Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2018

100 points/'#3 Top Wine of 2021,' Jeb Dunnuck: "The flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot brought up in 40% new French oak. With an essence of Cabernet-like character in its darker currants, green tobacco, cedar, graphite, and floral aromas and flavors, this gorgeous wine is full-bodied and has bright yet integrated acidity, polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s just gorgeously put together and a magical, flawless wine. It's going to take a decade to hit maturity but will evolve for 40-50 years in cold cellars. It is as good as it gets in classic, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon! Drink: 2031-2068. (1/27/21)"

100 points James Suckling: "This is incredible on the nose, offering hot stones, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. Full-bodied with a tight center palate, then it opens with a tannin structure that is weightless and spreads across the palate. Totally integrated on the palate. This is a magic-carpet wine. Really incredible. One of the reference points for the vintage. Drinkable now and please try a bottle, but it’s one for the cellar. (5/30/21)"

99+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Dominus slowly emerges from the glass with profound notes of blackcurrant cordial, ripe black plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with hints of violets, star anise, cracked black pepper, raspberry leaves and pencil lead, plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit layers, creating a beguiling sense of richness that is beautifully countered by invigorating freshness and great poise, framed by super ripe, plush tannins and beautiful tension, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note and, finally, lots of mineral sparks. For all that it is at the moment, one cannot help but feel that this 2018 is holding something back. Give it a good five years in bottle, at least, and then get set for what I suspect will be a mind-blowing transformation over the next 30 years+. Drink: 2026-2056. (Feb 2021)"

99 points International Wine Report: "The 2018 Dominus is simply stunning. Composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, this is a beautifully made wine that puts on a masterful display of finesse and elegance, all while maintaining the ripe characteristics from the vintage. This slowly beings to open to wonderful aromas of ripe dark currants, spiced dark plums, graphite shavings, sweet pipe tobacco and spring florals adding in some savory green and dusty nuances, which begin to appear with time in the glass. On the palate this possesses a gorgeous full-bodied texture, displaying remarkable overall balance with beautiful fine polished tannins which result in a velvety mouthfeel that funnels into the luxurious finish. This is a sensational showing from Dominus, which is already accessible now with some air contact, however it also has the characteristics to thrive in the cellar over the course of decades. Drink: 2023-2045. (Sep 2022)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2018 Dominus is wild and exotic from the first taste. Lifted aromatics make a strong opening impression. There is something exuberant about the 2018 that is hard to describe. The 2018 is not a huge Dominus, nor is it massively structured, but the intensity of the flavors is remarkable just the same. Dark raspberry, spice, leather and cedar are some of the many notes that open over time. Drink: 2026-2043. (Jan 2021)"

'#1 Wine of the Year 2021'/97 points Wine Spectator: "This is tightly packed, with sleek, pure, driven notes of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry puree allied to an iron spine, while subtle alder, juniper, sweet bay leaf and tobacco notes peek in throughout. Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a very long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. (7/21/21)"