With a good decant, the compact, quiet bouquet of this 2020 Dominus begins to show off, exhibiting perfumed aromatics of dark-toned berry fruit, blood orange, and cocoa nibs. It boasts impressive staying power with a real depth of concentration of fruit. Long strands of velvety tannins are interwoven around pure and symphonic black-toned fruit, while bright and present acidity provides the kind of lift that makes the wine seem almost featherweight. A beautiful red florality envelops the finish. Winemaker Tod Mostero said that hours before the Glass Fire on 27 September, they had just brought in the last of their grapes. It's a good thing, too, because it's a splendid wine and deserves to share the spotlight with the best wines of the vintage. Aged 16-18 months in 40% new French oak.

An excellent wine, even if not a great Dominus, the 2020 Dominus delivers waves of dark fruit—think predominantly cassis. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, it's full-bodied and richly textured, perhaps a bit warm and open-knit because of the summer's heat, but with a long, velvety finish attractively tinged with mocha and dark chocolate.

I'd put the 2020 Dominus up with the best in the vintage, and Tod commented that he actually liked the 2020 more than the 2019. I wouldn't go that far, but there's no denying this is a beautiful wine loaded with darker currants, cassis, graphite, and chalky minerality. It's medium to full-bodied, has a dense, inward, concentrated style, fine-grained tannins, and a solid mid-palate of both power and finesse. It should benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and have two decades of overall longevity.