Dominus Estate: A Minimalists' Approach to Producing Great Wine
Dominus Estate in Yountville, Ca. is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for best domestic red wine.
Owner Christian Moueix' philosophy is to produce his wine in the vineyard, not the cellar. The wines are "estate bottled" in the spirit of the Bordeaux chateaux. Dominus follows a traditional philosophy: in order to produce great wine, it needs the best possible grapes. As such, it concentrates its efforts in vineyard. Vines are meticulously manicured. The winery "treats our vines as if they are part of our family, we help them produce the best fruit possible given the climate they have to face."
The company practices crop-thinning, known as "nettoyage", in which the grapes are washed with water, leaf-plucking, and other labor-intensive activities. Following the maturation of the clusters, enables Dominus to harvest the grapes under the best conditions. When the fruit enters its cellar after harvest, it follows a natural process of fermentation with few interventions. Next, the wine is blended in a manner that expresses the natural qualities of the fruit--not forced into a style with preconceived notions.
Dominus Estate's wines are made from grapes grown solely on the Napanook Vineyard, a 124-acre ranch, of which 108 acres are planted (the ranch is dry-farmed). The essential grape varietal is cabernet sauvignon. Cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot are also used in the final blends, reinforcing the consistent style of the wines although varying during the blend each year to reflect the climate during the growing season.
The winery was designed by the same architects who are responsible for the Tate Modern in London. Known for their innovative architectural design, Swiss architects, Herzon and de Meuron, integrated the winery into the landscape. From a distance, the gabion structure dissolves into the landscape and has been dubbed by locals "the stealth winery."
Unfortunately, Dominus Estate does not receive visitors.
Vote for the winemaker that you think is the best of breed. The voting period ends on June 30th, with winners announced on July 1, 2010.
The winery was designed by the same architects who are responsible for the Tate Modern in London. Known for their innovative architectural design, Swiss architects, Herzon and de Meuron, integrated the winery into the landscape. From a distance, the gabion structure dissolves into the landscape and has been dubbed by locals "the stealth winery."
Unfortunately, Dominus Estate does not receive visitors.
Vote for the winemaker that you think is the best of breed. The voting period ends on June 30th, with winners announced on July 1, 2010.
