Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is radically different from the 2015 I tasted next to it: 2015 was warm and dry, while 2016 cold and wet, and the wines show it. I love this 2016, a subtler wine that is more introverted, shy and serious but with a level of complexity and depth, refinement and nuance I have not seen in any previous vintages. It's the most elegant Domus to date, with a level of precision that is not easy to achieve. While it keeps the classical Domus style and the Maipo character, it's a lot subtler, fresh and balanced. Curiously enough, this is the only year the blend has had more than 8% Cabernet Franc, and winemaker Jean-Pascal Lacaze thinks Cabernet Franc (which was better than ever in 2016) has contributed enormously to the nuance and elegance here. Bravo! Well done!
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The Peña family is committed to extremely low yields. The family's vineyards are divided into five blocks that follow the depth and stoniness of the soil, which are further divided into upper, middle and lower rows. The harvest is not determined by block or row but vine by vine. The winery also utilizes open-top fermentation and personalized oak aging cycles, selecting lots with the most character to be the first wines into French barrels.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Maipo Valley is Chile’s most famous wine region. Set in the country’s Central Valley, it is warm and quite dry, often necessitating the use of irrigation. Alluvial soils predominate but are supplemented with loam and clay.
The climate in Maipo is best-suited for ripe, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon (the region’s most widely planted grape), Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère, a Bordeaux variety that has found a successful home in Chile.
White wines are also produced with great prosperity, especially near the cooler coast, include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.