The 2008 Napanook (84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot) may be one of the greatest Napanooks made. It is a deeper, richer, more intense wine with full body, an endearing texture and a long, pure finish. These two are “take your pick” vintages, but wine enthusiasts would probably be remiss in not having both 2007 and 2008 in their cellars.
-Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #192, Dec 2010

A 3,000-case blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2008 Napanook is equally seductive. It offers soft, round, silky tannins as well as abundant red and black currant notes intermixed with hints of kirsch, spice box, and unsmoked, high class cigar tobacco. Enjoy it over the next 12-15 years. (Not yet released) Perhaps the finest vintage at Dominus since their historic 1994s and 1991s is 2007, although I am also a big fan of what they achieved in 2001, 2002, and 2006. Lastly, when I visit this winery they always open a fresh bottle and also have a bottle that has been decanted for an hour or two. The decanted bottles definitely reveal more aromatic complexity and breadth of flavor, so readers may wish to aerate the wines prior to service. Tel. (707) 944-8954; Fax (707) 944-0547

(93% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc): Good bright red-ruby. Musky aromas of black raspberry, redcurrant, tobacco, menthol and herbs. Offers a light touch to its dark fruit and herbal flavors but comes across as tight today, and not yet showing much pliancy or sweetness. In a cool, minty style but this clenched wine is still a baby. (I tasted this bottle just before press time in New York; my earlier sample at Dominus was lower-toned and did not display as much lift.)