2011 Dominus – Fabulous Wine from a Challenging Vintage

2011 Dominus – Fabulous Wine from a Challenging Vintage

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Let’s talk for a second about vintages - in Napa, 2011 was widely dissed upon release as a bad vintage, but in the past few years I’ve found the 2011 wines to be on fire with deliciousness! True, it was a rainy, difficult harvest, but the serious winemakers in Napa still made gorgeous wines, even if others couldn’t. And what is exciting to me about these “challenging” vintages is how they become some of the most fascinating bottles to experience. Take this Dominus, not only was 2011 singing last night, black fruit, cigar tobacco, awesome structure, round and fully integrated with great balance and a long, supple finish, but 2011 is drinking like this after only 8 years in the bottle, when most Dominus vintages would need 15 to show as well. And this phenomenon isn’t limited to a handful of wines - across Napa, at all ends of the price range, are 2011 Cabernets that are tasting like magic in a glass. It’s a vintage I think is peaking now and for the next few years, at least. And I for one can’t wait to see how the 2011s continue to evolve. . . .

Let’s talk for a second about vintages – in Napa, 2011 was widely dissed upon release as a “bad” vintage, but in the past few years I’ve found the 2011 wines to be on fire with deliciousness! True, it was a rainy, difficult harvest, but the serious winemakers in Napa still made gorgeous wines, even if others couldn’t. And what is exciting to me about these “challenging” vintages is how they become some of the most fascinating bottles to experience.

Take this Dominus, not only was 2011 singing last night, black fruit, cigar tobacco, awesome structure, round and fully integrated with great balance and a long, supple finish, but 2011 is drinking like this after only 8 years in the bottle, when most Dominus vintages would need 15 to show as well. And this phenomenon isn’t limited to a handful of wines – across Napa, at all ends of the price range, are 2011 Cabernets that are tasting like magic in a glass. It’s a vintage I think is peaking now and for the next few years, at least. And I for one can’t wait to see how the 2011s continue to evolve. . . .