2021 Dominus Estate Red Blend Napa Valley

JD100 One of the legendary Dominus the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is unquestionably in the same league as the 2018 2016 2015 2013 2010 and 1991 and to my mind wine simply doesn’t get any better. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as an incredible perfume of blackcurrants crushed stone cedar pencil smoke tobacco and baking spices it s rich full-bodied and voluptuously textured with ripe yet building tannins. It reminds me slightly of the 2010 (maybe the 2013) and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it will evolve gracefully for 30+ years. Hats off to the team of Christian Moueix and director Tod Mostero.
TWI100 The 2021 Dominus, 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, is opaque purple-black in color. It needs a lot of coaxing to lure out scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, blackberry preserves, stewed plums, and boysenberries giving way to subtle nuances of violets, licorice, and tar plus a touch of cedar in the background. The full-bodied palate is taut with densely laden, muscular black fruits framed by a firm grainy texture and well-played tension, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. A stunning vinous record of time and place, this is a 50-year+ Napa Cabernet to be experienced across generations. 3,700 cases were made.
JS99 The purity of the cabernet fruit is so enticing with blackcurrant rose petals nettles and subtle graphite. Touches of terra cotta and licorice. Full-bodied with super integrated tannins that are wonderfully polished giving a cashmere texture that is really luxurious to taste at this early stage. It is quenching and so delicious already. 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. Needs three to four years to come around but already a joy to taste. Try after 2027.
VIN98 The 2021 Dominus is a powerful tightly-coiled wine that is holding back quite a bit of reserve. There’s real depth and resonance waiting to emerge as the wine matures. Floral overtones and bright acids confer energy to a core of red/bluish fruits. Readers will find a Dominus built more on linear precision rather than opulence. It is hugely impressive in this tasting with a long chalky finish. – By Antonio Galloni on December 2023 Dominus and Ulysses winemaker Tod Mostero is one of the most articulate and thoughtful winemakers in Napa Valley. The 2021 growing season was consistently warm but we had no real heat spikes to speak of in 2021 just a day or two where temperatures were above 100 degrees nothing more than that? Mostero explained. ?Yields were average. Our time on the skins was 20-21 days maybe a bit less than normal but not a significant change.? The 2021s have the highest phenolic concentration since 2013.