Ratings & Tasting Notes:
100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
Perrotti-Brown described an opaque purple-black wine that “slowly unfurls” to reveal a powerful core of blackcurrant jelly, black plum, and blueberry, with menthol, crushed rocks, dried sage, black truffle, and black olive. She called the full-bodied palate “both generous and energetic,” framed by a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins, finishing with “epic length.” Drinking window: 2029–2059.
99 points James Suckling
Suckling praised aromas of black currant, pencil shaving, sandalwood, wet earth, forest floor, and violet, leading into a medium-to-full-bodied palate with ultra-fine tannins that “integrate perfectly at the end.” He called the texture “polished and caressing,” adding that the wine is very drinkable now but “will age beautifully.”
97 points Jeb Dunnuck
Dunnuck called the wine “absolutely gorgeous,” praising its “incredible level of purity and refinement,” with cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and floral notes. He described this as a more charming, forward, and seductive style of Dominus that will offer appeal over the next 20–25 years.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Dominus Estate sits on the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, first planted with vines in 1836 by the town’s founder, George Yount, and later farmed for decades by Inglenook’s legendary owner, John Daniel Jr. After Daniel’s death, the property passed to his daughters, Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, who in 1982 entered a partnership with Christian Moueix — the Bordeaux vintner behind Château Pétrus — on a recommendation from Robert Mondavi. The first vintage of Dominus was released in 1983, and Moueix became sole owner in 1995. The estate’s now-iconic winery, a striking gabion-walled structure built from locally sourced stone, was completed in 1997 as the first American project by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who would go on to win the Pritzker Prize in 2001. True to Moueix’s Old World instincts, Napanook has been entirely dry-farmed since the estate’s founding and holds organic certification, a rare combination in sun-drenched Napa Valley. Notably, Moueix elected not to release a 2022 vintage at all, having judged that year’s wine not to meet the estate’s standards — making the 2023 the estate’s first release in two years.
The 2023 growing season is already being called one of the greatest in Napa Valley’s modern history. It began with an exceptionally wet winter — 51 inches of rain compared to a historical average of 31 — that fully recharged reservoirs and soil moisture heading into bud break, which itself arrived 10 to 14 days later than the previous year. A mild, consistent summer supported slow, even ripening, and cooler-than-usual conditions pushed the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest into late September and October, making it one of the longest growing seasons in decades. Dominus’s own technical director, Tod Mostero, called it “one of the latest vintages on record,” and the resulting extended hang time allowed for full development of tannin and color without the heat spikes of recent vintages. The result, across the valley, is widely described as a vintage of unusual freshness, purity, and elegance — wines with a distinctly Bordelais sense of balance rather than raw power, a character that plays directly to Dominus’s own European-inflected style.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Outstanding condition.
Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.
