California

Rating

92

Release Price

$65 - 75

Drink Date

2016 - 2036

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

28th Oct 2016

Source

227, The Wine Advocate

The 2014s, where the production of Napanook was only 2,200 cases and Dominus slightly more than the 2015 at 4,000 cases, was another early harvest, although somewhat later than 2015. The 2014 Napanook is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, showing notes of loamy earth, Christmas fruitcake, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit and underbrush in a supple, fragrant and lush heady style. It is another successful wine that should drink beautifully young and age nicely for up to 20 years.

Christian Moueix’s Dominus Estate continues to be one of California’s leaders in turning out gorgeously elegant, complex and long-lived wines. A magnum of 1991 from my cellar tasted several weeks before I left for California was pure perfection and evidence that at 25 years old, before he had built his stunning winery, great quality was coming from this iconic vineyard. The 2015s are certainly going to be one of his all-time great vintages, rivaling 2013, 2012, 2007, 2002, 2001 and his earliest classics, such as 1994 and 1991. Production in 2015 was about 3,000 cases of Napanook and 3,800 cases of Dominus.

Rating

93+

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2030

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

31st Oct 2017

Source

233, The Wine Advocate

Bottled in July 2017, Dominus’ more approachable, less tannic sister wine, Napanook, is a blend this year of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Napanook Proprietary Red Wine is redolent of crème de cassis, potpourri, plum preserves and violets with hints of dark chocolate, menthol, licorice and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is densely packed with black fruit preserves and earthy layers, supported by firm, ripe, fine-grained tannins and finishing with great length.

Rating

100

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2024 - 2054

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

29th Oct 2018

Source

Mid-October 2018 New Releases, The Wine Advocate

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 40% new oak, the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is deep purple-black in color and quite reticent at this youthful stage to begin, offering up subtle notions of potpourri, Indian spices, cigar box and iron ore over a core of crushed blackberries and black cherries with intermittent wafts of black and red currants, new leather and smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a densely packed mid-palate and oodles of freshness framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and laced with compelling earthy accents. It offers incredible vibrancy with tons of black and red fruit sparkle in the mid-palate leading to a provocative mineral element on the very long finish. If I could give more than 100 for this one, I would. To be released in May 2019.

Rating

94

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2016 - 2041

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

28th Oct 2016

Source

227, The Wine Advocate

The wines from the extremely hot drought year, 2014, were just bottled prior to my visit. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the vintage’s precociousness and front-end loaded, flattering style. It is medium to full-bodied, shows beautiful fruit purity, deep black raspberry and blackcurrant fruit, moving toward blacker berries. There is a floral characteristic, spice, and a full-bodied, lush mouthfeel with silky tannin. Drink it over the next 25 years.

Readers should note that the relatively new owners of what was formerly known as the Araujo Estate have finally changed the name to the Eisele Vineyard. This is one of the greatest terroirs in all of Napa Valley, if not all of California. It certainly makes sense to promote its name. For old-timers out there, the first single Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon I remember was made by Paul Draper in 1971 at Ridge. That was followed by a one-off, but a phenomenal wine, the 1974 Conn Creek Eisele Vineyard (the wine was purchased at a bankruptcy sale and bottled by Conn Creek). Then there was a succession of great Eisele Vineyard wines from Joseph Phelps, including the 1975 and 1978, all of which today remain vibrant and incredible. Certainly, when the Araujos arrived they also produced world-class wines of first-growth quality. It is no coincidence that the Eisele Vineyard is now owned by a first-growth proprietor from France, François Pinault, of Château Latour in Bordeaux and other significant estates in France, especially the tiny jewel of a vineyard in the Rhône Valley, Château Grillet. The tasting I did seemed to show that all is proceeding brilliantly at the Eisele Vineyard, with two of the three Cabernet Sauvignons I tasted thoroughly compelling—so the greatness from this fabulous terroir continues unabated.

Rating

100

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2019 - 2049

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

31st Oct 2017

Source

233, The Wine Advocate

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon charges from the gate with exuberant red and black cherries notes, black currants and mulberries with a beautiful roses and lavender perfume, plus hints of sandalwood and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, concentrated and downright explosive in the mouth, it is still wearing loads of gorgeous puppy-fat fruit flavors, offering suggestions of the complex, multilayered blockbuster that it will emerge into. The structure deserves its own mention: wonderful, seamless freshness and oh-so-fine, pixelated tannins, with an extraordinary persistence of fruit and mineral nuances. Wow.