Dominus Estate
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(3) Viticulture and enology “A wine is only as good as the grapes from which it is produced...”, Christian Moueix
(3.1) Grapegrowing
Meticulous efforts are made throughout the seasons to produce grapes of the highest qual- ity for Dominus and Napanook wines.
(3.1.1) Viticultural Practices
Viticultural Practices at Dominus Estate
During the winter season, precise cane pruning ensures ideal cluster spacing for optimal fruit ripening.
Dry farming relies on a deep root system to take advantage of natural water sources from rain and underground supplies.
the french plough removes invasive weeds and encourages deep root growth.
cluster thinning optimizes quality through yield regulation.
Strategic trellising ensures perfect canopy management.
Frequent grape sampling provides invaluable data for determining optimal ripeness.
Rinsing the grapes 10 to 15 days before harvest removes dust and enhances the purity of the fruit.
Hand-picking with small french shears instead of harvest knives minimizes bruising and vine damage.
small harvest baskets preserve the integrity of the clusters as they are transported to the winery.
the sunny side of the vines is picked a few days before the shady side respecting perfect maturity.
(3.1.1.2.) Viticultural Practices
Viticultural Practices at Dominus Estate
During the winter season, precise cane pruning ensures ideal cluster spacing for optimal fruit ripening.
Dry farming relies on a deep root system to take advantage of natural water sources from rain and underground supplies.
the french plough removes invasive weeds and encourages deep root growth.
cluster thinning optimizes quality through yield regulation.
Strategic trellising ensures perfect canopy management.
Frequent grape sampling provides invaluable data for determining optimal ripeness.
Rinsing the grapes 10 to 15 days before harvest removes dust and enhances the purity of the fruit.
Hand-picking with small french shears instead of harvest knives minimizes bruising and vine damage.
small harvest baskets preserve the integrity of the clusters as they are transported to the winery.
the sunny side of the vines is picked a few days before the shady side respecting perfect maturity.
(3.1.2) Dry Farming
What is Dry Farming?
Dry farming is more than just avoiding irrigation of the vines. It is an active form of preserving moisture in the ground through the use of cover crops and careful cultivation so that irrigation is not needed. The reward is wines that are deeply connected to the soil and complex in flavor.
(3.2) Winemaking Dominus Estate wines are meticulously made with an objective of purity, balance and complexity. Minimal intervention and restraint throughout the process of grape berry selection, fermentation and aging preserve the character of the fruit. The resulting wines convey the very personality of the Napanook vineyard.
(3.2.1) Winemaking Practices
Separate lot-by-lot fermentation.
cluster sorting by hand is complemented by an optical berry sorting system.
Gentle pumping-over extracts aromas, color and tannins.
Vertical wine press at low pressure delicately releases components from the skin.
Racking barrel to barrel in 100% French oak removes sediment and assures clarification of the wine during aging.
Egg white fining eliminates impurities.
(3.2.2) Vistalys vistalys the Vistalys optical sorter is an automated Berry sorting system using image analy- sis to eliminate unwanted elements, like stems, at a rate of up to ten tons an hour.
(4) The Wines (4.1) Dominus (4.1.1) Vintage Summaries (4.1.2) Press/Accolades (4.2) Napanook (4.2.1) Vintage Summaries (4.2.2) Press/Accolades
(5) News and Events
(6) Inquiries (6.1) Press Room (6.2) Image Library (6.3) Contact Us
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