2003 Napanook

The second wine (3,100 cases), the 2003 Napanook, is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot and Malbec. It offers a dark plum/garnet color as well as an evolved but intriguing nose of cedar, spice box, high quality cigar smoke, sweet currants, incense, red cherries, plums, and black currants. Complex with excellent concentration, beautiful balance, and sweet tannin, it can be drunk now or cellared for another 10-15 years. The most European-styled of all the Napa Valley Bordeaux blends, Dominus is owned by Petrus winemaker Christian Moueix, who works from one of region’s most historic vineyards, the renowned Napanook site from which many of the famed Inglenook wines of the fifties and sixties were produced. Interestingly, I tasted both decanted and recently opened bottles of each of these wines, and the additional aeration unquestionably revealed more nuances and character. I wouldn’t be surprised if 5-10 hours of decanting resulted in significant improvement for these young wines. P.S. When I asked Christian Moueix to briefly summarize the last three Dominus vintages, he called 2001 “classic and elegant,” 2002 “exuberant and rich in more of a California style,” and 2003 “extremely aromatic and supple.” (Release date Summer 2006) Tel. (707) 944-8954; Fax (707) 944-0547

Dark red. Expressive aromas of redcurrant, tobacco, cedar, spicecake and mint. Supple but not particularly sweet, even a bit youthfully medicinal; can't quite match the 2002 for power or finesse. I don't find the chocolatey ripeness of so many 2003s. Finishes with dusty, slightly edgy tannins.