O VINARIJI / ABOUT THE WINERY
Imanje Dominus, prvo poznato kao vinograd Napanook, datira iz sredine 19. stoljeća, a vinograde je vjerojatno zasadio oko 1836. osnivač George C. Yount. Njegovi vlasnici od tada uključuju Hugha La Ruea – pionira u korištenju podloge – i vlasnika vinarije Inglenook Johna Daniela Jr., koji je kupio imanje 1946. godine i bio u njegovom vlasništvu do svoje smrti 1970. godine.
U međuvremenu, tijekom 1960-ih, Christian Moueix, sin slavnog trgovca vinom i proizvođača Jean-Pierrea Moueixa, pohađao je Sveučilište u Kaliforniji i razvio ljubav prema dolini Napa i njenim vinima. Vratio se kući u Francusku na neko vrijeme kako bi upravljao prestižnim obiteljskim vinogradima, koji su uključivali Chateaux Petrus i Trotanoy, ali njegova naklonost prema kalifornijskoj regiji nije ostala, a 1982. osnovao je partnerstvo s Robin Lail i Marciom Smith, kćerima pok. Daniels.
Godine 1982., kada mu je Robert Mondavi preporučio da uspostavi proizvodnju u dolini Napa, Moueix je identificirao Dominus Estate kao izbor i ušao u partnerstvo s tadašnjim vlasnicima Robinom Lailom i Marciom Smith prije nego što je postao jedini vlasnik 1995. Od tada vinarija je stalno poboljšavala ocjene svojih kritičara od visokih 80-ih, preko niskih 90-ih do visokih 90-ih, dok nije postigla svojih prvih savršenih 100 s berbom 2010. godine.
Uz pomoć arhitekata Jacquesa Herzonga i Pierrea de Meurona, 1996. godine Moueix je izgradio zadivljujuću vinariju od 5 milijuna dolara, 50.000 četvornih stopa, koja se besprijekorno uklapa u okoliš vinograda dok istovremeno štiti vinovu lozu na imanju od goruće dnevne vrućine Nape i jake noćne hladnoće.
The Dominus estate, first known as the Napanook vineyard, dates back to the mid 19th century, with its vineyards likely planted around 1836 by founder George C Yount. Its owners since include Hugh La Rue – a pioneer in the use of rootstock – and Inglenook Winery owner John Daniel Jr., who bought the estate in 1946 and owned it until his death in 1970.
Meanwhile during the 1960s, Christian Moueix, son of famed wine merchant and producer Jean-Pierre Moueix, was attending the University of California and developed a love for the Napa Valley and its wines. He returned home to France for a time to manage the prestigious family vineyards, which included Chateaux Petrus and Trotanoy, but his affections for the Californian region lingered, and in 1982 he formed a partnership with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, the daughters of the late Daniels.
In 1982, when recommended by Robert Mondavi to establish production in Napa Valley, Moueix identified Dominus Estate as the pick of the bunch and entered into partnership with the then-owners Robin Lail and Marcia Smith before becoming the sole owner in 1995. Since then the winery has steadily improved its critics’ scores from high 80s, through low 90s to high 90s until it achieved its first perfect 100 with the 2010 vintage.
With the help of architects Jacques Herzong and Pierre de Meuron, in 1996 Moueix built a stunning $5m, 50,000 square foot winery which blends seamlessly into the vineyard environment while protecting the estate’s vines from Napa’s scorching daytime heat and bitter night time cold.
