International Wine Cellar – Stephen Tanzer – May 2007

DOMINUS 2005
92-95 Points

“Saturated ruby-red. Vibrant, complex nose melds blackberry, cherry, violet, mocha, cocoa powder, game and tobacco. Rich, fat and large-scaled for a young Dominus, but with its sweetness buffered by excellent inner-mouth energy. This boasts terrific lift for a wine of its volume. Red and darker berry flavors are lifted by a minty topnote. Finishes with noble tannins and a whiplash of fruit….Incidentally, Christian Moueix and his team rank this wine with the 2001 as the best vintages of recent years.”

NAPANOOK 2005
89-92 points

“(recently pumped to tank and not yet fined) Good full ruby-red. Primary aromas of cherry, plum, raspberry, currant, tar, menthol and tobacco leaf. At once sweet and tangy, with menthol and mint notes lifting the juicy red berry flavors. This has an almost exotic spicy/floral quality and plenty of inner-palate energy. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins.”

DOMINUS 2004
91+ Points

“Deep red-ruby. Deep but reticent aromas of dark raspberry, cocoa powder, hot rocks and minerals, with notes of menthol and wintermint. Very firmly built…an almost Saint-Estephe-like menthol austerity.”

NAPANOOK 2004
89 points

“Red-ruby. Sexy aromas of redcurrant, gravel, minerals and flowers; the perfume reminded me of nebbiolo! Juicy, nicely delineated flavors of raspberry, redcurrant, flowers, mint and a whiff of meat. A rather elegant, complex wine with good lift.”