Ulysses
(Dominus) Estate Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
(Napa Valley, California) - [DM 99] [JS 98] [TWI 96] [VM 96] [WA 95]

Cult Oakville Wine from Dominus Owner & Winemaker 

About the Estate:
Ulysses is a Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot produced from Ulysses Vineyard, Oakville, California. Steeped in history, ULYSSES Vineyard, part of the original 1800’s Charles Hopper Ranch, was acquired in 2008 by Christian Moueix. Along the Napa Valley’s Oakville bench and extending over an alluvial fan at the foot of the Mayacamas Range, the site is exceptional for winegrowing. The soil is composed of deep, gravelly, clay loam and is particularly well-suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon.

Since the acquisition, Christian Moueix and his team have pursued an in-depth understanding of the soil and microclimate and have undertaken a lengthy and meticulous vineyard restoration. Dry farming, the foundation of Ulysses’ sustainable farming practices, enhances root depth and resistance to drought, resulting in a wine that is a pure expression of its terroir.

Our team’s intention is to produce a wine reflecting the exceptional potential and individuality of the Ulysses Vineyard. Our approach is minimalist, with attentive observation and restrained intervention. Harvested at perfect ripeness and with the utmost care, the grapes undergo both cluster and berry
selection before a gentle vinification and aging.

About the Vintage:

• The vintage was characterized by a dry winter and spring, with a total of 14” of rain (July 2020 to June 2021, historical average: 31”). 2021 was the second consecutive year of a drought that started in January 2020.
• Temperatures were constantly warm over the growing season, moderately higher than the historical average and remained consistent throughout the ripening period.
• The weather conditions in 2021 favored an early hydric constraint which promoted production of small berries with high levels of phenolic compounds and deeply intense aromas.

Tasting Notes:

Tart cherry, thyme, citrus, blonde tobacco with firm tannins and a powerful persistent finish.

Harvest Start: Sept 14th

Harvest End: Sept 25th

Cases Produced: 1,400 

Ratings & Reviews

99 Points - Decanter:
Simply put, Christian Moueix's Napa Valley project Ulysses is a wine every collector of Napa Cabernet should have in their cellar. The 2021 release of the Oakville red is a knockout that is never too bombastic, entirely reserved even in its generosity, and one that will last a very long time. A dry winter and spring led to the second consecutive year of a drought that began in January 2020. Temperatures were warm and consistent and slightly above average. The vines produced smaller clusters of small berries with high phenolic compounds and tannin levels. 1,400 cases produced. Opaque purple-ruby to the rim. A wine showing all the best qualities you'd expect from a prime Oakville site. This is a beautifully balanced red, imbued with a tremendously fresh streak of acidity. The nose leads with prime, ripe, dark black fruits, cassis, violets, creme de menthe, and crushed slate.—medium to full-bodied with impressively fashioned tannins that are robust and build through the extravagantly long finish. Marked by ripe black cherry and spiced plum notes, the length is extended by zesty blood orange acidity. Fragrant with sage and thyme, nuanced by brighter cherry blossom freshness and mineral tension. Impressive depth and density with a core of pure, ripe, and juicy fruit. Exceptional. This was the last wine in a complete vertical tI tasted with Moueix and winemaker Tod Mostero in a tasting room tucked within the barn on the Ulysses Vineyard site. 'I'm thrilled,' commented Moueix, 'There's a real dignity to the wines.' Moueix said that until this tasting, he hadn't quite noticed the style signature but found it emerging, though cautioned, 'Even with our experience next door at Dominus, we are still figuring it out.' For Mostero, 'Making these has been a discovery of place. With our mature vines, we're just beginning to get a sense of the true resonance of the place. The 2021 typifies what we can expect. This arrow-like structure that is piercing, resonant, and strong.'

98 Points - James Suckling:
The reserved plushness comes out clearly with brightness, focus and very creamy tannins that give it muscle and tension. Juicy and flavorful but not overdone. Energetic and flexing but in a friendly way. Plums, milk chocolate, terra cotta and nutmeg. Almost all cabernet sauvignon with a touch of cabernet franc and petit verdot. Give it four or five years to soften. Try after 2028.

96 Points - Vinous Media:
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a huge, dense wine. Copious dark fruit, menthol, licorice, plum, espresso and spice are amplified in a large-scale, ample Oakville Cabernet. The 2021 is very much a wine of power and structure. Sepia-toned notes lend darkness, while the oak imprint also appears to be quite present at this stage. Even so, the wine exudes balance but in a pretty extroverted style, especially compared to Dominus. (Drink between 2031-2046)

96 Points - The Wine Independent:
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with around 5% Cabernet Franc in the blend, is opaque purple-black in color. It storms out of the glass with powerful scents of blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves, star anise, iris bulb, and dark chocolate plus suggestions of camphor, cedar chest, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a sold line of firm grainy tannins and bold freshness to frame the energetic black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. 1,400 cases were made. 2025-2050

96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
There are 1,400 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, which offers up charming red-fruited notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus some loamy-earth scents. While it comes across a bit more angular and more coarsely textured than its sister wines Dominus or Napanook, it also seems a bit lighter in body despite also weighing in at 15% alcohol. It's impressively complete and balanced overall, adding savory, mocha-tinged notes on the lingering finish.

Owned by Christian Moueix, Ulysses is a separate project from Dominus but also overseen by Tod Mostero and run along similar principles. Moueix purchased the 35-acre property—part of the original Hopper Ranch and located behind Brix and Mustard's—in 2008 and started replanting it in 2009. Like Napanook, it's also dry-farmed and planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.