2017 Le Dome

Le Dome is a Saint-Emilion estate created in the 1990s by Jonathan Maltus, an English winemaker, entrepreneur and maker of “garagiste” wines. Maltus bought a dilapidated, 5-acre estate called Chateau Teyssier in 1994 and then acquired numerous nearby vineyards, including a 7.5-acre parcel next to Château Angelus that is 80% old vine Cabernet Franc. Le Dome is made from grapes from that 7.5-acre vineyards, and it is typically at least 75% Cabernet Franc, with the remainder Merlot. Because the Le Dome vineyard has no chateau, the wine is made at nearby Chateau Teyssier. Maltus debuted Le Dome with the 1996 vintage and in 2010 Le Dome earned 100 pts from Robert M. Parker Jr., who has called Malltus “visionary” and “brilliant.” About 1,000 cases of Le Dome are produced annually. Maltus also owns World’s End winery in Napa Valley and The Colonial Estate in Australia.

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

It has heaps of fruit and lots of dimension and class. A splendid recruit to the ranks of the super-stars. - Clive Coates, MW