Vertical Limit
I was fortunate enough to taste a vertical of Dominus Estate the other night. The wines dated back all the way from 1987 and went to 2002. It was amazing to see the transformation of the wines and the progression that the wines were stylistically.Dominus is a Napa Valley, California wine that produces Bordeaux style blends. It’s first vintage was in 1983. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates these blends as does most of Napa Valley wines. These wines are expensive even by Napa standards starting at $150 a bottle for the current vintage. I loved seeing the price tag of the 1987 at $49.99. It shows how much wine prices have gone up since then.The vintages we tasted through were 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, and 2002. I love older wines but rarely get to try them so this was definitely a treat. The 1987 showed virtually no fruit. Dusty tannins with cigar box aromas. Just incredible. Gradually up the ladder more fruit was showing in each vintage. My friend who brought the wines said the older ones reminded him of an aged Saint-Emilion Bordeaux wine. This old school mentality back then I can appreciate. The 1994 had balance and finesse with perfectly integrated oak and big dark fruits. The tannins were so mellow and smooth. Finally was the 2002 which truly shows what a lot of Napa Cabs have become. Big, high alcohol, ripe, dark purple fruits, and loads of new oak. Not exactly my cup of tea but nonetheless it was a pleasure experiencing them all. If you can ever get your hands on some old wines I highly recommend trying them. Just for the experience. It makes me wish I was collecting wine at a younger age. Cheers!