2010 Dominus Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend
SKU #1135352
100 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the stunning, full-bodied 2010 Dominus boasts an exceptional perfume of hoisin sauce, licorice, underbrush, forest floor, plums, black currants and jammy cherries intertwined with hints of cedar, baking spices and oak. Full-bodied and voluptuously textured, the 2010 is on a slightly faster evolutionary track than the 2009 (somewhat of an anomaly for these two vintages). This exquisite as well as prodigious 2010 can be drunk young, but it should age effortlessly for 20-25 years. Bravo! (RP)
(10/2013)
99 points
James Suckling
A Cabernet-based red that’s all about the finish. Shows phenomenal character of caramelised orange, berries and lightly toasted oak. It’s also wonderfully structured, with great tannin, fruit, and acid balance. Try after 2018.
(6/2014)
98 points
Vinous
The 2010 Dominus is one of the unquestioned stars of the evening. While some of the 2010s can be enjoyed young, Dominus is a powerhouse that will require a number of years to soften. It is a bit of a shame the 2010 is served early in this dinner, as it is truly magnificent. Tasted over several hours and into the next day, the 2010 only continued to grow. A wine of baritone-like depth and explosive structure, the Dominus is a long-distance runner. On this night it is dark, imposing and totally vertical in its sense of structure. The firm tannins beg for patience. Today, my impression is that Dominus will be one of the last 2010s to open up. (AG)
(6/2015)
94 points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Bright, full ruby. High-pitched aromas of cassis, blackberry and dark chocolate, with more medicinal bitter cherry and mesquite notes emerging with aeration. Rich but youthfully tight, conveying an impression of brooding power. This very dense wine is actually creamy and wonderfully fine-grained in the middle but comes across as quite firm and bracing owing to its sharp definition and restrained sweetness. Communicates an impression of very even fruit ripeness. Finishes with terrific mineral-driven length. Built for long aging: will this eventually surpass the outstanding 2009 bottling? 94+ points. (ST)
(5/2013)
93 points
Wine & Spirits
The wild swings in weather during the 2010 growing season took out the cabernet franc at Dominus, this vintage blending cabernet sauvignon (95 percent) with petit verdot. It has more voluptuous warmth than wines from this site in western Yountville usually give on release, rich with black currant flavors, scents of violets and black spice. The texture is silky, with an undercurrent of green herb and pine needle in the tannins that adds complexity to all the saturated currant and blueberry fruit. You could enjoy this wine’s beefy youth in a big glass with a ribeye; if you cellar it, there’s a lot more complexity in store.
(12/2013)
92 points
Wine Spectator
Graceful and refined, offering a subtle mix of delicate Cabernet flavors, with dried currant, cherry, herb, cedar, cigar box and graphite notes, ending with smooth, integrated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. (JL)
(11/2013)
K&L Notes
From the winery: "The Dominus 2010 displays compelling notes of black cherries and plums as well as a hint of graphite and sandalwood. With a round and sweet attack, the chiseled and deftly polished tannins give a savory evolution. Its finish is long and replete with cedar, anise and cacao. The 2010 vintage is composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. In recent years the Napanook vineyard has undergone an extensive replanting program. This, coupled with a rigorous selection of lots for the final blend resulted in the smallest quantity of Dominus produced since 1984."
