Napanook, Christian Moueix - Dominus Estate 2004

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec from the proprietor of Dominus, the 2004 Napanook Cabernet Sauvignon is a soft, consumer-friendly style of wine. It is seductive, has a dark plum/garnet color, plenty of tobacco leaf, black currants, cedar and spice box in a medium to full-bodied, round, generous, yet elegant, style. Drink it over the next decade. There are 3,600 cases of this wine, which was made from fruit harvested between August 23-September 26, with yields of 2.3 to 2.7 tons per acre.

This beautiful historic vineyard in Yountville produced 5,500 cases of Dominus from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Increasingly, it is rare to find any Merlot being used in Dominus. Proprietor Christian Moueix said that the 2004 harvest stood out because of the extraordinary heat during the first several weeks of September. The harvest was one of the earliest ever - starting at the end of August and finishing before the end of September.