had. Still though it has that jammy fruit aspect that distinguishes it. Very nice. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and The WINEFRONT and RJonWine.com and Rockss and Fruit. (manage subscription channels) |
| Dominus Producer website1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard 70% Cabernet Sauvignon
14% Cabernet Franc
12% Merlot
4% Petit Verdot.Dominus Estate Napanook VineyardDominus makes two wines. The Estate has been made from 1983 to present. Historically a lot of the fruit has been sourced from the Napanook Vineyard. From 1991-1996 the Dominus Estate also prominently carried a single vineyard declaration in red diagonal letters on the front label, Napanook Vineyard.
In 1996 Dominus added the Napanook Red. Due to the great confusion with their Napanook Vineyard labeled Estate that same year they dropped Napanook Vineyard from the front label of the Estate in 1997.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.EstateIn the United States, "Wines with “estate bottled” designations must: a) also designate an appellation of origin or an AVA, and both the vineyards and the winery must be located there; b) the grapes must come from vineyards owned or controlled by the winery; and c) the wine must have been produced, from crush to bottle, in a continuous process without leaving the winery’s premises."
- WINE LABEL FAQS: A QUICK SUMMARY OF LABEL DESIGNATION RULES" by David E. StollNapanook Vineyard On weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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