2019 Dominus Othello Napa Valley

When you hear the name Christian Moueix in the wine world, you immediately think of a legend. The famous wines of Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux and its reference point Cabernet in Napa at Dominus Estate are iconic, almost priceless and this magical touch continues its work at the famous Napanook estate

It was in the famous Napanook vineyard that Christian Moueix (you know the icon of Chateau Petrus) founded Dominus Estate in 1983. A historic site, it was the source of fruit for some of the best Napa Valley wines in the 1940s and 1950s. Notably, the vineyard's history dates back to the beginnings of Napa Valley, when in 1838 George Yount, named after whom the town of Yountville was called, where they first planted vines. Today the vineyard produces three wines: Dominus, its flagship, Napanook and Othello. The Napanook Vineyard, a model for its sustainable farming methods. Irrigating the vines, the rule rather than the exception in Napa Valley, is not practiced. This forces the roots of the vines to search deep in the soil for water and nutrients. It is owner Christian Moueix's deep belief that this benefits the quality of the grapes and ultimately the wine! In 2021, Dominus Estate received its CCOF ("California Certified Organic Farmers") certification for organic farming practices.

Othello is a blend of largely Cabernet Sauvignon supplemented with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The vineyards in Napanook are worked with the greatest care to harvest optimally ripe fruit. No irrigation is used to force the vines to root deep in the poor soils in search of food and moisture. There are few vineyards in California that do not require irrigation and this is one of the qualities of Napanook. After a gentle extraction, the wine is aged in barriques (the typical Bordelaise barrels of 228 liters) made of French oak.

The nose offers ripe cassis fruit, cedar wood and a (subtle) hint of spices. The taste is pure and complex with again the sultry dark fruit of blackcurrants, some cocoa, licorice and velvet tannins. In the aftertaste a delicious freshness that provides balance and immense length. Grand! Dominus is a real wine with great power, concentration and an immense tannin structure. In addition to Dominus, Christian had the desire to make a wine that on the one hand would show the class of the Napanook terroir, but also a wine that would give pleasure to younger people. In 2012, the Dominus team presented the first harvest year of Othello. Immediately with great success. Othello wines, although tasty in their youth, have excellent storage potential, where they gain in complexity and depth, for at least ten years after the harvest year.

FACT: The Dominus Proprietary Red Wine has been chosen by Wine Spectator as the best wine in the world in 2021. The 2016 vintage of this wine (so the same vintage as this Napanook and the Othello) has received the maximum score of 100/100 points from Robert Parker. The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you choose Pickup in the Checkout page. We are almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.

ABOUT DOMINUS ESTATE

Dominus Estate, from renowned winemaker and CEO Christian Moueix (also owner of Pétrus, Trotanoy, La Fleur-Petrus, Hosanna, among others), is part of the Historical Landmark Napanook and is widely regarded as one of the oldest vineyards (1836) from Napa Valley, California. The estate was purchased in 1946 by legendary winemaker and visionary John Daniels, and passed to his daughters in 1970. These entered into a partnership with Christian Moueix in 1982, which led to the creation of Dominus Estate. Moueix bought all the shares in 1995 and is therefore now the sole owner. The first Dominus wine appeared in 1983 and immediately gained international attention thanks to the influence of Moueix.

Dominus Estate produces a second wine, Napanook, first launched in 1996, and a third called “Othello”, an entry-level wine. The domain covers 44 hectares, divided into 14 plots with mainly cabernet sauvignon (87%). However, there is also some petit verdot and cabernet franc. The Merlot grape has not been used for the “Grand Vin” since 2002, but it still appears occasionally in Napanook wines. Built in 1996, the winery is made of stones held together with metal wire and represents the terroir of the vineyard. The architectural style is completely in harmony with the landscape and protects against the heat of the day and the cold of the night.

WINES CRAFTED FOR THE AGES: “EVERY GOOD CRAFTSMAN CONDUCTS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CONCRETE PRACTICES AND THINKING.” RICHARD SENNETT