Dominus Estate

George C. Yount, the founder of Yountville, planted in 1836 the first vines of the valley on the location of Napanook vineyard.

[1] Following Daniel's death in 1970, Napanook passed to his daughters Robin Lail and Marcia Smith who in 1982 began a partnership with Christian Moueix,[2] acting on a recommendation by Robert Mondavi to establish production in Napa Valley.

With the previous thirteen vintages crushed and aged at the nearby facility Rombauer Winery,[1] a new winery was constructed by the Swiss architects Jaques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in 1996, a $5 million, 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) structure.

[3] The architects' first U.S. project, it was constructed from stone-filled gabions to provide protection from scorching heat by day and the cold at night.

[5][6][7] From an estate of 124 acres (50 ha), the vineyard area extends 108 acres (44 ha) in 14 blocks, with some presence of phylloxera-resistant St. George rootstock from the Inglenook period, the grape varieties are 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.