95RP "Brilliant, Impeccably Made"
40% Off St-Émilion Grand Cru classified wine
A neighbor of Ch. Angelus
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About the Wine

Le Dome has been called the biggest & best Cabernet Franc expression in Bordeaux – surpassing Chateau Cheval Blanc and Le Dome’s neighbor, Chateau Angelus. The wine was born in 1996 and today Le Dome competes with the greatest and most historic Châteaux of the Appellation. The Le Dome Single Vineyard is situated in close proximity to legendary Chateau Angelus. Its origins have their roots in the ‘garage’ movement of the 1990s. It is one of the three Saint Emilion Grand Crus that outgrew the movement to go on to challenge the ‘Cru Classés’ every year.

The 2003 Le Dome is a blend of 73% Cabernet Franc and 27% Merlot cultivated from 40-year-old vines. The soil/terroir is sand over iron deposits. These deposits, coupled with the south-facing slope, ensure amazing drainage. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in new French oak and finally barrel-aged in 100% new French Oak.

Tasting notes: Red Wine. 73% Cabernet Franc & 27% Merlot. Medium purple core with a pale garnet rim. The wine is gorgeous, leading the way with a beautiful bouquet of elderberries, black cherry, tobacco leaf, mint, graphite, and underbrush. On the palate, the wine displays depth and complexity, showing best after an hour-long decant, this wine is still as plenty of life left!

Reviews

The final blend for the 2003 Le Dome was 73% Cabernet Franc and 27% Merlot. This is another shockingly great 2003 that is close to full maturity. It reveals a brilliant combination of power and complexity. The deep plum/garnet color shows no lightening, and the wine exhibits supple tannins, a voluptuous texture, and notes of forest floor, blueberries, raspberries, and mulberries. Ripe, but not over-the-top, this offering was aged in 100% new oak, but you would never know that given the fact that any evidence of oak has been pushed to the background except for a trace of espresso. This brilliant, impeccably made wine is a spectacular success in this vintage. It should drink well for 6-10 more years. ~95 Robert Parker

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