1996 Dominus – Dominus Estate is currently sold out.
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1996 Dominus – Dominus Estate
- Vintage: 1996
- Bottle Size: 0,75l
- Filling level: hf - high fill
- Label Condition: bin slightly soiled, slightly damaged label
- Source: private collection
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Grape variety
82% Cabernet Sauvignon
6% Petit Verdot
10% Cabernet Franc
4% Merlot - Alcohol percentage: 14,5% vol.
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Points:
92 Falstaff
95 Robert Parker -
Origin:
USA
Napa Valley
California
Dominus Estate
Everything here is noble. The location, the vineyards, the estate, the owner. Even the architects who planned the estate in the mid-1990s. Let’s start with the location. Yountville, with 3,000 inhabitants, is the place in Napa Valley where vines were first planted. So, it has historical significance. Parts of the 42 hectares of the Dominus vineyards date back to 1838. In the early 1980s, the famous and highly regarded Bordeaux wine merchant and owner of several wineries, Christian Moueix, was brought in as a consultant. In 1983, he made a fresh start with Dominus, and in 1992, he bought it entirely. A few years later, the renowned Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron designed a striking new building. The Frenchman, with his impeccable sense for the finest wines, collects great terroir like pearls: Moueix owns eight estates in Pomerol, six in St. Émilion, and four in Napa Valley. Connoisseurs naturally associate him with Château Pétrus. That Moueix knows how to work with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot is proven by several 100 Parker-point vintages: 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016. With Dominus, Moueix likely has a special passion: every year, one can see him personally presenting his wines at the major trade shows.
California
Have you ever been to California? If so, do you remember the scent, the smell, when you left the airport or ship? What was the weather like? Who were the first people you encountered? Just like you, thousands of people have experienced this, whether they are tourists visiting California or immigrants who intentionally move to the “Land of Dreams.” So many great stories have started in California, and often it was immigrants who wrote those stories. Even viticulture was established in the early 19th century by “immigrants,” specifically by Franciscan monks. Many of today’s world-renowned Californian winemakers are immigrants.
On 130,000 hectares, 90% of the entire U.S. wine harvest is grown. The ratio of white to red wines is approximately 50:50. Napa Valley remains the most significant of the 50 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), and the best wines come from the cool Bay Area: the relevant regions are Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Russian River, as well as the southern Santa Barbara and Santa Rita Hills. The Paso Robles region (with its limestone, rare in California!) should particularly be watched for Cabernet Sauvignon.
The real boom came in the 1970s. Renowned wine merchants and journalists recognized the immense potential of the relatively unknown wine-growing area and organized comparative tastings with the finest Burgundies and Bordeaux wines. These blind tastings often went in favor of the Californians — and just like that, the wines became famous. At the same time, the world’s most influential wine-loving lawyer started his business: Robert Parker Jr.
