December 31st I vowed to be a better tasting note poster. But, then it was Dryuary.
Then, I had an owee and wasn’t living the dream, but now, now things are gonna change. I can feel it.
The 2022 Dunn cabernets arrived, and in the spirit of one of my favorite thought leaders here, my wife and I decided to deplete our stock of those wines by 8.25% each and we popped and poured.
2022 Dunn Napa was first up…
I think there is a bit of Brett in the style of this, that was notable at cellar temp, but as the wine warmed up the fruit blossomed and the wine emerged in a wonderful eclosion! This wine has very very ripe fruit, true dark red fruit on the nose, and what I think of as ‘pure cabernet’ character made itself clear.
It’s a little bit awkward in its youthfulness, not meant as a criticism. (I think fruitier than the old style Dunns of pre-2011 when they were new.)
As it warmed, the oak became more evident but not over-bearing, and mated well with the “Denver” steak we had for dinner. (The cow was a former neighborhood resident from a pasture out neighborhood association leases to the cattle grower.) We sous vide to about 130, then quickly sear and eat at about 131.5. The wine mated very well to the fleshy flavors of the steak.
There was a teeny tiny bit of freshly cut roots or stalk peeking out from behind the fruit.
Good acidity and sense of structure and thumbs up! (We revisited it a next night and had to agree that, sometimes, a wine can benefit from this. The fruit all meshed into a very pleasant whole of dark red fruit on the nose and palate.
Worth checking out.
2022 Dunn H.M. was next.
I have a 40 year love affair going with these wines and this one was better than when Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn used to meet up once a year. Still classic, to me, “OG” style California cabernet structure. Very slightly reticent fruit, and not overtly ‘red fruit/etc’ but that melange of flavors a good cab throws together and your brain says, “I know that’s right.”
Just a perfect mouth feel. Compared to many newer wines, this might qualify as slightly AFWE.
An affectation: I admit to thinking of tannins n terms of coarse, silky, fine, etc…those spoofy words.
This cab would be an example of really really fine tannin sensation. I love that. It’s not overtly woody in any way, but it’s there in great balance. Wood/fruit/tannin, all well balanced and making for a skillful display of something I like.
The fruit was actually lighter in style than the Napa. It was enjoyable now, and it’s a Dunn. This wine also felt lighter on it’s feet than some releases have felt in the past 15 years.
Loooong finish.
So good, we didn’t realize we left none for the next day - it’s like Captain Jack Sparrow, only saying, “Where’d the Dunn go?”
Thumbs up for both, with my heart giving the nod to the H.M.
Also!
No wax capsule!
If you are too young to remember the Cali styles that shifted after the 90’s, this is a fine glimpse of the past, as well.
Cheers.
Oh, oh! One last thing. My wife loves to guess whether a wine came from a cooler or warmer climate when she tastes, and she guessed cooler, even though it was a warm year on the mountain that year! So, great alcohol balance, as well! None of that subjective hotness that can show up when there’s a touch too much alcohol in the mix. She called it well, this is a 13.9% wine.
