Dominus Estate Bordeaux 2006 (750 ml)

Very deep garnet-purple color. A wonderfully perfumed nose of violets, crushed blackberries, black cherries, mace and cloves leading into some smoked meat and mocha aromas with swirling. Very structured on the palate with high acidity, a medium to high level of fine tannins and a full body providing plenty of flesh in the mid-palate. Very long layered finish.

Starting to take on the tertiary character of ripe fruit and savory components with dusty tannins. Full and round with a lovely texture and a light salty, meaty and tobacco character. Forest floor. Sweet and sour. Just opening.

Unless you knew that this was Dominus and had tasted older vintages, you might not be impressed. In its youth the wine is tannic and dry and linear. However, it is Dominus and it does need cellaring. Right now it shows blackberry, black currant, cedar and baker's chocolate flavors. Will slowly open and reach maturity after 2011, and could easily develop for far longer.

Youthfully floral and tight, this vintage of Dominus is a big wine that holds all of its weight behind a powerful structure. Red apple-skin acidity and walnut-skin tannin keep the fruit tightly contained at first. With air, earthiness begins to meld with blueberry and chocolate richness. The wine remains primary and built for long aging.