2021 Château Le Dôme

The 2021 Le Dôme has the best aromatics from amongst Jonathan Maltus's stable: black berry, crushed violet, a touch of balsamic and a dark chocolate element that emerges with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a fine bead of acidity that imparts more tension compared to the 2021 Mazerat. Black pepper and clove emerge toward the finish. As I wrote in my primeur report, the Cabernet Franc is nicely articulated here, but afford this two or three years in bottle.

- Neal Martin (11/2023)

Elegant and focused red showing notes of olives, black currants, black plums, walnuts and spice box. Graphite and ink, too. Medium-bodied, sleek and polished, with very fine tannins and a long, silky finish. 80% cabernet franc and 20% merlot. Try after 2024. (07/2024)

A normal blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot that spent 18 months in 80% new, the 2021 Le Dome is a ripe, powerful 2021 with red and black currants, mulled cherry, chocolate, smoked tobacco, and ample crushed stone-like minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's a beautifully textured, seamless Cabernet Franc offering fine tannins and a gorgeous finish. It's one of the more textured, opulent 2021s, yet it nevertheless stays firmly planted in the fresher, crisp style of the vintage. (04/2024)

A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, Le Dome 2021 has a medium garnet-purple color. It sails out with vibrant notes of kirsch, redcurrant preserves, and rose oil, followed by hints of pencil shavings and lavender. The medium-bodied palate has a firm backbone of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the crunchy red and black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. A lovely wine! (04/2024)

Continuing fully 80% Cabernet Franc and vinified in Maltus's new winery, the 2021 Le Dome bursts with aromas of violets, blackberries, sweet soil tones and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with lively acids and powdery tannins, this perfumed, charming wine is unusually seamless and integrated at this early stage. Does this vintage mark a stylistic evolution for this cuvée?

- William Kelley (04/2022)