Dominus Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 1991

Christian Moueix's 1991 Dominus Estate is cruising along in the cellar and has reached a beautiful plateau of maturity. Aromas of black cherries, cassis, graphite, rich loamy soil and summer truffle are the prelude to a wine of impressive depth and spherical balance. Just a hint of torrefaction in the aromatics alludes to the challenges posed by the California sun; challenges that more recent vintages of Dominus indicate Moueix's talented team have entirely mastered.