The history of the Dominus winery is inextricably linked to the history of Christian Moueix, one of the greatest and most well-known winemakers of our time. With more than five decades of experience in wine production in the legendary wine-growing region of Bordeaux and around 40 years of experience on the soil of the Napa Valley in the USA, there is probably no other winemaker in the world who has such an incomparable insight into the old and the new Weinwelt has won like Moueix.

The art of winemaking was more or less inherited from Christian. After all, he is the son of none other than Jean-Pierre Moueix, the long-time owner of the world-famous wineries Chateau Petrus, La Fleur-Petrus, Trotanoy and Madeleine around Bordeaux. After studying agricultural engineering in Paris and postgraduate studies in viticulture and oenology at the University of California, Davis, the winemaker returned to his French homeland.

At the young age of twenty-four, he was placed in charge of his family's many legendary wineries. As a passionate winemaker, however, he fully met all requirements. Ever since he started his career, Christian has been experimenting with all kinds of ways to further improve the quality of his grapes. Already in the 1970s he was one of the first winegrowers to deal with the organic cultivation of wine. Probably his most important technical innovation is a method of thinning introduced in 1973, which is still used today in all vineyards around the world.

During his studies in the late 1960s, Christian fell in love with the vineyards of the Napa Valley. However, it would not be until 1981 that he returned to California and discovered a historic vineyard location called "Napanook" in Yountville. The star winemaker immediately recognized that this was a location with exceptional potential and started building a winery a year later.

In 1995, Moueix became the sole owner of the 44-hectare estate and named it Dominus, which means "lord of the house" in Latin. Since then, Moueix has combined the uniqueness of the Napa Valley wine-growing region with the traditional Bordeaux winemaking process. The result is classic French wines with a Californian interpretation - as befits a star winemaker, of course at the highest level.

World class wine

The Dominus Estate has always played in the top league of wineries not only in the USA but worldwide. With several vintages earning the maximum of 100 points from legendary US wine critic Robert Parker, the estate is undoubtedly one of the most respected wineries in the United States. The vineyards cover around 50 hectares of vines on gravel and clay soils, some of which are planted with very old vines. Some Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines date back to the late 19th century. This makes them the oldest vines in all of Napa County.

The wines of the estate

The flagship of the Dominus winery is the Dominus cuvée of the same name, a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with smaller proportions of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Since 1996, the winery has produced a second wine called "Napanook". The grapes for the Napanook come from the slightly flatter areas of the estate, but are in no way inferior to the Dominus cuvée in terms of quality.

For several years, the winery's range has been supplemented by the "Othello". The Othello, whose grapes come from the youngest vines of the vineyards, is a perfect introduction to the high-priced world of Dominus Estate wines. The range is completed by the "Ulysses", the latest creation of the team around the star winemaker Moueix. This almost varietal Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a vineyard in southern Oakville. Despite large price differences between the individual wines and vintages, the entire wine collection of the estate plays at the highest level and combines the Californian way of life with the savoir-vivre of France in a great way.

A pioneer in sustainability and environmental protection

The Dominus Estate has long been a pioneer in sustainability. For years, the Napanook vineyard has been cultivated organically and sustainably in accordance with the guidelines of several environmental organizations. Based on the Napa Green Vinevard certification, the winery works to improve soil health, restore biodiversity and restore nature to the environment. In addition, the winery intends to become carbon neutral within a few years.