About Dominus Estate
Dominus Estate is the Napa Valley project of Christian Moueix, whose family in Bordeaux stands behind Petrus, one of Pomerol's most coveted estates. In 1982 Moueix partnered with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, daughters of the late Inglenook steward John Daniel, to farm the historic Napanook vineyard west of Yountville. The venture was first known as the John Daniel Society before Moueix took full control and renamed it Dominus, Latin for lord of the estate.
The first vintage was 1983. Dominus is a structured, age-worthy Bordeaux-style red led by Cabernet Sauvignon, with a more approachable second wine, Napanook, drawn from the same property. The estate is farmed with a restrained Bordelais hand, and the wines are released through allocation and the trade rather than a public tasting room.
Christian Moueix brought Pomerol's sensibility to the historic Napanook vineyard, and made one of Napa's benchmark Bordeaux-style reds.
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Dominus Estate isDominus Estate is the most architecturally celebrated and Bordeaux-heritage-rooted wine estate in Napa Valley.
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Christian Moueix, Christian Moueix, whose family owns and manages Château Pétrus in Pomerol, one of the world's most expensive and sought-after wines, was drawn to the Napanook Vineyard above Yountville in the early 1980s, recognizing in the vineyard's specific alluvial soils and warm but well-drained growing conditions a California terroir capable of producing Bordeaux-blend wine of international quality.
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The estate's mostThe estate's most celebrated physical feature is the winery building itself: a structure of extraordinary architectural innovation designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the same firm responsible for the Tate Modern in London, the Beijing National Stadium, and numerous other internationally significant buildings.
"Petrus sensibility on Napa soil: Christian Moueix's benchmark Bordeaux-style red from the historic Napanook vineyard."
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Featured Wines
Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Dominus Estate, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. Yountville producers typically rotate vintages and offerings seasonally.
Tasting Experiences
Visit Website →By Private Invitation Only
Dominus is not open to the public. For Yountville Bordeaux-style estate experiences, consider nearby Cliff Lede Vineyards or Goosecross Cellars. The Herzog & de Meuron gabion-wall winery exterior is visible from Napanook Road and worth driving past for its extraordinary architectural presence.
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