#68 James Suckling Top 100 ~ 2025 edition
The reserved plushness comes out clearly with brightness, focus and very creamy tannins that give it muscle and tension. Juicy and flavorful but not overdone. Energetic and flexing but in a friendly way. Plums, milk chocolate, terra cotta and nutmeg. Almost all Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Give it four or five years to soften.
 
99-Points by Decanter.
Simply put, Christian Moueix's Napa Valley project Ulysses is a wine every collector of Napa Cabernet should have in their cellar. The 2021 release of the Oakville red is a knockout that is never too bombastic, entirely reserved even in its generosity, and one that will last a very long time. A dry winter and spring led to the second consecutive year of a drought that began in January 2020. Temperatures were warm and consistent and slightly above average. The vines produced smaller clusters of small berries with high phenolic compounds and tannin levels. 1,400 cases produced. Opaque purple-ruby to the rim. A wine showing all the best qualities you'd expect from a prime Oakville site. This is a beautifully balanced red, imbued with a tremendously fresh streak of acidity. The nose leads with prime, ripe, dark black fruits, cassis, violets, creme de menthe, and crushed slate—medium to full-bodied with impressively fashioned tannins that are robust and build through the extravagantly long finish. Marked by ripe black cherry and spiced plum notes, the length is extended by zesty blood orange acidity. Fragrant with sage and thyme, nuanced by brighter cherry blossom freshness and mineral tension. Impressive depth and density with a core of pure, ripe, and juicy fruit. Exceptional. This was the last wine in a complete vertical tI tasted with Moueix and winemaker Tod Mostero in a tasting room tucked within the barn on the Ulysses Vineyard site. 'I'm thrilled,' commented Moueix, 'There's a real dignity to the wines.' Moueix said that until this tasting, he hadn't quite noticed the style signature but found it emerging, though cautioned, 'Even with our experience next door at Dominus, we are still figuring it out.' For Mostero, 'Making these has been a discovery of place. With our mature vines, we're just beginning to get a sense of the true resonance of the place. The 2021 typifies what we can expect. This arrow-like structure that is piercing, resonant, and strong.
 
Ulysses vineyard was acquired in 2008 by Christian Moueix. Situated along Napa Valley’s Oakville bench and extending over an alluvial fan at the foot of the Mayacamas Range, the site was once part of the famed Charles Hopper ranch and it is exceptional for winegrowing.
The soil is composed of deep, gravelly, clay loam and is particularly well-suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon.
Since the acquisition, Christian Moueix and his team have pursued an in-depth understanding of the soil and microclimate and have undertaken a lengthy and meticulous vineyard restoration.
Dry farming, the foundation of Ulysses’ sustainable farming practices, enhances root depth and resistance to drought, resulting in a wine that is a pure expression of terroir.
The winemaking team’s intention is to produce a wine reflecting the exceptional potential and individuality of the Ulysses vineyard. The approach is minimalist, with attentive observation and restrained intervention. Harvested at perfect ripeness with the utmost care, the grapes undergo both cluster and berry selection before a gentle vinification and aging.
Ulysses is a distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It should be decanted prior to serving.
In 2021, Ulysses received its CCOF ("California Certified Organic Farmers") certification for organic farming practices. 
Ulysses is located just east of the Vine Hill estate and about a mile north of Dominus. It is on the northern-most edge of the Missouri Hopper Ranch, for those who know the region. With a long history in Napa, it has deep gravelly soils that are perfect for cabernet sauvignon. The estate was first planted in the 1920s by the Schmidt family, who supplied grapes to some of the top winemakers of the era. More recently, the property was used to produce grapes for wines under the Swanson label. 
Christian Moueix, the owner of Napa Valley's Dominus Estate and whose family owns such illustrious names in:
Pomerol
Château Trotanoy
Espérance de Trotanoy
Château La Fleur-Pétrus
Château Hosanna
Château Latour à Pomerol
Château La Grave
Château Lafleur-Gazin
Château Lagrange
Saint-Émilion
Château Bélair-Monange
Annonce de Bélair-Monange
Haut Roc Blanquant
Clos La Madeleine
Napa Valley
Dominus
Napanook
Othello
Ulysses