Le Dome

This single-vineyard of three hectares is situated next to Château Angelus and represents the highest manifestation of Cabernet Franc in a wine of this level from Bordeaux. Eighty per cent of the vineyard is dedicated to this variety – the rest is old-vine Merlot.

The vines were planted in the 1950’s on sandy soil over an extended ironstone layer (crasse de fer). The yield is reduced by up to three runs of green harvesting. Concentration and definition are therefore the watchwords for this benchmark wine.

The production of LE DOME is not large at around 1,000 cases. What little exists, however is made with no expense spared in the pursuit of excellence.

The grapes are harvested at the precise moment of ripeness, handpicked into shallow trays, and after double-triage are transported by conveyors into pristine wooden vats. Vinification involves both rotational pumping and pigeage. Secondary fermentation in French oak barrels is followed by a traditional approach to ageing.

Le Dome -SURPRISE 100-POINTER IN PARKER’S 2010 RANKINGS

Wine critic Robert Parker has scored 10 wines from the 2010 vintage 100 points in a surprise turnaround.

Robert Parker

Initially it was reported that only nine wines had secured 100 points and that one of them had never been awarded the “perfect” score before. Pichon-Longueville Baron and Vieux Château Certan were among the hotly tipped contenders to join the club.

The original 100-point wines were: Pétrus, Ausone, Lafite, Latour, Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, l’Eglise Clinet, Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarosse) and Pontet-Canet.

When the 2010s were first reviewed en primeur, it was widely noted that the number of potential 100-pointers was significantly lower than it had been in 2009 and that a number of that vintage’s stand out wines were not included in the high-rollers in 2010.

These scores revise that analysis quite considerably. The surprise additions though are Le Dome (a Saint-Emilion producer of only 1,000 cases) and La Violette (a miniscule Pomerol estate).

Initially scored 94-96 and 94-97 respectively, Parker praised Le Dome for being “ethereal in its elegance and finesse” and, “has extraordinary purity and richness as well as a blockbuster finish of close to a minute, yet is so flawless, seamless and compelling”.

La Violette meanwhile had “awesome aromatics” followed by a “quintessential elegance married to almost unbridled density of fruit, all presented in a flawless and seamless concoction of full-bodied power, elegance and purity.”

It is, he continued, “one of the great classics” ever produced by the estate.

Neither wine has ever been awarded 100 points, Le Dome received 99 points for its 2009 and La Violette 98.

Parker himself on his website declared 2010 to be a “very great vintage” but he did not think it “exceeded in overall quality the Bordeaux that was produced in 2009, 2005 or perhaps even 2000.”

Nonetheless he said that it had “turned out” slightly better than 2000 and was at least “as impressive” as 2005. He noted as well that the present tannins had “softened considerably” and while not as soft as 2009 were more typical of the “classic” vintages 2010 resembles. Talking of prices, Parker acknowledged the high release prices but that he could not see prices softening “given the greatness of  the vintage” but also conceded that the market place was “dull” and “anxious” about luxury wines.