Food Wine

NAPANOOK 2015 By Dominus Estate
NAPANOOK 2015 By Dominus Estate
Video
VINTAGE SUMMARY
2015 was characterized by a wet winter, which replenished the soil’s water reserve, followed by a dry spring. A sudden cooling of temperatures in May affected the bloom and reduced the size and number of berries per cluster. The remaining growing season was consistently warm with a three-day heat wave during harvest that sent temperatures above 102 F from September 8-10.
BLEND: Cabernet Sauvignon: 93%, Petit Verdot: 4%, Cabernet Franc: 3%
HARVEST START: September 2
HARVEST END: September 16
BOTTLING DATE: July 2017
PERCENT NEW BARRELS: 20%
CASES PRODUCED: 3800
RELEASE DATE: April 2018
About Dominus Estate
In the late 1960s, while attending the University of California at Davis, Christian Moueix fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer FROM Libourne, France, Moueix returned home in 1970 to manage the family vineyards, including chateaux Petrus, La Fleur-Petrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in Saint Emilion.
His love of Napa Valley lingered and, in 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook vineyard, a 124-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership to develop the vineyard and, in 1995, became its sole owner. He chose the name ‘Dominus’ or’ Lord of the Estate’ in Latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.
Quest for Excellence & Values
Rooted in values of quality, stewardship, tradition and innovation, the Dominus Estate team shares a vision of producing distinctive wines that express the essence of the historic Napanook vineyard.
We are committed to making balanced wines of exceptional quality, which, through clear vision, intellectual rigor and unceasing effort, express the characteristics of our terroir.
At Dominus Estate, we combine centuries-old traditions of grapegrowing and winemaking with innovative practices to transform the highest quality grapes into fine wines with a great potential for aging.
Our respect for the land and the history of this place underlies our role as caretakers of the vineyard and our commitment to conveying a property that is improved for future generations.
Christian Moueix
One of the most respected wine producers in the world, Christian Moueix is on a personal quest for perfection in grapegrowing and winemaking. It is a journey that began in Bordeaux and continues today at Dominus Estate, where he has instilled his philosophy and inspired his team to share his values. To walk the vineyard with Christian is to witness a commitment to the land, a strong sense of purpose and the modest soul of a man of the vines.
Wine Making at Dominus Estate
Separate lot-by-lot fermentation.
Cluster sorting by hand is complemented by an optical berry sorting system.
Gentle pumping-over extracts aromas, color and tannins.
Vertical wine press at low pressure delicately releases components from the skin.
Racking barrel to barrel in 100% french oak removes sediment and assures clarification of the wine during aging.
Egg white fining eliminates impurities.
Source: Dominus Estate