2013 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Blend

WA100 The 2013 Dominus is, to my way of thinking, one of the most profound wines Christian Moueix has yet made in his rather brilliant winemaking history, both in France and in Napa Valley. This wine, with very low yields of only 3,500 cases and a final blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, offers up notes of cedar wood, forest floor, loamy soil and oodles of blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Very opaque purple in color, super-pure and intense, this wine has low acidity, but ripe, noticeable tannins. This is a 30- to 40-year wine and a profound effort from this famous vineyard in Yountville.
TWI100 A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot, the 2013 Dominus is deep garnet in color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to bring out notes of black cherry preserves, crème de cassis, and blueberry jam, plus suggestions of mocha, cardamom, and fertile loam, with a hint of truffles. Full-bodied, the palate is still so, so tight, revealing tightly wound layers of black fruit, minerals, and spices, supported by a firm, grainy backbone, finishing with epic length. It still needs a good 5 years!