Dominus Estate, Napanook 2015

The character of a wine is defined by the grapes at harvest. Dominus make extensive efforts in the vineyard, once they have the grapes in hand, the winemaking process begins and is minimalist. Thorough cluster sorting by hand. Optical sorting of berries. Gentle pump-overs delicately extract aromas, color, tannin, and reveal the personality of each lot. Hand-racking barrel to barrel every three months using the esquive.

The Napanook vineyard is nestled in a natural amphitheater at the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains on the west side of the Napa Valley.  Fed by winter rains, its underground springs flow through ancient riverbeds and provide a natural supply of water to its grapevines, allowing them to develop deep roots. Over centuries this fertile benchland’s microclimate has provided ideal conditions for crops and grape growing. In the world of wine, few have the experience of Christian Moueix.  With almost fifty-five years of producing wines in Bordeaux’s Right Bank and forty in Napa Valley, he has pioneered the practice of adaptive viticulture.