I’m trying to get one bottle of Dominus, which was been my dream bottle for a while.
I will place it in my cellar it for a while and open it later when something great happens.
Though, I’m having some difficulty in choosing a vintage.
I know 2013 is a bottle worth to collect (30th anniversary thing)
but 2015 could be the one that will require less time to age
…but I also heard many good words about 2016 in terms of quality as well.
I can’t afford all 3 - also, I’m not a big fan of collecting several vintages from one winery at once.
Can you guys give me some advice about vintage to buy?
I love Dominus, but what 2013 is going for right now, I don’t think it’s worth it. That being said, between 2015 and 2016, 2016 in Napa was supposed be phenomenal.
Daniel, check the wine coupon thread. wine.com has the 2016 Dominus for $299.99. You can use a $100 off coupon if you add just a single cheap bottle and stack that with other rebates to get it further down. I doubt you’ll find a better price on these…
If you want to drink it young, you don’t have to necessarily buy Dominus. The difference to other young Napa Cabs will not be that big.
If you want to drink it young, I would definitely buy 2015 or 2016 and not 2013, as this vintage will require extensive cellaring
If you want to drink it young, I would go for 2016 and not 2015, as 2016 is the better vintage in Napa (less fat, sweet and ripe)
If you also like (or prefer) older wines, take the money the young Dominus costs and buy an old bottle, which will be much more complex and harmonious than the young ones. 1994 and 1991 are legends and cost not much more than the new releases. The next big thing might be 92 (and then 97) which probably are even cheaper than 13/15/16. Even smaller vintages like 89 or 95 are drinking great today.
This really is great advice. Older vintages of Dominus are not that hard to source, and many, if not most, are less than the current pricing on the 2013 and 2016. I just bought some 2009 for a friend at $225. I had an 1985 Dominus last year that was really excellent. These wines can age.
I don’t have that much experience with Dominus but I do have some. What I have had tells me that this is a wine to drink with lots of age and not one to drink young. Follow 4.
Much like others have said, I’d suggest looking for an older vintage instead. But if you must buy one of the 100 pointers in the recent vintages, i’d say get whichever one you can find the cheapest.
I drink a crap ton of Napa cab and will echo what others have said… look into older stuff vs 15/16 Dominus if you’re gonna drink it soon. You can definitely find “culty” stuff at your price point with some age on it if you’re looking for more of a trophy bottle.
When you can get ‘10 Colgin IX or ‘94 Dalla Valle Maya (2 of my recent buys so they’re just on the top of my mind) for a similar price, I’d go for that instead if it’s a single aspirational bottle you want to drink soon. K&L auctions seems to have a lot of 90s and 00s Napa (1 of the 2 I mentioned I got there). Dominus also has a reputation of being kind of disjointed and backwards when consumed young - while of course evolving into something special whereas other producers are more approachable younger. So if you want to drink it in the next few years, I’d take a peek at some of the 91/94/97/01/02/07/10s and see what piques your interest. I also enjoy 04, 06 and 09 for good value vintages that are drinking well now.
Lastly, if you have some “wine friends,” consider looking at some auction lots as a joint purchase. You’ll see a lot of 3 bottle lots (as well as 6 and 12, obviously, but it’s easier to split 3 than 12). You’ll usually do better on a per bottle basis when you buy a lot vs a single bottle. I have lots of friends into cult cabs and we all sort of “collect together” to make auctions more fun/have the ability to buy more.
Yep, i think this is the move. For example, right now you can grab the 05 Dominus on Winebid for $165 (that’s before Buyers Premium), and a handful of even older vintages for not much more. Why not snag something for less than the cost of the current releases that someone else has already aged for you. Win/Win
I just picked up another 6-pack of 1994 Dominus for around $400 a bottle. My single favorite domestic wine…Period. And they are “smoking’” You really want to see what Dominus is all about…it’s a no-brainer…it “demands” a full 20 years in the cellar.
2013 Dominus is shut down and in my opinion not ready for another decade. if you want to experience the glory of Dominus, source a good bottle of 1994.
I don’t understand. You want to buy one bottle but you aren’t a fan of multiple vintages? So you just want to buy one bottle to hold for years? What if it’s corked?
