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TASTING NOTE
Pomegranate, cocoa powder, resin, sleek tannins and energy on a bittersweet finish.
VINTAGE SUMMARY
The vintage was characterized by a dry winter and spring, with a total of 17 inches of rain from July 2019 to June 2020 (the historical average: 31 inches). With warm temperatures in the spring and our well-drained soils, the vines developed balanced shoot growth. Summer temperatures were consistently warm, allowing for a rapid and homogenous ripening. Fastidious selection by hand as well as optical sorting were critical in eliminating any berries impacted
by the heat. The end result was a very small crop of good quality.
*Blend: CS:88%, CF: 7%, PV:5%
*Harvest Start: September 16
*Harvest End: September 27
*Percent New Barrels: 20%
*Cases Produced: 1600
Information by Dominus Estate
RP92
A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, the fruit for the 2020 Napanook (like the 2020 Dominus) was picked prior to the start of the Glass Fire on September 27. Scents of redcurrants and cherries lead the way, bolstered by notes of dark chocolate and mocha. It's medium to full-bodied and silky in feel, despite a touch of warmth on the palate, while the long finish picks up a hint of red capsicum and a touch of coarseness.
Director of Viticulture and Winemaking Tod Mostero pointed out that low-rainfall years—like 2020—can be some of the best performers at Dominus. That said, when rainfall is just a bit more than half of the average of the past 25 years, it can't help but impact the wine. Coupled with the season's warmth, yields were down substantially.
According to Mostero, the grapes were going through veraison by the end of July, and were then hit by three successive heat episodes: August 13–15, with temperatures hitting 102, 106 and 108 degrees Fahrenheit; August 18–19, with temps peaking at 102 and 106; and September 5–7, with highs of 105, 112 and 114. Even with the fruiting-zone misters, which can drop temperatures by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and the site's dry farming, crews had to go through the vineyard to drop raisined and sunburned fruit. After picking, the fruit was then sorted extensively by hand and run through an optical sorter. Harvesting wrapped up prior to the Glass Fire ignition on September 27. "We set up HEPA filters to try to keep the smoky air out of the winery as much as we could," said Mostero. "When we taste, smoke isn't an issue, but we taste the heat spikes; and we produced only 30% of a normal crop." (RobertParker. com)
In the late 1960s, while attending the university of California at Davis, Christian Moueix fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. Son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer from Libourne, France(Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix), Moueix returned home in 1970 to manage the family vineyards, including Chateaux Petrus, La Fleur-Petrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in Saint-Emilion.
His love of Napa Valley lingered, and in 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook Vineyard, a 124-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership to develop the vineyard, and in 1995, became its sole owner. He chose the name ‘Dominus’ or’ Lord of the Estate’ in latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.
>>> Go to Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix
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