All grapes come from the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, on the west side of Napa Valley.
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Location / Origin: The vineyard is situated in a natural amphitheater at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. George Yount planted some of the first vines in Napa Valley here as early as 1838, making Napanook one of the region's historic vineyard sites.
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Soil: The vines root deeply in rich, gravelly clay loam. The plots slope at approximately 3–10%, allowing excess water to drain naturally, while underground springs provide a natural water supply via ancient riverbeds.
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Vineyard Management: Dominus Estate farms organically and without routine irrigation. The 134-acre Napanook Vineyard currently has 102 acres under vine; deep rooting and a living soil are central to the estate's approach.
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2023 Vintage: From July 2022 to June 2023, 51 inches of rain fell compared to a historical average of 31 inches. A mild spring and veraison occurring about 2 weeks later than usual extended the growing season, followed by a harvest under excellent conditions between October 7 and 18.
The cellar approach at Dominus Estate is intentionally restrained and focused on preserving the character of each batch as purely as possible.
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Harvest & Selection: After harvesting, the clusters are selected entirely by hand, followed by optical sorting of the individual grapes. Only precisely selected fruit continues into the cellar.
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Fermentation & Extraction: During vinification, gentle pump-overs are applied to gradually extract color, aroma, and tannin from the skins. This controlled extraction contributes to the polished and silky structure of Napanook.
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Maturation / Oak Aging: The 2023 vintage matures for 20 months in French oak, of which 20% is new. The relatively controlled share of new wood provides extra layers of cedar, cocoa, and spices while keeping the fruit and the earthy side of the vineyard center stage.
Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the 2023 blend, supplemented by small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
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92% Cabernet Sauvignon – Napanook Vineyard: Forms the powerful backbone with cassis, dark fruit, graphite, and a firm yet refined tannin structure.
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4% Cabernet Franc – Napanook Vineyard: Adds extra aromatic lift, spiciness, and refinement to the mid-palate.
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4% Petit Verdot – Napanook Vineyard: Provides extra color, structure, and dark spice, and enhances the length of the finish.
The 2023 vintage has been exceptionally well received by international wine critics.
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97 points, James Suckling (2023): Praised for blueberry, blackberry, stony minerality, chocolate, cedar, and nutmeg, with polished tannins and a long, silky finish.
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94 points, The Wine Advocate (2023): Joe Czerwinski commends the combination of cherries, earthy notes, and subtle vanilla, followed by a lush structure, soft tannins, and a long finish with black olive and black tea.
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94 points, The Wine Palate (2023): Lisa Perrotti-Brown highlights black cherry, cassis, wild sage, graphite, and black pepper, carried by powerful layers of fruit, great freshness, and a long, earthy finish.
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93 points, Vinous (2023): Antonio Galloni describes a deep and lush Napanook with black cherry, lavender, dried herbs, and graphite, which already shows much charm at this relatively young age.
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92 points, Jeb Dunnuck (2023): Praised for cassis, tobacco leaf, graphite, and forest floor, with ripe polished tannins, integrated acidity, and sufficient structure for 10–15 years of further development.
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4.3 stars, Vivino (2023): A particularly strong consumer score for the exact vintage of this Napa Valley blend.
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