Dominus Estate’s 2021 Dominus is an exceptional Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, earning a perfect 100 points from Decanter alongside JS 99 and RP 98+. Deeply expressive and beautifully balanced, it layers ripe blackberry, black cherry and cassis with rose petals, graphite, crushed stone, spice and subtle mocha. The palate is full-bodied yet remarkably polished, with dense, velvety tannins, vibrant freshness and extraordinary length. Crafted from 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, this is a profound and age-worthy Dominus that will reward patience in the cellar, with a drinking window extending to 2050.

Decanter | D 100
Published: Jan 29, 2024
Drink: 2024-2050

Superbly aromatic, polished, and balanced. Tannins are plump, pliant, and extremely long, with a beautiful velvety quality. Ripe blackberry, spiced plums, and black cherry fruits are super-expressive and imbued with this spicebush note, which is a shrub bush that grows near the vineyard and, when crushed in the palm of your hand in the thick of summer, reveals a high-toned minty-citrusy note, which is very present on the palate. The minerality is perfectly expressed as iron and stone, and the finish is exceedingly long, nuanced by mocha, loamy earth, and wildflowers, and resolves with tremendous freshness. Just splendid.

James Suckling | JS 99
Published: Feb 20, 2024

The purity of the cabernet fruit is so enticing, with blackcurrant, rose petals, nettles and subtle graphite. Touches of terra cotta and licorice. Full-bodied with super integrated tannins that are wonderfully polished, giving a cashmere texture that is really luxurious to taste at this early stage. It is quenching and so delicious already. 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. Needs three to four years to come around but already a joy to taste. Try after 2027.

The Wine Advocate | RP 98+
Published: Feb 28, 2025
Drink: 2028-2045

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.

Followers of the Napa Valley scene will no doubt already be aware that Dominus didn't release a 2022. The extreme heat that struck Napa around Labor Day and extended for a week or so took its toll on the dry-farmed vines in the Napanook Vineyard surrounding the winery. "There's nothing we won't do to make the wine as good as we can," said Director of Viticulture and Winemaking Tod Mostero. Ultimately, he didn't feel the wines were up to the estate's exacting standards.

In contrast, Mostero said, "Twenty-one is one of those vintages that's easy to talk about because we can characterize it pretty simply. It was a dry vintage. … Drought years are usually our best years—because we're dry farmed, the plants set less foliage. The summer was warm, not hot. … Post-veraison was moderate, without heat spikes. In August and September, we had a couple of low-100-degree days but nothing dramatic. Harvest extended from September 16 through October 1."

The three wines reviewed here roughly represent three different sectors of the vineyard, with Othello being drawn from the front portion of the property, with the highest proportion of silt and clay. Napanook derives from the blocks just behind the winery, while Dominus itself comes from the stoniest blocks furthest from Highway 29, pushed up against the Mayacamas.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17.5+
Published: Apr 23, 2025
Drink: 2031-2041

Dominus comes from the piece of the namesake property that is nearest the foothills and has a combination of deep stone and gravelly loam. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. Matured in 40% new French oak. 
Deep purple. The tightest, least-giving nose of the three wines from this property (Othello and Napanook being the others). However, as it opens, it yields spice and black, brooding fruit. Super-fine tannin – dense and building. Fresh acidity that balances the tannin and brooding fruit. Needs so much more time. Quite lengthy. Oak is incredibly well integrated. Samantha Cole-Johnson

Vivino | Vivino 4.5

Dark red, almost deep crimson in color. The nose is dense and compact, filled with dark berries, blond tobacco, black cherries and cacao.

Dominusestate.com

TASTING NOTES
Voluptuous and vibrant, dense evergreen forest oor, incense, profound depth, rich plum and an extremely long finish.

Vintage 2021 Summary
e vintage was characterized by a dry winter and spring, with a total of 14” of rain (July 2020 to June 2021, historical average: 31”). 2021 was the second consecutive year of a drought that started in January 2020.
Temperatures were constantly warm over the growing season, moderately higher than the historical average and remained consistent throughout the ripening period. the weather conditions in 2021 favored an early hydric constraint which promoted production of small
berries with high levels of phenolic compounds and deeply intense aromas.