February 12, 2016

DOMINUS Red Wine 1985

(Napa Valley, California) $200

A thought in honor of Valentine’s Day: like wine, love might just get better with time. As for this Dominus, there was no question. In fact, it was one of the most sensational cabernets I’ve tasted in many years. At 30 years old, it was nothing short of ballet-like, moving over the palate in magical choreography. The flavors—echoes of spices, pipe tobacco and deep forest undergrowth—were straight out of the Bordeaux playbook. Indeed, this early Dominus was made by Jean-Claude Berrouet, former winemaker for Chateau Petrus. Inimitable.

100 points

All of the following are agencies that regulate wine and wine quality. Which one of them is the agency that governs the top quality wines of Canada?

A. VQA

B. IVDP

C. VDP

D. TTB

VQA stands for Vintners Quality Alliance, the agency that governs the top Canadian wines. If you haven’t already gone blind by all these acronyms, it may be interesting to know that IVDP is the Institute of Wines of the Douro and Port in Portugal. VDP stands for the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates in Germany. And the TTB is the Tax and Trade Bureau which regulates wine and alcohol in the U.S.

Mercaptans

Offensive-smelling compounds that result from poor winemaking when hydrogen sulfide combines with components in the wine. The aromas can include putrid food, skunk, and burnt rubber.

DOMINUS Red Wine 1985

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