2015 Dominus Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend

Bottled in July 2017 and composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the Dominus 2015 Proprietary Red Wine leaps from the glass with notes of fresh wild blueberries, crushed blackberries and black currant juice with touches of wild thyme, underbrush, iron ore and aniseed with wafts of lavender and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has incredible energy and vivacity, with the firm, pixelated tannins and lively backbone skillfully framing the muscular fruit, finishing with wonderful length and depth. (LPB)

Tasted at the property after a three hour decant. As usual, it is much more brooding and compact than the Napanook next to it. It makes Dominus more challenging, but all the better for it. Gentle aromas of black/blue fruit and tobacco lead to a cool, poised, and polished palate filled with deep red fruit (plum, cherry, currant) and balanced acidity. This incredibly dynamic wine is crafted with only 40% new oak and shows none of it. It keeps providing nuance and layers as it opens up in the glass. Although it is not as dense as the '13 or open as the '12, it should be in the conversation among those greats as a wonderful Dominus of the highest regard - different for sure, but all the more interesting for it.