2010 Dominus Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 1.5L (Winery Direct Library Release)

A towering, utterly magnificent wine, the 2010 Dominus boasts stunning depth and power. Asphalt, licorice, menthol, plums and cassis wrap around the palate and never let up. The 2010 is endowed with serious density and structure, so it is going to require plenty of time to come together. Melted road tar, sage and intense mineral notes support rich, dense fruit that is just beginning to emerge from beneath a wall of tannin. This is a fabulous showing. The 2010 is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot.

Bright, full ruby. High-pitched aromas of cassis, blackberry and dark chocolate, with more medicinal bitter cherry and mesquite notes emerging with aeration. Rich but youthfully tight, conveying an impression of brooding power. This very dense wine is actually creamy and wonderfully fine-grained in the middle but comes across as quite firm and bracing owing to its sharp definition and restrained sweetness. Communicates an impression of very even fruit ripeness. Finishes with terrific mineral-driven length. Built for long aging: will this eventually surpass the outstanding 2009 bottling? 94(+?) points