Dominus Estate 2015 (750ML)

Dominus comes from dry-farmed vines, and the 2015 is built on Cabernet Sauvignon at 86%, with 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. New French oak was kept to 40% of the barrels. Deep ruby-purple, it opens with blackcurrant and blackberry, then a savory run of sage, bay leaf, black olive and cured meat, with violets, cocoa nib, incense, leather and gravel underneath. Full and plush on the palate, it carries dense dark fruit over fine-grained, seamlessly integrated tannins and a long finish studded with licorice and spice. A decade in bottle has softened its early exuberance, and it is drinking beautifully now while still holding plenty in reserve; critics give it until the early-to-mid 2040s. Pour it with a dry-aged strip steak, braised short ribs or a wedge of aged Gouda.