Dominus Napa Velley Red Wine 2020
Dominus Napa Valley Red Wine 2020 is the flagship red from Christian Moueix's Dominus Estate in Yountville, Napa Valley — 14.5% ABV, a 95% Cabernet Sauvignon / 5% Cabernet Franc blend from the estate's Napanook Vineyard, aged 18 months in French oak barrels (40% new), in a 750mL bottle. The 2020 vintage was a trial by fire: a dry winter, a consistently warm summer, a tiny heat-curated crop, and the final grapes brought in hours before the Glass Fire. Dominus has been one of Napa's benchmark Bordeaux-style reds since Moueix — of Bordeaux's Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, the family behind Château Pétrus — founded the estate in 1983. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 14.5%
- Size: 750mL
- Vintage: 2020
- Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon / 5% Cabernet Franc
- Aging: 18 months in French oak barrels, 40% new
- Estate: Dominus Estate, Napanook Vineyard, Yountville, Napa Valley — founded 1983 by Christian Moueix; certified organic farming, dry-farmed
- Critic scores: Decanter 99, James Suckling 98, The Wine Independent 96, Wine Spectator 95, Wine Advocate 95
The 2020 That Almost Wasn't
The 2020 Napa vintage is a story of near-misses, and Dominus tells it best: 17 inches of rain against a 31-inch average, a warm summer that ripened the crop fast and evenly, then fastidious hand selection plus optical sorting to cut every heat-impacted berry — a very small crop of genuinely good quality. Winemaker Tod Mostero brought the final grapes in hours before the Glass Fire reached the valley on September 27, 2020. What made it into the bottle spent 18 months in French oak (40% new) and came out weightless and lifted. Browse the Dominus collection and more Napa Valley reds at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per the estate: floral and jasmine tea, saddle leather, and blue plum — weightless, lifted, with a resonant finish. The published critics agreed loudly: 99 points from Decanter, 98 from James Suckling, 96 from The Wine Independent, and 95 from both Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate.
How to Enjoy
Decant for an hour — a wine this structured at five years old still wants air — and serve at cellar temperature with roast lamb, dry-aged ribeye, or anything with enough savory depth to meet it. This is a cellar candidate, not a weeknight pour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grapes are in Dominus 2020?
95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc from the estate's Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, per the Wine Advocate.
What scores did the 2020 Dominus receive?
Decanter 99, James Suckling 98, The Wine Independent 96, Wine Spectator 95, and Wine Advocate 95.
Who makes Dominus?
Christian Moueix, of Bordeaux's Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix (the family behind Château Pétrus), founded Dominus Estate in 1983 on Napa's historic Napanook Vineyard.
Order Dominus Napa Valley Red Wine 2020 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — one of Napa's great 2020s.