2012 Dominus "Napanook" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend

This shows wonderful aromas of tar, asphalt, wet earth and pure cherries. Full-bodied, yet soft and velvety with a fine dusty texture to the finish. Fresh and austere. Dignified. This has no Cabernet Franc in it this year. (4/2015)

The 2012 Napanook is a big, intense wine, especially if given some time in the decanter. Rich red cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and spice meld together in an effortless, gracious Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are silky and polished, which gives the 2012 much of its early appeal, but there is so much density and pure concentration that a few years in bottle will only do it good. The 2012 is a fabulous Napanook. Frankly, the 2012 is as good or better than the top wines at many estates. Napanook remains one of the great values in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. (AG) (10/2015)

The second wine, the 2012 Napanook Proprietary Red Wine has a similar profile, but certainly comes across as less nuanced and slightly less concentrated and profound compared to its bigger sister. It is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. It does reflect the fact that the selection process has gotten so severe that the second wine at Dominus is really special in top vintages such as 2012 or 2013. The wine has low acidity, beautiful ripe black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, a hint of unsmoked cigar tobacco and a touch of roasted herbs in the finish. This is a beauty to drink over the next 15-20 years. (RP) (10/2015)

A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, this soft, approachable wine from a storied producer is meant to enjoy young and yet exudes plenty of complexity. Luscious aromas of graham cracker and blueberry jam belie a classically balanced measure of integrated tannins and dark chocolate. (VB) (12/2015)

Blueberry, licorice and tobacco leaf on the nose. Sweet and densely packed, with lovely depth of fruit for this second wine. Rich, pliant and layered, showing good energy but zero aggressiveness to its flavors of currant, chocolate and espresso. Finishes with a note of nutty oak and good grip. Looks to be an excellent vintage for this wine. (ST) (5/2014)

The 2012 Napanook bottling from the Dominus Estate is comprised of a blend of ninety-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent Petit Verdot and was raised in a very elegant twenty percent new oak. At 14.5 percent alcohol, the wine is quite ripe in personality, but also stately in its balance and structure and seems very likely to age quite gracefully for a wine at this octane. The bouquet is a ripe and generous blend of pure black cherries, cigar smoke, a lovely base of soil, a touch of allspice, chocolate and discreetly spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave on the attack, with a lovely core of fruit, great focus and nascent complexity, moderate tannins and fine length and grip on the well-balanced and classy finish. I know this wine is crafted with an eye towards early accessibility, but I would love to see this wine a full point lower in octane, as it would be even more precise and ageworthy at this level, though it would not offer quite the same immediate gratification. That said, there is nothing here to be disappointed with and the 2012 Napanook is a very refined example of a riper style Cabernet-based wine that keeps its alcohol beautifully in check. (7/2015)