@AskoKassinen threw this Dunn vertical in early 2024. As before, these wines are some of the best I’ve tasted from the US. Especially the older vintages are stylistically very similar - if not identical - to great old-school Bordeaux reds.
I’ve never had a very young vintage of Dunn, so I don’t know how obvious the oak influence is in them, but it’s always surprising to learn that the wines are (supposedly) aged exclusively in new oak barrels, since the wines show so little new oak aromatics. I don’t know what is the magic that helps in these Cab grapes not sucking up all those new oak flavors, but I know many Cali producers that could really benefit from this kind of trickery!
However, in contrast to the stunning bottles, we unfortunately our fair share of corked and oxidized bottles as well. Such is life.
Additionally, we had some blind extras before and after the Dunns - however, that Magnan Figeac was from my cellar, so it wasn’t blind for me!
- 2021 Clos Alkio Garnatxa Blanca Priorat Fam de Vida - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (22.2.2024)
100% Garnatxa Blanca. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. 13,5% alcohol and 5,9 g/l acidity. Total production 2600 bottles. Tasted blind.
Pale, limpid lemon-yellow color. The nose feels yellow-fruited with peachy stone fruit notes, some floral tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light juicy Fuji apple notes and a candied hint of estery primary fruit. The wine feels quite richly-textured yet still surprisingly balanced, firm and structured on the palate with a moderately full body and youthful flavors of fresh red apples, some stony minerality, light juicy white peach notes, a little bit of green gooseberry, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of waxy character. The high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is dry, juicy and slightly sweet-toned with a medium-long aftertaste of white currants, some fresh apple tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light juicy notes of ripe white peach and a hint of chalky bitterness.
A surprisingly fresh, balanced and structured effort for a Priorat Garnatxa Blanca. Perhaps still a bit too youthful and primary in character, this wine nevertheless shows promise and good sense of harmony at the moment. For now, I think I prefer Caminito a Motel, the "lesser" white of the winery, but I think this wine might've been just opened a bit too early and might end up being the better wine with enough age. At least this wine feels like it could benefit from another 4-7 years of aging. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at 35,99€, but things might change if this wine keeps evolving and improving in the bottle.
(89 points) - 2003 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley (22.2.2024)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and purchased fruit from lower-lying vineyards. Aged for 32 months in new French oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Slightly translucent black cherry color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels quite dark-toned and somewhat Bordelais with aromas of ripe blackcurrants and wizened dark berries, some pipe tobacco, light minty green tones, a little bit of old dry leather, a leafy hint of herbaceous Cab character and a subtle touch of sweet oak spice. The wine feels sinewy and surprisingly airy on the palate with a medium body and still quite intense flavors of rather ripe blackcurrants, some pipe tobacco, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of gravelly minerality and a herbaceous touch of bell pepper. The overall feel is firm and balanced, thanks to the high acidity and slightly resolved, medium grippy tannins. The finish is dry, long and somewhat grippy with a vibrant aftertaste of rather ripe blackcurrants, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of crunchy red plum, light gravelly mineral tones, a toasty hint of mocha oak and a touch of minty greenness.
A tasty, balanced and still surprisingly youthful vintage of Dunn CS - and surprisingly lithe and delicate for a Napa Cab. Although the wine is quite Napa Cab in style, this is nevertheless a far cry from the big, ripe and very fruit-forward blockbusters Napa churns out today. Additionally, the the toasty oak tones still stick out a bit; seeing how youthful the wine is at the age of +20 years, I'd leave it in a cellar for a bit longer, in the hopes that the oak influence would integrate better with the fruit department. Tasting the wine side-by-side with the 2003 Howell Mountain version, this iteration feels slightly lighter in body, less intensely flavored and subtly softer in structure, but otherwise you can taste that these wines are cut from the same cloth. The Howell Mountain version is better, but I'm not sure if it is better enough to justify the price differential. Nor am I sure if this wine is really worth the 99€.
(90 points) - 2003 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13,8% alcohol.
Slightly translucent black cherry color with a slightly evolved plummy red hue. The nose feels quite dry, somewhat woody and a bit close with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants, some tobacco, a little bit of old leather, light fragrant notes of dried flowers, a hint of fivespice, a touch of developed meaty character and a whiff of toasty oak spice. The wine feels firm, dry and chewy on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants, brambly black raspberries and crunchy red plums, some herbaceous notes of leafy greenness, light evolved notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of truffle, a developed hint of meaty umami and a chocolatey touch of toasty oak spice. The wine retains great sense of structure, thanks to its high acidity and still moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, dry and moderately grippy with a rather intense aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants, some tobacco, light savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of stony minerality, a woody hint of savory oak spice and a crunchy touch of tart red plum.
A sophisticated, harmonious and quite classically styled Napa Cab. Tasting this side-by-side with the 2003 Dunn Napa Cabernet, I felt that the regular bottling seemed more youthful and less evolved than this Howell Mountain version, but at the same time this Howell Mountain bottling seemed a bit more impressive and interesting - not only due to the slightly more evolved and nuanced flavor profile, but also because the wine just seemed to pack a bit more substance and punch. Comparatively, the regular Dunn Napa Cab was relatively light and delicate for a Napa Cab (not that this is a bad thing - on the contrary; I think many Napa Cabs are too big, too heavy and too clumsy) whereas this Howell Mountain shows more sense of structure and concentration without coming across as particularly big or overdone. I think the regular Napa Cab might catch the Howell Mountain version in depth and evolved complexity as it ages, but most likely this Howell Mountain bottling will still remain a bit more structured and impressive. Perhaps still a bit too pricey for the quality at 135€, though.
(92 points) - 2001 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley (22.2.2024)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and purchased fruit from lower-lying vineyards. Aged for 32 months in new French oak barrels. 13,6% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent and very evolved blackish-red color with a syrupy-brown hue. The nose feels moderately oxidative with evolved aromas of soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of dark pruney fruit, light minty tones, a hint of wizened blackcurrant and a cedary touch of cigar box. The wine feels dry, dense and somewhat tired on the palate with a full body and very tertiary flavors of prunes, some soy sauce, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of beef jerky and a hint of old leather. The wine still retains quite a bit of structure with its high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is evolved, grippy and rather oxidative with a long and quite tired aftertaste of soy sauce and beef jerky, some wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light earthy tones, a woody hint of cedar and a touch of old leather.
This wine was in a disappointing shape, but seeing how almost all the other Dunn Cabs we had in the tasting were in a great condition, I think this wine either suffered from poor provenance or a cork that had failed and let in too much oxygen in the bottle. Although the overall feel was impressively stern and tightly-knit, the wine was just drinkable, not particularly memorable. What a disappointment. 99€ down the drain.
(NR/flawed) - 2002 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13,8% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent, luminous and still somewhat youthful black cherry color with a faint brick-red hue. The nose feels somewhat ripe and rather dark-toned but also quite attractive with somewhat Bordeaux-like aromas of juicy blackcurrants and dark plummy tones, some black cherry notes, a little bit of old leather, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a hint of crunchy chokeberry and a touch of forest floor. The wine feels firm, dense and savory on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of tobacco and wizened blackcurrant, some woody notes of cedar and pencil shavings, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light developed notes of meaty umami, a hint of earth and a touch of crunchy dark berries. Although the wine shows some obvious ripeness, the overall feel is very balanced and rather structure-driven with the high acidity and ample and quite grippy yet also somewhat resolved and fine-grained tannins. The finish is dry, dense and grippy with a long and rather ripe aftertaste of juicy dark plums, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of blackcurrant, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a hint of crunchy chokeberry and a touch of balsamic richness.
A beautiful, attractive and balanced vintage of Dunn's Howell Mountain that is in a great shape right now. The wine has a surprisingly Bordelais feel to it, yet it also sports quite a bit of ripeness - as is expected from a Napa Cab. Feels more youthful than the 1997 vintage we tasted at the same time, but qualitatively the wines were more or less at the same level - maybe the 1997 vintage showed more evolved complexity, but in the longer run this 2002 vintage might pass it in terms of depth and nuance. Although the wine is drinking mighty well right now, I can see this evolving and improving quite effortlessly for at least another decade - and keeping for even longer. Maybe not quite worth the 135€ now, but perhaps things can change as the wine continues to develop? Recommended.
(93 points) - 1999 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley (22.2.2024)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and purchased fruit from lower-lying vineyards. Aged for 32 months in new French oak barrels. 13,3% alcohol.
Deep, slightly translucent dark ruby color with a slightly evolved maroon hue. The nose feels strikingly similar to a classic Bordeaux with the nuanced aromas of blackcurrants and pencil shavings, some cedary notes of cigar box, light sweet notes of wizened cherries, a little bit of sweet black raspberry, a herbaceous hint of roasted bell pepper and a touch of farmhouse funk. The wine feels firm, dry and quite intensely flavored of the palate with a medium body and nuanced flavors of tobacco, blood and ripe blackcurrant, some crunchy notes of fresh redcurrants and tart red plums, light leafy green tones, a little bit of farmhouse funk,a hint of brambly raspberry and a woody touch of cedar. The wine retains impressive sense of structure with its bright high acidity and still rather assertive and grippy tannins. The savory finish is dry, intense and grippy with a very long aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants and brambly raspberries, some woody notes of pencil shavings and cigar box, light sweeter notes of wizened black cherries, a hint of leathery funk and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness.
A fantastic, harmonious and wonderfully structure-driven Napa Cab that could easily pass as an old-school Bordeaux in a blind tasting. With its balanced sense of ripeness, relatively modest level of alcohol and combination of high acidity and firm tannic frame, this wine is a far cry from the wines sold as Napa Cabs today - even if the wine is supposedly aged only in new oak, I didn't detect any obvious new oak aromatics here. The emphasis was entirely on the wonderfully fresh and slightly herbaceous Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics that did show a little bit of age, but much less than I expected for a wine almost 25 years old. All in all, a superb vintage of Dunn's Napa Cab and arguably worth the 99€ - apart from the phenomenal 1986 Howell Mountain, this vintage was (IMO) better than any other Dunn Cab we tasted in the tasting (including a good number of Howell Mountain Cabs).
(95 points) - 1999 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13,3% alcohol.
Very deep and only slightly translucent black cherry color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels very disagreeable with heavily musty aromas of dusty attic and mildew. The wine feels somewhat sweet and slightly sweet-toned but also very dull and musty on the palate with a moderately full body and mildewy flavors of TCA. High in acidity with still quite ample and rather grippy tannins.
Quite badly corked.
(NR/flawed) - 1997 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent, quite deep and somewhat evolved pomegranate color. The nose feels fragrant, evolved and quite attractive with moderately tertiary aromas of wilted flowers and wizened blackcurrants, some pipe tobacco, a little bit of old leather, light crunchy notes of redcurrants, a hint of sweet plummy fruit and a touch of smoky character. The wine feels savory, open-knit and harmonious on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and evolved yet not old flavors of wizened blackcurrants, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of old leather, light tobacco tones a hint of juicy red plum and an autumnal touch of leafy forest floor. The wine still retains an impressive sense of structure, due to its high acidity and firm, grippy tannins. The finish is savory, evolved and quite tannic with a long, nuanced aftertaste of crunchy redcurrants and sweet, slightly wizened blackcurrants, some woody notes of pencil shavings and savory oak spice, a little bit of leather, light tobacco notes, a hint of tart crowberry and a touch of plummy dark fruit.
An evolved, complex and still relatively tightly-knit vintage of Howell Mountain. Unlike the other Dunn wines of similar age we had in the tasting, this wine seemed much more evolved than the others - I wonder if we just had a bottle that had evolved a bit prematurely, or if this vintage is maturing at a faster pace than the others we tasted? The wine was now in a fantastic phase, showing beautiful tertiary complexity, very savory overall flavor profile and an impressive structure. I don't know if our bottle was representative of the vintage, but I felt that it was now at its plateau of maturity - I feel the wine isn't going to fall apart anytime soon, but it didn't feel like the wine would develop any additional complexity with further aging. A beautiful Napa Cab at full maturity. Yet still, I feel the wine is a bit pricey for the quality at 145€.
(94 points) - 1986 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent and moderately evolved garnet color with an aged maroon hue. The nose feels evolved, harmonious and quite seductive with a sweet-toned bouquet of wizened blackcurrants, some autumnal forest notes, a little bit of minty greenness, light fragrant anise nuances, a hint of pipe tobacco, a touch of ripe red cherry and a whiff of leafy forest floor. The wine feels dry, evolved and chewy on the palate with a moderately full body and intense, savory flavors of wizened blackcurrants, some forest floor tones, a little bit of anise, light crunchy red-toned notes of redcurrants, cranberries and pomegranate, a hint of tobacco and a woody touch of pencil shavings. Despite its age, the wine still retains an impressive structure of high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The savory finish is firm, dry and grippy with a long, complex aftertaste of tart cranberries and red plums, some sweeter notes of wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of tobacco, light crunchy notes of redcurrants and pomegranate, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A stunning vintage of Howell Mountain at full maturity. It feels the wine has reached its plateau of maturity some time ago already, but is still residing there firmly with no signs of decline in sight. With the dry, structure-driven overall profile, savory flavors and vaguely green-toned, leafy undertones, this wine is much closer to an old-school Bordeaux than what people associate with the term "Napa Cab" today. I wish this kind of style would become popular again in Napa - in lieu of the lush, heavily oaked and excessively alcoholic wines that are en vogue today. This wine offers just so much more complexity and pleasure. Outstanding stuff, very highly recommended.
(96 points) - 1985 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13% alcohol.
Quite tertiary and rather opaque brownish-maroon color. The nose feels evolved with complex aromas of wizened dark berries, some earthy tones, a little bit of old leather, light sweet notes of dried strawberries, a hint of ripe blackcurrant and a touch of loose tobacco. The wine feels quite old, tertiary and a bit tired on the palate with a moderately full body and savory, somewhat dried-up flavors of leather and gravelly minerality, some sweeter notes of wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of tobacco, light pruney tones and a hint of earth. The high acidity and moderately grippy tannins make the wine feel rather firm and structured. The finish is long, dry and grippy with a somewhat tired aftertaste of leather and wizened blackcurrants, some earthy tones, a little bit of tobacco, light sweeter notes of ripe red plums and a hint of beef jerky.
An enjoyable vintage of Howell Mountain that is on a decline now. The nose here was very attractive, but on the palate the wine came across as much more evolved and tertiary - quite tired, even. While still a very pleasant old Napa Cab, you could see that age had left its mark on the wine - this was a far cry from the spectacular 1986 vintage we tasted at the same time! While that 1986 Howell Mt was a fantastic example of a great old-school Napa Cab at peak maturity, this 1985 vintage of the same wine felt more like a nice but rather generic old wine. As the old adage goes - at this age there are no great wines, only great bottles. Unfortunately this was not one of those.
(87 points) - 1984 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (22.2.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13% alcohol.
Evolved, moderately translucent pomegranate color with an aged maroon hue. The nose feels old, tired and dusty with somewhat earthy and vaguely mildewy aromas. The wine feels evolved, somewhat sweet-toned and a bit dull on the palate with a moderately full body and almost nonexistent, vaguely dusty and earthy flavors. Quite high acidity and supple, moderately resolved medium-plus tannins.
A mildly corked bottle. It was quite impossible to tell whether this wine would've been in a great phase or past its peak, since there was very little if anything in the nose and on the palate.
(NR/flawed) - 2018 Galitsky & Galitsky Merlot Krasnaya Gorka - Russia, Krasnodar (22.2.2024)
100% Merlot from Krasnodar. The fully destemmed grapes are first cold-soaked for 6 days, then fermented and macerated with the skins for 22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged in new French oak tonneaux (2/3) and barriques (1/3) for 12 months. Bottled on 27th of November, 2020. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite dense, youthful and fully opaque black cherry color. The nose feels weirdly yeasty and noticeably meaty with aromas of sourdough started and sausage, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light rubbery notes of reduction, a hint of earth, a touch of dark brambles and a whiff of damp wood. The wine feels dry, dense and chewy on the palate with a moderately full body and savory flavors of fresh dark plums, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light crunchy notes of crowberries and tart lingonberries, a hint of inky character and a touch of something yeasty. The overall feel is somewhat extracted and even pretty tough, but more muscular rather than heavy or clumsy - the combination of high acidity and quite ample, grippy and rather assertive tannins make the wine come across as very tightly-knit and structure-driven. The finish is dry, long and grippy with a savory aftertaste of crunchy crowberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of tobacco, light stony mineral notes, a hint of tart lingonberry and a touch of yeasty sourdough.
I must admit, the wine's yeasty and meaty nose was quite a shock - and not a particularly pleasant one. However, on the palate the wine turned out to be a completely different beast! There was still a tiny bit of that yeasty character, but as a whole, the wine felt like a stern, focused and structure-driven Merlot - something not unlike an old-school Pomerol. I was surprised to learn that the wine is (supposedly) aged exclusively in new oak, as I didn't detect any kind of new oak aromatics at any point. As a whole, the wine feels a bit extracted and angular - but I guess that is something that is to be expected if this was one of the first vintages ever made, maybe even their debut vintage. Maybe with enough aging the wine might lose its jarring aromas and come together a bit better - at least judging by its structure, this wine should have no problems with some further aging.
(88 points) - 1995 Château Magnan-Figeac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (22.2.2024)
13% alcohol.
Dark, moderately evolved and somewhat translucent blackish-red with an aged brick-red hue. The nose feels evolved and slightly rustic with complex aromas of wizened red plums and raisiny dark fruits, some funky notes of bretty leather and barnyard, a little bit of meat stew, light autumnal notes of damp leaves and forest floor, a hint of animale, a woody touch of pencil shavings and a whiff of ripe redcurrants. The wine feels evolved, silky and quite open-knit on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and complex, savory flavors of wizened red plums and dried dark berries, some autumnal notes of damp leaves, a little bit of leathery funk, light tobacco notes, a hint of sous-bois and a touch of bouillon. The wine still retains some sense of structure with its rather high acidity and somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is evolved, long and moderately grippy with a dry, tertiary aftertaste of wizened dark fruits, some ripe red plums, a little bit of leathery funk, light autumnal notes of leafy forest floor, a bretty hint of farmhouse funk and a touch of meat stew.
A tasty, nuanced and harmonious St. Émilion at full maturity. Compared to the bottle I tasted 2½ years ago, this felt slightly less oxidative and a tiny bit more youthful; while still very tertiary and obviously quite aged, this wine retained a bit more of fruit and tannic structure in lieu of even more evolved, savory non-fruit tertiary flavors - like dried figs or soy sauce. Stylistically this was obviously very true to its roots, as I served the wine blind and everyone went immediately to Bordeaux - although most guessed that this was an aged Left-Bank Bdx and just a small minority guessed Right Bank - only one guessing correctly St. Émilion. All in all, this was a delightful wine - and to my surprise, slightly better than the previous bottle. As the wine is now fully mature - and has been for quite some time - there is no need for additional aging. It's hard to assess if the wine is going to hold up that much longer, and it is always good to drink up while the wines are still good! At 18€ this was a steal.
(90 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
