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Dunn Vineyards

13 notes Sort by: Vintage - Name - Rating

2014
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
94
Tannic, tight and demanding time, but it should be worth the wait, for all that ripe cassis, blackberry and lead pencil. Powerful, intense, and fresh with a crisp bite of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon in the endnote.

Tannic, tight and demanding time, but it should be worth the wait, for all that ripe cassis, blackberry and lead pencil. Powerful, intense, and fresh with a crisp bite of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon in the endnote.

6,218 Views   Tasted
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2014
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Napa Valley)
92
Tightly wound and tannic, the wine is full bodied and on the bright, crisp, crunchy side, with an earthy, dark, red berry character.

Tightly wound and tannic, the wine is full bodied and on the bright, crisp, crunchy side, with an earthy, dark, red berry character.

3,906 Views   Tasted
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2011
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
91
Clearly the most forward vintage of Dunn Howell I have ever tasted. Approachable, with a creme de cassis, thyme, smoke and cherry character, the wine is medium/full-bodied, soft, round and with an hour or so of decanting, ready to go.

Clearly the most forward vintage of Dunn Howell I have ever tasted. Approachable, with a creme de cassis, thyme, smoke and cherry character, the wine is medium/full-bodied, soft, round and with an hour or so of decanting, ready to go.

4,270 Views   Tasted
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Sweet and tart, bright, crisp and crunchy dark red fruits with tannins that need time to develop. At least at the time of the tasting, the wine was more interesting on its earthy nose, than on the palate. With Howell Mountain fruit and Randy Dunn, time will tell.

Sweet and tart, bright, crisp and crunchy dark red fruits with tannins that need time to develop. At least at the time of the tasting, the wine was more interesting on its earthy nose, than on the palate. With Howell Mountain fruit and Randy Dunn, time will tell.

4,567 Views   Tasted
2010
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
93
Full bodied, dense, powerful, masculine, structured and firm, this tannic, strict wine, with its layers of ripe, black mountain fruits, should reach maturity before I do. But we are both going to take a long time to develop.

Full bodied, dense, powerful, masculine, structured and firm, this tannic, strict wine, with its layers of ripe, black mountain fruits, should reach maturity before I do. But we are both going to take a long time to develop.

8,346 Views   Tasted
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2009
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
92
Incense, forest floor, blueberry and blackberry aromatics open top a big, tannic, polished, California Cabernet Sauvignon with a soft, polished red, cherry finish. This will mature faster than most of the previous vintages of Dunn, which seem to require decades to come around.

Incense, forest floor, blueberry and blackberry aromatics open top a big, tannic, polished, California Cabernet Sauvignon with a soft, polished red, cherry finish. This will mature faster than most of the previous vintages of Dunn, which seem to require decades to come around.

7,419 Views   Tasted
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1998
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
83
Oak, cassis, earth,wet leafy aromas led to a full bodied wine that finished with austere, tart fruit. Still tannin, there was no joy in mudville. This hard wine offered little pleasure

Oak, cassis, earth,wet leafy aromas led to a full bodied wine that finished with austere, tart fruit. Still tannin, there was no joy in mudville. This hard wine offered little pleasure

5,761 Views   Tasted
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1997
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Napa Valley)
90
Better on the earthy, stone, cherry and tobacco nose, than on the firm, cassis and fresh, ripe, red berry filled palate. This is a masculine, almost austere styled wine that some tasters will definitely like more than others.

Better on the earthy, stone, cherry and tobacco nose, than on the firm, cassis and fresh, ripe, red berry filled palate. This is a masculine, almost austere styled wine that some tasters will definitely like more than others.

3,067 Views   Tasted
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1997
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
92
Still tight, the wine needs time. Even with air, decanting and coaxing, meaning all three actions taking place at once, the wine was still tannic. If you like big, powerful, tannic, concentrated, dense wines, with fruit, structure and a masculine quality, this is going to fit the bill. The wine ends with a fresh, olive, cassis and peppery finish.

Still tight, the wine needs time. Even with air, decanting and coaxing, meaning all three actions taking place at once, the wine was still tannic. If you like big, powerful, tannic, concentrated, dense wines, with fruit, structure and a masculine quality, this is going to fit the bill. The wine ends with a fresh, olive, cassis and peppery finish.

3,451 Views   Tasted
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1995
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Napa Valley)
87
Earthy smoke, herbs, green leaf and pepper on the nose, the wine is stern, masculine and tannic with a tough bracing spine. The wine finished with length but without charm.

Earthy smoke, herbs, green leaf and pepper on the nose, the wine is stern, masculine and tannic with a tough bracing spine. The wine finished with length but without charm.

2,953 Views   Tasted
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1994
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
89
Bright, chewy, tannic, OK, make that very tannic, this massive wine is not much fun to drink. Perhaps it just needs another 20 years. Well made, but not my style and I don’t have 20 more years to spare.

Bright, chewy, tannic, OK, make that very tannic, this massive wine is not much fun to drink. Perhaps it just needs another 20 years. Well made, but not my style and I don’t have 20 more years to spare.

4,655 Views   Tasted
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1993
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
85
Tight, tannic, green, hard and lacking in charm, I'm not sure where this California Cabernet wine is going. My only hope is, it gets there before I do as I'd prefer to drink something else.

Tight, tannic, green, hard and lacking in charm, I'm not sure where this California Cabernet wine is going. My only hope is, it gets there before I do as I'd prefer to drink something else.

6,679 Views   Tasted
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1986
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Napa Valley)
89
Tobacco, leaf, earth, ash, herb and red cherry notes make up the perfume. The wine is on the austere, tannic style range, ending with a dry, red berry and green olive finish. This leaner, low ABV style of California Cabernet Sauvignon will please those tasters who feel the wines made prior to 1990 in the Gloden State were the golden age of California wine. For me, it was just not much fun to drink.

Tobacco, leaf, earth, ash, herb and red cherry notes make up the perfume. The wine is on the austere, tannic style range, ending with a dry, red berry and green olive finish. This leaner, low ABV style of California Cabernet Sauvignon will please those tasters who feel the wines made prior to 1990 in the Gloden State were the golden age of California wine. For me, it was just not much fun to drink.

3,598 Views   Tasted
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With its tobacco, smoke, cherry, olive and cassis aromatics, it reminded me of a Bordeaux. Powerful, full bodied and with some tannin to resolve, this is a good example of classic, California Cabernet Sauvignon.

With its tobacco, smoke, cherry, olive and cassis aromatics, it reminded me of a Bordeaux. Powerful, full bodied and with some tannin to resolve, this is a good example of classic, California Cabernet Sauvignon.

3,584 Views   Tasted
1982
Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon  (Howell Mountain)
88
On the bright side, this tasted much younger than expected. On the other side, while powerful, the wine was tart, with an olive accent to the fruit and a dusty, tannic, crisp, bright, cassis and cranberry finish. Other tasters liked this more than I did.

On the bright side, this tasted much younger than expected. On the other side, while powerful, the wine was tart, with an olive accent to the fruit and a dusty, tannic, crisp, bright, cassis and cranberry finish. Other tasters liked this more than I did.

4,382 Views   Tasted
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