Chateau La Dominique 2010
Chateau La Dominique 2010, bold, vibrant and full of energy. A host of black fruits, crème de cassis, mocha, violet, licorice, plum, mint and a smoky note that emerges from the glass. Although very daring, powerful and racy, this 2015 also has a strong tannic structure that balances the most obvious flavors. This wine is a first class effort from Château La Dominique. Chateau La Dominique is an estate in Saint-Émilion known for its Merlot-based red wine. It was rated Grand Cru Classé in the official 1955 classification of Saint-Émilion.
Located close to the Pomerol border, the vineyard covers approximately 30 hectares (75 acres). The majority of plantings are Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and an addition of Malbec in 2019. Here, a gentle slope and sandy gravel soils with slighlty more clay than its neighbor Cheval Blanc create the terroir.
In the winery, movement of juice and wine is done gently, powered by gravity to aid the preservation of phenolics. Grapes undergo 12-24 hours of cold maceration, and then vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The grand vin is then aged oak barrels, a majority of which are new for 18 months.
Records for La Dominique date back to 1690, although it was first mentioned as a wine estate with its current name in 1785. The name is derived from Dominica in the Caribbean where the owner made his fortune. The estate’s reputation dipped in the first half of the 20th Century, but in 1969 it was bought by industrialist Clement Fayat who also owns Château Fayat in Pomerol and Clément-Pichon in the Haut-Médoc. Sustained investment has brought about a return to form.
La Dominique is located on the border with the Pomerol appellation and its vineyards adjoin those of Cheval Blanc. The soils are a mixture of limestone, gravel, sand and clay and the 22 hectares of vineyards are planted with Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and the wine is then aged in oak barriques (50-60% new) for 18 months.
La Dominique produces intense, ultra ripe, and opulent clarets, which, while hard to resist, tend to show at their best with 7-10 years of bottle ageing.
