Dominus Estate - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2012 (750ml)
Price: $310.00
| Producer | Dominus Estate |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Napa Valley |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Vintage | 2012 |
| Size | 750ml |
Vinous: 100 Points
The 2012 Dominus is a wild, exotic wine. Harvest began on October 9 and finished on the 21st, very late by present-day standards. Ripe red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, rose petal, incense and rose petal soar out of the glass. Deep and vibrant, with terrific freshness, Dominus is very clearly one of the wines of the year. I loved the 2012 from barrel, but found it quite closed after bottling. Now, after all these years, I finally see the realization of the potential suggested in my barrel tastings. Magnificent.
Wine Independent Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 99 Points
A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2012 Dominus has a deep garnet color. It soars with expressive notes of black cherry compote, black raspberries, and cassis, leading to gentle wafts of tree bark, graphite, violets, and anise, plus a touch of cracked black pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with energetic black and red berry layers, supported by ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced.
Jeb Dunnuck: 99 Points
Checking in as a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc that hit 14.3% alcohol, the 2012 Dominus is a sensational wine that certainly ranks with the all-time greats of this cuvée and is reminiscent of the 1991. Ripe, flamboyant, and incredibly sexy, it nevertheless shows the classic style of this estate, has nothing out of place and just glides across the palate. Blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedar box, new leather, and an almost garrigue-like character all emerge from this full-bodied, silky, seamless effort that has fine tannin, perfectly integrated acidity, tannins, alcohol, and a great, great finish. Drink it any time over the coming 2-3 decades. It's a tour de force in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and one of the greats.
Wine Advocate: 99 Points
Flirting with perfection, the 2012 Dominus is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Five thousand cases were produced, a relatively modest amount from this large vineyard’s big crop. Christian Moueix told me that there was plenty of heat in 2012, but there were no excessive hot spells that can plague Napa Valley vintners during the growing season and harvest. This wine’s opaque plum/purple color is accompanied by a beautiful nose of sweet crème de cassis, a touch of background oak (only 40% new oak is used), spice box, cedarwood, black cherries and a hint of spring flowers. The complex, intense aromatics are followed by a deep, opulent, multidimensional, full-bodied wine with not a hard edge to be found. Everything is seamlessly crafted in this beauty and the vintage’s abundant richness is well-displayed. This 2012 can be drunk in its exuberant youthfulness or cellared for another 20-25 years.
James Suckling: 98 Points
Fabulous purity and clarity of fruit. Blackcurrants, blackberries and violets. Full body, big soft tannins and a chocolate, hazelnut and dark fruit character. Some hot stones. Fruit at the finish. Ripe and velvety finish. Better in 2020 but delicious to drink now. Wonderful Dominus.
The Wine Cellar Insider: 98 Points
Showing even better than the last time this was tasted, the layers of sweet, perfectly ripe, lush opulent fruits, dark chocolate, spice and licorice coat your palate and linger, long after the wine has gone where it needed to be.
Decanter: 98 Points
It rained a lot in the spring of 2012, and as of early 2024, the wine is still very compact. There's a cheerful quality, with black fruit, dried violets, and lilacs. A deep sense of earthy richness is just beginning to show itself, but as much as the 2013 suggestion, there is real cellar potential. 2012 is an overlooked vintage, stuck between the cool and rainy 2011 and the highly-praised 2013 vintage, but if you have any 2012 in your cellar, try it today and try it again in 5, 10, and 15 years. It will still be going. It has the balanced acidity and integration of precise tannins to age, and it's delivering a host of upfront pleasure right now in a soft, velvety and refreshing form, with such scintillating acidity as to be one of the most food-friendly Dominus reds in the last couple of decades. Not to be overlooked.
