Dominique (la) - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2023

Vinous

93,5

byNeal Martinthe2/1/2026

The 2023 La Dominique takes time to open on the nose, revealing blackberry, undergrowth, loamy and light bay leaf scents that unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is well balanced with crisp black fruit laced with black pepper, quite linear on the finish, more classical in style and all the better for it. This should age with grace in bottle and may warrant a higher score.

Jamessuckling.com

94

byJames Sucklingthe1/27/2026

There’s freshness and brightness, with aromas of raspberries, orange peel, cedar and dried flowers. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a crisp and crunchy finish. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc. Drinkable now, but better in three years.

Yvesbeck.wine

93-95

byYves Beckthe5/14/2024

Dominica offenbart einladende blumige und fruchtige Noten mit Düften von Pfingstrosen und Brombeeren. Am Gaumen ist der Wein von guter Dichte ; er vereint Frische und Präzision. Seine subtile Kraft wird ihm von feinkörnigen Tanninen verliehen, die sich die Bühne mit der Säurestruktur teilen, die für Schwung sorgt. Ein Wein, den ich als vollendet, linear und harmonisch empfinde. Das war nicht immer so.

Jeb DUNNUCK

92-94

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/13/2024

The 2023 Château La Dominique is based largely on Merlot (there are small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) from the northern portion of Saint-Emilion, just across from the Pomerol border. Its darker nose of red and black fruits, roasted herbs, sappy herbs, and graphite carries to a more medium-bodied Saint-Emilion with a compact, focused mouthfeel, beautiful mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a great finish. It's one of the more inward, serious 2023s and is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. The quality here continues to play up with the top wines in the appellation, and this is one of those insider wines readers should snatch up. Tasted multiple times.

The Wine Independent

92-94

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/8/2024

La Dominique 2023 has a deep garnet-purple color. It jumps from the glass with notes of juicy plums, strawberry preserves, and wild thyme notes, plus hints of tar and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is velvety and generous, with bags of freshness and a mineral-laced finish.

The Drinks Business

93-95

byColin Haythe5/7/2024

La Dominique (Saint Émilion; 81% Merlot; 16% Cabernet Franc; 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%; a final yield of 49 hl/ha; tasted three times, the third at La Dominique itself; Julien Viaud is the consultant here). Subtle, quite introverted and very classy. This exudes restraint and composure. Glacial, almost gothic, cool dark berry fruits, damsons too, a little wild blueberry. Wild thyme and a little peony. Crushed white peppercorns. Supple ultra-fine grained tannins define a tight and compact cylindrical core charged with fruit. A lovely hint of graphite in the second part of the evolution and a  long fresh almost minty finish (rare in the vintage). Extremely impressive, even though it’s not revealing all of its secrets today.

The Wine Cellar Insider

93-95

byJeff Levethe5/6/2024

Elegant is the keyword here. The wine is medium-bodied, edgy, and fresh, with soft, and silky tannins. The fruits are bight, crisp, and clean, with touches of mint, licorice, spice and tobacco in the mid-palate. The finish focuses you on the energetic raspberries, cherries, and plums, with their tobacco, mint, and spicy character. The wine blends 88% Merlot, with 12% Cabernet Franc, 14.1% ABV, 3.85 pH. The wine is aged in 50% new, French oak, and 10% amphora. Harvesting took place September 6 - October 3. Drink from 2026-2045. 93-95 Pts.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

95

byJane Ansonthe5/6/2024

Sleek ruby red, well judged extraction and use of oak, this is a great quality La Dominique, continuing a run of enjoyable vintages at this property under the team of Gwendaline Lucas and winemaker Yann Monties. Plenty of estate and appellation signature, sweet damson, black cherry, pomegranate and stone fruits, campfire smoke, clove spice and juicy lift, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted twice. 49hl/h yield. Harvest September 6 to 28, subdividing plots, including leaving the beginning and the ends of the rows for later harvesting. Aged in a mix of amphoras, wine globes, concrete eggs, 50% new oak.

Vinous

92-94

byAntonio Gallonithe4/30/2024

The 2023 La Dominique is powerful, rich and deep, but without sacrificing aromatic presence. Hints of black cherry, spice, new leather and licorice unfurl in the glass, lending plenty of striking, even exotic, beauty. A successful vintage for this venerable Saint-Émilion.

Vinous

92-94

byNeal Martinthe4/29/2024

The 2023 La Dominique has a well-defined bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit, undergrowth and wilted rose petals. This is a much more refined example from the estate. The palate is medium-bodied with mocha-tinged fruit and moderate depth, quite old school in style with a touch of leather on the finish. It's fine, but I would like just a tad more vivacity by the time of bottling. A second bottle toward the end of my tastings showed better than the first.

Falstaff

93

byPeter Moserthe4/29/2024

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections. Fine oak nuances, black cherry fruit, blackberries, some liquorice, orange zest. Juicy and fruity, elegant texture, vivid with spicy tannins, chocolatey finish, a deep food wine with certain ageing potential.

Alexandre Ma

93-95

byAlexandre Mathe4/28/2024

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

byJames Sucklingthe4/25/2024

This is linear and very fine-tannined with a crunchy undertone and a lovely medium to full body. Pretty, ripe fruit at the end, but always fresh. Racy and refined with structure.

Vertdevin

95

byJonathan Chicheportichethe4/24/2024