Dominus, Napa Valley, 2021

Name: Dominus, Napa Valley
Brand: Dominus Estate
Price: 1403.12 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2001 2004 2018 2020 2021

justerini & brooks tasting note

Heady floral aromatics garland cassis and toast and sweet charcoal notes, then cool dark mountain berries and bay. In youth, this is captivating! Then on the palate a vertical wall of ripe tannins support layer after layer of dark polished mineral fruit – there’s surface beauty here but also great depths to plumb. The deeper you go, the more savoury earthy notes appear, buffering the dark fruit. Powerful, but with such great balance and poise – commanding, captivating…sensational!

critic reviews

98+/100Joe Czerwinski,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2021 Dominus is a 3,700-case blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, with 40% of the wine matured in new French oak. Black cherries and cassis lead the way, accented by scents of crushed stone and pencil shavings. It's full-bodied, rich and concentrated, dark and intense, with ample tannins, but those tannins are ripe and well-rounded without being overly soft or creamy, gliding easily into a long, mocha-tinged finish. As a whole, the wine exhibits wonderful balance, even if it will benefit from 5 or 10 years in the cellar.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2045

date of review 02/2025

100/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

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.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2075

date of review 05/2024