Dominus Estate

Dominus Estate is engaged in a long-term campaign of environmental restoration and biodiversity.

  • Our ranch is planted throughout with native species and wildflowers and provides refuge for California wildlife.
  • After an extensive renewal, the Hopper Creek has become a thriving ecosystem and today Dominus Estate’s work is considered a model of creek restoration in the Napa Valley.
Dry farming is the foundation of our comprehensive approach to viticulture. It produces balanced vines with deep connections to the land and complex wines expressing their terroir. A proactive practice which depends on experience and constant observation, dry farming:
  • Harnesses water naturally present in the soil.
  • Motivates vines to grow deep roots, connecting them to underground water and minerals.
  • Fosters vine strength by promoting the density of its wood.
  • Increases resistance to drought and disease.
  • Conserves water, an increasingly precious natural resource.

features

napa green

certified vineyard

napa green

certified winery

soil to bottle

certified

regenerative

vineyard

climate smart

winery

dry

farmed

meet the team

Christian Moueix | Founder 

In the world of wine, few have the experience of Christian Moueix. With 55 years of producing wines in Bordeaux’s Right Bank and forty-three in Napa Valley, he has pioneered the practice of adaptive viticulture.

With a vision of singular excellence for his wines, Christian has a deep connection to the land and has always pursued growing the highest quality grapes obtainable. Since the 1970’s, he has undertaken numerous innovative practices, including experimenting with organic farming, frost control using helicopters and installing drainage systems throughout the vineyards. In 1973, he began the practice of crop-thinning, a method which has
dramatically improved the quality of the grapes and which has been adopted by vineyards throughout the world. Today he and his teams continue to pursue new techniques to adapt the vineyards to climate change.

Tod Mostero | Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus Estate

Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, the French connection runs strong through Mostero, who studied in Bordeaux and trained at Château Haut-Brion, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. He worked with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in the Languedoc and at Almaviva in Chile before returning to his native California to join Dominus Estate in 2007.

“Christian Moueix has been my guide throughout my career and has been my greatest example of a perfect winemaker. He is clear, precise and is profoundly attached to the vineyard. He has guided me from the beginning.”

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