WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Dunn's signature wine contains only fruit farmed by them in their vineyards on Howell Mountain. The wine comes in a distinctive bottle that is hand dipped in red wax.
TASTING NOTES:
A deeper, richer, more powerful wine, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with a Pauillac-like nose of blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and lead pencil notes. It's full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, has the classic Howell Mountain tannic structure, and a gorgeous finish. Give bottles 7-8 years if you can and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.
Rating: 98+
- Jeb Dunnuck, 98 pts.
Robust and brooding aromas of mulberry bush, violets, cedar, cocoa and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with refined tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of blackcurrants, spices, tobacco leaves and crushed river stones. Very bold and generous, with a refined structure that will age gracefully. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
- James Suckling, 98 pts.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is one of the most polished young wines I have ever tasted from Dunn. Blackberry, graphite, crushed rocks, lavender, espresso, licorice and spice saturate the palate. There’s plenty of Howell Mountain tannin and acid, but in 2021, those elements are totally woven into the wine’s heady, luxurious fabric. Even so, I would not plan on opening a bottle any time soon. The 2021 spent 31 months in 100% new French oak, pretty much the norm here. What a wine!
- Vinous, 97 pts.
This displays the dark, dense fruit of the AVA, but there’s lovely polish and freshness, with violet and ink notes pulling along the core of dark currant and blackberry fruit. Offers a ramrod of licorice and tar on the finish but shows the cut and drive to match its heft. A late flash of sweet bay adds an alluring hint. Patience is required, though.
- Wine Spectator, 97 pts.
Dunn's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is richer, denser and more concentrated than the Napa Valley bottling but still hits the winery's hallmark notes of cedar, cassis, blueberries, pine needles and rubbed sage. It's medium to full-bodied, weighing in at just under 14% alcohol, but the tannins are ripe and relatively silky, and the wine finishes with tremendous length and ample harmony.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 pts.
