Dominus Estate

Dominus Estate
2570 Napanook Road
Yountville, California
USA 94599
Phone: (707) 944-8954
http://www.dominusestate.com/

Contact: Christian Moueix
Email: [email protected]

Dominus Estate is owned by Christian Moueix from Libourne, France. His goal, supported by the team at the winery, is to produce great wine representing the unique terroir of the Napanook vineyard.

Our philosophy is very traditional—that is, in order to produce great wine we need the best possible grapes. Therefore, we concentrate our efforts in the vineyard. The vines are meticulously manicured—we believe in crop-thinning, "nettoyage," washing the grapes, and other labor-intensive activities. During each visit to California, Christian Moueix spends most of his time in the vineyard, not only because he loves it, but also to better understand the natural expression of the vintage.

Following the maturation of the clusters allows us to harvest the grapes under the best conditions.

When the fruit enters the cellar after harvest, it follows a natural process of fermentation with few interventions. Our approach is that of a minimalist's.

Following fermentation, the wine is blended in a manner that expresses the natural qualities of the fruit, not forced into a style with preconceived notions.

Since then, Napanook has had several owners, including Hugh La Rue, one of the pioneers in the use of rootstock and John Daniel, famous for the Inglenook Cask Selection.

Christian Moueix fell in love with the valley and its wines while studying at U.C. Davis in 1968 and 1969. After many years of searching the ideal vineyard location, in 1982 he entered into a joint venture with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, John Daniel's two daughters.

This was the birth of Dominus, and its first vintage was harvested in 1983. Since then, Christian Moueix has worked to restore the unique character of the original vineyard. He became full owner in 1995.

Winemaker: Christian Moueix

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