2023 Dominus 'Napanook' Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Napanook is made solely from grapes grown at the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, Napa Valley. Blocks are chosen for their lively fruit and soft tannins, and are blended to produce this silken and vibrant wine.
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot is the blend for the 2023 vintage leading to layered notes of ripe pomegranate, cherry, and blackcurrant with subtle hints of cacao and spice. A great wine for drinking young, but will reward 5 to 10 years in the cellar.
Ships Early March 2026
Christian Moueix, whose family owns Château Pétrus in Pomerol, fell in love with Napa Valley during the late 1960s while attending UC Davis. In 1982, he partnered with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, daughters of legendary Inglenook owner/winemaker John Daniel, to create Dominus Estate on the site of the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville. This was the only portion of the old Inglenook estate retained by the Daniel family after Inglenook was sold in 1964. The first vintage was 1983 and since then, Moueix has painstakingly restored the original vineyard - first planted in 1836 by pioneer George Yount - which now totals 108 dry-farmed acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
The Wine Palate
The 2023 Napanook is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it offers up expressive scents of crushed black currants, pomegranate, and dusty earth with hints of wild sage and cacao. The medium to full-bodied palate is silken and vibrant, with a refreshing line of acidity and a long, earthy finish.
VN93
Vinous
The 2023 Napanook is deep, bold and luscious right out of the gate. Black cherry, lavender, dried herbs and graphite fill out its mid-weight frame quite nicely. I expect the 2023 will drink well with minimal cellaring, as it is already quite open and doesn’t quite have the tannic palate presence of more important years.
Jeb Dunnuck
Deep purple-hued and the second wine of this reference point domaine, the 2023 Napanook offers classic currants, leafy tobacco, graphite, and underbrush notes in a medium-bodied, very pretty, pure, elegant, and graceful style. Based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot and aged 20 months in 20% new French oak, it has ripe and polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and a great finish. This classic, classy Cabernet will keep for 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2040.