Late Harvest 2014

Description of Domaine Dolce

Domaine Dolce, nestled in California's Napa Valley, is exclusively dedicated to the production of late harvest style dessert wines, a specialty that has established its reputation as a benchmark in this field. With an unwavering commitment to quality and excellence, Dolce painstakingly exploits the region's unique climatic conditions and terroir to cultivate grapes capable of producing luxuriously sweet, complex and balanced wines.

Description of the Dolce Late Harvest Cuvée

The Cuvée Dolce Late Harvest is the supreme expression of the art of dessert wine, reflecting perfect mastery of the late harvest. This wine is made from carefully selected grapes affected by noble rot, which concentrates their natural sugars and aromas. The late harvest produces a wine of exceptional richness, with a depth and complexity of flavors that make it an unforgettable tasting experience.

Aromas of the Cuvée

This dessert wine seduces with its opulent bouquet, offering intense aromas of candied fruits, such as apricot, peach and pear, accompanied by notes of honey, almond and flowers. Aging in oak barrels adds touches of vanilla and caramel, enriching the aromatic palette with elegance and finesse.

Characteristics of the Cuvée

• Type: Dessert wine
• Profile: A wine of exquisite sweetness, balanced by a refreshing acidity which gives freshness and length on the palate. The texture is voluptuous, with a lingering finish that leaves a memorable impression.
• Aging Potential: Dolce Late Harvest is designed for aging, with evolving potential that allows its complex flavors to develop and intensify over the years.

Pairings with this Cuvée

Ideal at the end of a meal, Dolce Late Harvest goes perfectly with blue cheeses, fruit-based desserts or simply to be savored on its own, as a celebration of the end of a beautiful evening. It is a wine that adds a touch of luxury and pleasure to any special occasion.

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...). In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.