Heitz MV vs Dominus

Tasted Sunday, October 23, 2022 by Cailles with 164 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Tasted double blind from half bottle. This showed very well and round, although the acidity and minerality could have been more pronounced on the palate to match the perfumed palate. Guessing blind and assuming we’re drinking Californian here, I thought this might be even a Central Cali blend with some Viognier in it. Still, this is a very good wine. 94pts.

    TN: Intense nose, with a superb flint and matchstick nose, round and harmonious, well delineated. Superb nose. On the palate beautiful floral, white and yellow, some stone fruit, flint, some salinity towards the end. Very intriguing and harmonious. The acidity is medium- and well-integrated and could be higher. Medium length.

    Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting necessary.

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  • 2010 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    Tasted double blind from half bottle. At first, this showed so intense and broad and a bit too sweet and tropical but the longer it sit in the glass the more it morphed into an excellent Chardonnay full of salty minerality and with a good cut. Ever so slightly changing. Sublime and easily 95/96pts.

    TN: At first very extreme, intense nose full of deep yellow flowers, yellow fruit, a touch of smoke. On the palate this is some old tropical fruit, some fine ripe pineapple scents, with time more fresh fruit, orchard fruits, some yellow and white flower scents and a more pronounced minerality and that salt streak towards the finish. Good, round acidity which comes forward with time and keeps it balanced and round. Overall quite harmonious and complete with good length.

    Decanting: Not decanted, needed 20+ minutes in the glass. This would have certainly benefited from an hour or two in the decanter but it was interesting to follow its evolution in the glass.

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Flight 2 (6 Notes)

  • 1983 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 97 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    1983/1987/1991. Heitz Martha's won the battle (95.3 pts average vs 93.7pts for Dominus) thanks to more complexity and rounder, completer structural frames. My WOTN was the 1983 MV (rated 97 pts) thanks to an ever changing, highly complex aroma play, with a superb, elegant structure. In its first few years, Dominus (maiden vintage 1983) produced very classically shaped Bordeaux blends, great but often a bit square and with some hard edges. 1983/87 were no exception. In the 90s that changed (proved here by a superb 1991). All in all, lots of excellent wines and all worth chasing.

    TN: At first a bit oxidative and rather unpleasant but luckily that blew off after a few minutes. With time more precise and clean with dried fruit, and malty notes, some chocolate and herbs. With more time, black fruit underneath. Very intriguing. On the palate very fresh, very round and harmonious, so creamy and yet weightless and light. Full dark berry core, a with some dried but also fresh and zesty fruit, mostly dark berries, a clear and signature minty component, beautiful malty and some herbal touches. Towards the end of the glass, suddenly more milk chocolate and coffee notes came forward. Quite complex, changing with every sip. Wow. The wine got fresher and more vivid by the minute. Lots of tension, superb velvety tannins, good acidity, lots of zest, very harmonious, elegant and round and with a long finish. Very complete wine. 97+ pts and one of the best 1983s I’ve ever had.

    Decanting: This bottle would have needed an hour+ in the decanter.

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  • 1983 Dominus Estate 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    1983/1987/1991. Heitz Martha's won the battle (95.3 pts average vs 93.7pts for Dominus) thanks to more complexity and rounder, completer structural frames. My WOTN was the 1983 MV (rated 97 pts) thanks to an ever changing, highly complex aroma play, with a superb, elegant structure. In its first few years, Dominus (maiden vintage 1983) produced very classically shaped Bordeaux blends, great but often a bit square and with some hard edges. 1983/87 were no exception. In the 90s that changed (proved here by a superb 1991). All in all, lots of excellent wines and all worth chasing.

    TN: Medium intense, tertiary Bordeaux nose with tobacco, leather, earth, lots of minerality, so classic and fresh. Superb, inviting, almost young-ish and full of tension. On the palate it is a touch square, mineralic and earthy, a bit iron and underneath fine fresh dark fruit. With time more truffles and tobacco come forward and increase the medium- complexity a bit. Not as complex as the Martha’s 83 in the next glass but still good. The structure never fully melts and remains a bit angular. Still very good. In the best moments on the nose rather 94/95pts. Overall 93/94 pts.

    Decanting: This bottle could have needed an hour+ in the decanter.

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  • 1987 Dominus Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    1983/1987/1991. Heitz Martha's won the battle (95.3 pts average vs 93.7pts for Dominus) thanks to more complexity and rounder, completer structural frames. My WOTN was the 1983 MV (rated 97 pts) thanks to an ever changing, highly complex aroma play, with a superb, elegant structure. In its first few years, Dominus (maiden vintage 1983) produced very classically shaped Bordeaux blends, great but often a bit square and with some hard edges. 1983/87 were no exception. In the 90s that changed (proved here by a superb 1991). All in all, lots of excellent wines and all worth chasing.

    TN: A bit muted nose, not giving much. A touch of minerality and some dark fruit. The palate this is very mineralic, slightly watery with some dark berries, missing a bit of charm. Fresh and with still noticeable, slightly angular tannins and lots of cut. With time the wine opens up and gets more creamy with fine elegant chocolate and dark and red fruits coming forward. My guess is that this would have needed a much longer decant as it improved by the minute. The best moment was the last sip where it showed more and showed more round and was drinking on a 92pts level.

    Decanting: Two hours in the decanter seem to be needed here (at least).

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  • 1987 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    1983/1987/1991. Heitz Martha's won the battle (95.3 pts average vs 93.7pts for Dominus) thanks to more complexity and rounder, completer structural frames. My WOTN was the 1983 MV (rated 97 pts) thanks to an ever changing, highly complex aroma play, with a superb, elegant structure. In its first few years, Dominus (maiden vintage 1983) produced very classically shaped Bordeaux blends, great but often a bit square and with some hard edges. 1983/87 were no exception. In the 90s that changed (proved here by a superb 1991). All in all, lots of excellent wines and all worth chasing.

    TN: Medium+ expressive nose, minty, eucalyptus, dark berries, and some minerality as well as hints of chocolate. There was a bit of a funky note there, so probably not 100% clean but it didn’t bother that much. On the palate superb, round and harmonious, lush and creamy yet fresh. High complexity with again minty and eucalyptus notes, an array of ripe, fresh black berries, herbs, earthy notes, minerality and a touch of chocolate. The 1987 does not have the same complexity as the 1983 but correct bottles should get there in another 5 to 10 years. Superb and 95/96 pts in my book.

    Decanting: A good one hour decant should do the trick but this was good from the go.

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  • 1991 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    1983/1987/1991. Heitz Martha's won the battle (95.3 pts average vs 93.7pts for Dominus) thanks to more complexity and rounder, completer structural frames. My WOTN was the 1983 MV (rated 97 pts) thanks to an ever changing, highly complex aroma play, with a superb, elegant structure. In its first few years, Dominus (maiden vintage 1983) produced very classically shaped Bordeaux blends, great but often a bit square and with some hard edges. 1983/87 were no exception. In the 90s that changed (proved here by a superb 1991). All in all, lots of excellent wines and all worth chasing.

    TN: At that point in the evening I stopped taking detailed notes. This was the best Dominus in the line-up, the most complete, complex and most elegant one. Yes, it is less classically, Bordeaux-shaped than the others we tasted tonight (83/87). It is certainly more lush but it still remains firmly on the good side of things, very elegant, round, not too ripe but with lots of fruit but with the acidity and a strong minerality core to create a very good balance. Compared to the other “legendary” Dominus vintage (1994), this 1991 seems much younger and seems to need probably 10 more years in the cellar to melt further and develop all the tertiary complexity. Not one to drink today, although it is really good.

    Decanting: I would go for two hours. Better wait a decade or more.

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  • 1991 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    1983/1987/1991. Heitz Martha's won the battle (95.3 pts average vs 93.7pts for Dominus) thanks to more complexity and rounder, completer structural frames. My WOTN was the 1983 MV (rated 97 pts) thanks to an ever changing, highly complex aroma play, with a superb, elegant structure. In its first few years, Dominus (maiden vintage 1983) produced very classically shaped Bordeaux blends, great but often a bit square and with some hard edges. 1983/87 were no exception. In the 90s that changed (proved here by a superb 1991). All in all, lots of excellent wines and all worth chasing.

    TN: At that point in the evening I stopped taking detailed notes. This is a very promising wine, quite complex and complete and at this point with lots of sexiness and a strong fruit core dominating. The structural frame is superb, no question and will allow for further ageing, which this wine needs desperately. I believe that this will morph into a beauty once it transforms from a sexy beast to an elegant creature, adding ton of tertiary aroma layers along the way. 94pts today with the potential for a lot more in the future.

    Decanting: I would go for two hours. Better wait a decade or rather two.

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