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

Historically, Chinese architects have used what to create mortar for buildings?

A. Buckwheat

B. Soybeans

C. Rice

D. Bamboo shoots

For centuries, Chinese architects mixed sticky rice with lime mortar to create buildings, bridges, and city walls. Rice would first be cooked into a sticky paste, then blended with sand and lime, creating what was often referred to as “Chinese concrete.” The use of sticky rice, which is naturally water resistant, boosted the structures’ strength and protected the buildings against erosion. According to Atlas Obscura, rice was often used in construction in China by the time of the Tang Dynasty (816-907 AD).

“I know that knowing a lot about wine means I know how little I know.”

—Carole Meredith
Professor Emerita, Department of Viticulture & Enology
University of California

DOMINUS Red Wine 1985

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