Dominus, Christian Moueix - Dominus Estate 1983

Tasted at dinner at Chez Bruce, London. The debut Dominus is a brilliant wine. No wonder it took so long to release, because it still retains a compact, almost sultry, dense blackberry nose infused with tobacco and melted tar. Superb delineation. The full-bodied palate has very firm tannins and complex, black cedar-tinged fruit leading to an earthy, but unquestionably stylish finish. At the moment, more impressive than pleasurable. But very impressive! Tasted July 2001.

Only 2,100 cases were produced of the debut vintage of Dominus. While very backward, full-bodied, and tannic, with an austere Bordeaux personality, the wine continues to exhibit considerable promise. The nose offers damp woodsy aromas intermingled with rich, jammy cassis, cedar, licorice, and even some oriental spice notes. Full-bodied with considerable tannin, this highly extracted, rich wine should prove to be extremely long-lived. It gives every sign of shedding its tannins and having the requisite extraction of fruit and concentration for future harmony. It is unquestionably among the finest 1983 California Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines.