Dominus Estate 2011
Dominus Estate 2011, The vineyards of Dominus Estate have connections to the original history of the Napa Valley as they date back to the mid 1850’s, or even earlier, when it was first cultivated. At the time, it was known as the Napanook vineyard. The beginning of the modern era for the estate starts when the vineyard was purchased by John Daniels. John Daniels remains one of the true pioneers in Napa Valley for his efforts during the 1940’s, due to his time at the famous Inglenook estate.
The next chapter in the tale of Dominus Estate begins in the late 1960’s. Christian Moueix who is better known for his work in Pomerol with family owned properties like, Petrus, Chateau Trotanoy and Chateau La Fleur Petrus fell in love with California when he was a graduate student at UC Davis, studying oenology in 1968 and 1969. At the time, to learn more about viticulture practices in the Golden State, Christian Moueix worked at Beaulieu Vineyards in 1968 during the harvest. Fortunately, 1968 turned out to be perhaps the best vintage of the decade in California!
By the time 1982 rolled around, Christian Moueix formed a partnership with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, the daughters of the well-known and respected John Daniels. Robin Lail and Marcia Smith inherited the vineyards from their father that were to become Dominus Estate. The new trio’s debut vintage took place the following year in 1983. In the formative years for Dominus, Jean Claude Berrouet, the winemaker for Petrus and for most of the Moueix family owned and managed estates in Bordeaux was involved in the production of Dominus.
The 124 acre property Dominus Estate vineyard consists of 3 unique soil types; gravel based volcanic soil, clay and loam on a rolling terroir. That blend of terroir is a large part of gives the wines of Dominus Estate their unique, elegant, refined style. The Dominus Estate vineyards are planted with a vineyard blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. On average the vines range from 15-25 years of age.
