Beautiful ruby brick color. Initial nose fresh dill, vanilla, cassis, overripe strawberry, chocolate, Hawthorne fruit. Palate has medium acid, velvety tannins with just enough grip, mild etoh. Also notes of sour cherry, sage, tobacco leaf. So well balanced. After 1 hour, dill/vanilla fading and developing some espresso, five spice, red fruit is now more pronounced. 2-3 hours more plum, ripe cherry, green bark taste. Finish seems to last forever. Really enjoyed this wine as it developed. So we’ll made. I will return for more of their wines.
Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California): To drink now this would be my favorite of the three. Mostly made with Howell Mtn grapes but it’s the younger vines, etc that end up in this blend. It’s still a bit more intense and darker and brooding in nature but not quite as much as the siblings (08 and 17 Howell). Nice acid and balance. Feels like this wine could age forever.
Hoping it was just an off bottle as have to say this was not drinking nearly to the level I would expect from a Dunn, even being just the Napa.
This had a slight funk, not sure if corked or maybe a bad cork and a bit oxidized? I bought them on release and have always been cellared, so these were never exposed to any heat....
Just tasted a bit flat and compared to a few other bottles drank next too, a BR Cohn, and few others not really in that league, it was disappointing. I have two more, so hopefully the next one will be better, and dont plan to wait to long before revisiting just in case they are on the downslide.
If rating would have given a 90-91.
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This bottle was decanted thoroughly. The cork was sound and there was a fair amount of sediment. The wine was enjoyable and exhibited classic Napa characteristics, including a bit of Sage. In my opinion the oak was beginning to dominate. So, I suggest it may be good to open this vintage up and enjoy it while the fruit hangs around.
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Very deep garnet color with aromatic fruits. Noted plum, strawberry and pear fruits, followed by chalky minerality and light forest-moss notes. Tannins are light and well modulated. Paired nicely with a kale, chicken and sun-dried tomato dinner.
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1-hour decant; no formal notes; Morton’s with Billy. Mesmerizing aromas of caramelized something and cherries; more rich red fruit to follow; beyond inspiring with Waygu ribeye.
This was refined, elegant def not a fruit forward cab bomb... The secondary flavors in balance with the Fruit...nose was subdued bordering on reticence...tertiary flavors of mushroom and earth alongside the lighter blue black fruit.. Finishes dry... Elegant... so unlike other cabs such as the quivet 2017 kenefick ranch Which couldnt have been a more polar opposite...
According to AG, 2012 marked the first year when Mike Dunn used purchased fruit for the Napa Valley, with 65% of the blend from Coombsville and the remainder from Howell Mountain. That decision, combined with the general openness of the vintage, made this far more approachable than many bottlings from this estate. But don't get it twisted: almost a decade in, this thing still has a grippy, strong tannic backbone and acids that will easily see it through another 10-15 years. It drinks great today, with primary red fruits alongside notes of cedar, graphite, a hint of forest floor, and a finish that won't quit. For my favorite way to drink Dunns (with lots of tertiary flavor development but just before the last of the fruit fades), the 2012 NV's ideal drinking window is a couple years away, but if you're opening up soon, give it at least 3-5 hours in decanter. I promise it'll be worth the wait!
Seldom drink 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignons these days, but this producer is - or should be - the exception.
Purchased from winery and resting in cellar ever since. Easy candidate for decanting. Actually, all the sediment encrusted on the inside of the bottle, making decanting a simple affair, with no noticable precipitate during the pour. Upon inspection, the empty bottle was difficult to see through with lots of fine sediment clinging to the bottle interior.
Once decanted, let this wine rest for an hour to bloom; to do otherwise is a disservice.
Color is a gorgeous dark red, with no real sign of age for a nine-year-old bottle. Nose is big and rich at all stages. Lots of raspberry, dark cherry throughout, and a lovely mulberry component at one hour. Tannins are big and round, but not biting at any stage. Also noted supporting flavors of strawberry, tea, a teriyaki meatiness, chocolate, and sassafras (?). Good acidity and well balanced with fruit from A to Z. Lovely!
The wine has reached that lovely, long, zone of enjoyment. Just a guess, but this wine should be wonderful through 2032.
(Served with a bacon rapped filet with green pepper sauce, scalloped potatoes, and broccoli in lemon butter. An excellent combo.)
Nose of red cherry, some black cherry, and mocha, on the palate, big body, mouth filling fruit, fairly fruit forward for Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon at 8 years of age, cellar another 2 years for peak drinking and easily last another 15 years, very tasty, delicious, and a long, flavorful finish. Uploaded photo of bottle and cork.
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Drank over three days. I usually age Dunn wines but decided to try one since 2012s are drinking so well young. This was super youthful with lots of acid, medium tannins, chocolate and vanilla on the palate. Enjoyable but probably will be better in secondary phase.
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After several weeks of drinking the wonderfully robust, in your face 2015's, I wanted to switch things up and "take it back to the old school, take it back to the Union Square" (circa 1990's Nice and Smooth reference).
This is a nicely balanced wine, exhibiting still primary red fruits, satisfying mid, and nicely refined tannins. This wine will benefit from more sleep, and those who wait will be rewarded in 2022+ with the epitome of Old World Napa.
I had a 2012 Dunn Howell the night before, and I much preferred this, as the fruit was much softer and more ready to go with an earnest two hour decant...
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Tons of potential, but drinking this was infanticide. Mostly red fruits, very old world in style. Very tight, but expressive in the nose upon opening with cedar and cassis. Decanted 2 hours and drank over lunch. Really good, but needs time. Lots of tannin, nice vegetal note (bell pepper).
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What's left of the American Dream (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): More red than black fruit spectrum…ripe but restrained with perfumed notes as well as some cream and butter. On the palate though its more savoury blackcurrant and brambles. Quite muted and restrained with firm but integrated tannins and a touch of non-intrusive alcohol warmth. Rather nice. Not sure it's 154 AUD nice though.
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So when I was told to give the 2012 Dunn a try.. I did not expect the showing... was vibrant fruit forward and not that huge grip of tannins.. drank remarkably well.. thinner than the Howell but so approachable.. but with enough backbone that it's got some great staying power... love it. My 2nd fav of the day behind the Encanta!!
Decanted 3 hours. Cedar aromas fill the air after pouring. Dark, thick looking though not as creamy as I had hoped. Certainly med + bodied with cassis, pencil lead, and green pepper on the palate. Displays its Cab fruit well. Tannins a bit obtrusive at the end of the decanter but shows that it has plenty of life ahead.
Lots of Cabernet perfume on the nose. Ripe, structured, balanced, ripe fruit. Had this with a '12 Napanook, the Dunn showed more fruit, but both wines have a long life ahead. One of the better '12 Napa Cabs I've had.
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Young wine that had nice fruit and licorice flavor. The wine opened up very nicely through a two hour dinner. Recommend decanting first but this Dunn will evolve nicely over the next decade. So nice to drink an elegant Napa Cab that is not ALC 14.5% by Vol or higher. Nice old world Bordeaux style.
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A Napa Cab I can get behind. Obviously incredibly young but shows great notes of smoked meat, black fruit and boat loads of minerality. This is 10 years from ready. Easily
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Light, floral, blackberry, a little candied. Clean, balanced, tight but super fine tannins. Would have guessed Bordeaux not Napa if blind. After 4 hours in the decanter really hitting its stride. Beautiful wine with a long life ahead.
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Very young and tight, but shows great potential. Decanted and drank over 2.5 hours, started to open but never did fully. A lot of pepper on the nose and very traditional Dunn style. Won't try another for 2-3 years.
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Tasted from bottle under nitrogen. Not given much time to air considering the environment, showing a very tight nose w dark berries, dirt, creosote, well aged barrel. Very fine tannins coat the Tonnele, overpowering fruit at this point. Nonetheless, flavors are soft and accessible compared to most other Dunn's at this age. Rating is based on perceived potential; 89 today
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4/20/2023 - Islamabadbadbad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful ruby brick color. Initial nose fresh dill, vanilla, cassis, overripe strawberry, chocolate, Hawthorne fruit. Palate has medium acid, velvety tannins with just enough grip, mild etoh. Also notes of sour cherry, sage, tobacco leaf. So well balanced. After 1 hour, dill/vanilla fading and developing some espresso, five spice, red fruit is now more pronounced. 2-3 hours more plum, ripe cherry, green bark taste. Finish seems to last forever. Really enjoyed this wine as it developed. So we’ll made. I will return for more of their wines.
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4/2/2023 - nkirsch Likes this wine: 92 Points
started a little tight but the flavors opened up after a couple of hours
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2/7/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California): To drink now this would be my favorite of the three. Mostly made with Howell Mtn grapes but it’s the younger vines, etc that end up in this blend. It’s still a bit more intense and darker and brooding in nature but not quite as much as the siblings (08 and 17 Howell). Nice acid and balance. Feels like this wine could age forever.
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11/28/2022 - Cabernet4me2 wrote:
Hoping it was just an off bottle as have to say this was not drinking nearly to the level I would expect from a Dunn, even being just the Napa.
This had a slight funk, not sure if corked or maybe a bad cork and a bit oxidized? I bought them on release and have always been cellared, so these were never exposed to any heat....
Just tasted a bit flat and compared to a few other bottles drank next too, a BR Cohn, and few others not really in that league, it was disappointing. I have two more, so hopefully the next one will be better, and dont plan to wait to long before revisiting just in case they are on the downslide.
If rating would have given a 90-91.
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11/22/2022 - Redteeth wrote:
This bottle was decanted thoroughly. The cork was sound and there was a fair amount of sediment.
The wine was enjoyable and exhibited classic Napa characteristics, including a bit of Sage. In my opinion the oak was beginning to dominate. So, I suggest it may be good to open this vintage up and enjoy it while the fruit hangs around.
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9/11/2022 - doug374 wrote: 92 Points
Very deep garnet color with aromatic fruits. Noted plum, strawberry and pear fruits, followed by chalky minerality and light forest-moss notes. Tannins are light and well modulated. Paired nicely with a kale, chicken and sun-dried tomato dinner.
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9/2/2022 - nkirsch Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened an hour before drinking. nicely balanced with good fruit and smooth tannins. lush in the mouth, went down easy
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3/7/2022 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drink.
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8/2/2021 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours. Super yummy! Deep blackcurrant, earth, and chewy tannins. Just what you want in a Napa Cab.
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7/18/2021 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 94 Points
1-hour decant; no formal notes; Morton’s with Billy. Mesmerizing aromas of caramelized something and cherries; more rich red fruit to follow; beyond inspiring with Waygu ribeye.
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6/17/2021 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was refined, elegant def not a fruit forward cab bomb...
The secondary flavors in balance with the Fruit...nose was subdued bordering on reticence...tertiary flavors of mushroom and earth alongside the lighter blue black fruit..
Finishes dry...
Elegant... so unlike other cabs such as the quivet 2017 kenefick ranch
Which couldnt have been a more polar opposite...
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4/27/2021 - rkww Likes this wine: 93 Points
According to AG, 2012 marked the first year when Mike Dunn used purchased fruit for the Napa Valley, with 65% of the blend from Coombsville and the remainder from Howell Mountain. That decision, combined with the general openness of the vintage, made this far more approachable than many bottlings from this estate. But don't get it twisted: almost a decade in, this thing still has a grippy, strong tannic backbone and acids that will easily see it through another 10-15 years. It drinks great today, with primary red fruits alongside notes of cedar, graphite, a hint of forest floor, and a finish that won't quit. For my favorite way to drink Dunns (with lots of tertiary flavor development but just before the last of the fruit fades), the 2012 NV's ideal drinking window is a couple years away, but if you're opening up soon, give it at least 3-5 hours in decanter. I promise it'll be worth the wait!
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2/14/2021 - John Dunlap Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seldom drink 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignons these days, but this producer is - or should be - the exception.
Purchased from winery and resting in cellar ever since. Easy candidate for decanting. Actually, all the sediment encrusted on the inside of the bottle, making decanting a simple affair, with no noticable precipitate during the pour. Upon inspection, the empty bottle was difficult to see through with lots of fine sediment clinging to the bottle interior.
Once decanted, let this wine rest for an hour to bloom; to do otherwise is a disservice.
Color is a gorgeous dark red, with no real sign of age for a nine-year-old bottle. Nose is big and rich at all stages. Lots of raspberry, dark cherry throughout, and a lovely mulberry component at one hour. Tannins are big and round, but not biting at any stage. Also noted supporting flavors of strawberry, tea, a teriyaki meatiness, chocolate, and sassafras (?). Good acidity and well balanced with fruit from A to Z. Lovely!
The wine has reached that lovely, long, zone of enjoyment. Just a guess, but this wine should be wonderful through 2032.
(Served with a bacon rapped filet with green pepper sauce, scalloped potatoes, and broccoli in lemon butter. An excellent combo.)
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3/20/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of red cherry, some black cherry, and mocha, on the palate, big body, mouth filling fruit, fairly fruit forward for Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon at 8 years of age, cellar another 2 years for peak drinking and easily last another 15 years, very tasty, delicious, and a long, flavorful finish. Uploaded photo of bottle and cork.
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6/8/2019 - tc from santee Likes this wine: 92 Points
I think Big-boy and Quiet Lion were spot on, nothing else needed.
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5/23/2019 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black cherries, blue fruit, cassis, herbs of provinces, finish with tannins and acidity. Well balanced A-
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3/24/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over three days. I usually age Dunn wines but decided to try one since 2012s are drinking so well young. This was super youthful with lots of acid, medium tannins, chocolate and vanilla on the palate. Enjoyable but probably will be better in secondary phase.
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2/24/2018 - blarmston Likes this wine: 93 Points
After several weeks of drinking the wonderfully robust, in your face 2015's, I wanted to switch things up and "take it back to the old school, take it back to the Union Square" (circa 1990's Nice and Smooth reference).
This is a nicely balanced wine, exhibiting still primary red fruits, satisfying mid, and nicely refined tannins. This wine will benefit from more sleep, and those who wait will be rewarded in 2022+ with the epitome of Old World Napa.
I had a 2012 Dunn Howell the night before, and I much preferred this, as the fruit was much softer and more ready to go with an earnest two hour decant...
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8/28/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gave this 4 hours of aeration before dinner. Better than previous bottle, so well built, so well made, this family knows how to make great Cabernet.
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6/17/2017 - jkvedar wrote:
2.5 hour decant. Cassis, mint, pepper on the nose. Dark fruits, licorice and graphite on the palate. Pleasant finish. No problem drinking now.
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4/16/2017 - ravbik wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful surprise. Rich full bodied cab. Fruity with moderate tannins
Will continue to get better
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12/30/2016 - DRK III Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tons of potential, but drinking this was infanticide. Mostly red fruits, very old world in style. Very tight, but expressive in the nose upon opening with cedar and cassis. Decanted 2 hours and drank over lunch. Really good, but needs time. Lots of tannin, nice vegetal note (bell pepper).
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11/26/2016 - chatters wrote:
What's left of the American Dream (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): More red than black fruit spectrum…ripe but restrained with perfumed notes as well as some cream and butter. On the palate though its more savoury blackcurrant and brambles. Quite muted and restrained with firm but integrated tannins and a touch of non-intrusive alcohol warmth. Rather nice. Not sure it's 154 AUD nice though.
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10/30/2016 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
So when I was told to give the 2012 Dunn a try.. I did not expect the showing... was vibrant fruit forward and not that huge grip of tannins.. drank remarkably well.. thinner than the Howell but so approachable.. but with enough backbone that it's got some great staying power... love it. My 2nd fav of the day behind the Encanta!!
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6/14/2016 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Cedar aromas fill the air after pouring. Dark, thick looking though not as creamy as I had hoped. Certainly med + bodied with cassis, pencil lead, and green pepper on the palate. Displays its Cab fruit well. Tannins a bit obtrusive at the end of the decanter but shows that it has plenty of life ahead.
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2/28/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lots of Cabernet perfume on the nose. Ripe, structured, balanced, ripe fruit. Had this with a '12 Napanook, the Dunn showed more fruit, but both wines have a long life ahead. One of the better '12 Napa Cabs I've had.
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2/25/2016 - WKW57 wrote: 96 Points
Young wine that had nice fruit and licorice flavor. The wine opened up very nicely through a two hour dinner. Recommend decanting first but this Dunn will evolve nicely over the next decade. So nice to drink an elegant Napa Cab that is not ALC 14.5% by Vol or higher. Nice old world Bordeaux style.
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2/18/2016 - jnocera Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young and primary but very good this is going to be a great wine at a good value. Very close to the Howell mountain
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12/17/2015 - Socrates Likes this wine:
A Napa Cab I can get behind. Obviously incredibly young but shows great notes of smoked meat, black fruit and boat loads of minerality. This is 10 years from ready. Easily
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12/5/2015 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light, floral, blackberry, a little candied. Clean, balanced, tight but super fine tannins. Would have guessed Bordeaux not Napa if blind. After 4 hours in the decanter really hitting its stride. Beautiful wine with a long life ahead.
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12/2/2015 - fhmesq wrote: 94 Points
Very young and tight, but shows great potential. Decanted and drank over 2.5 hours, started to open but never did fully. A lot of pepper on the nose and very traditional Dunn style. Won't try another for 2-3 years.
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10/11/2014 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Tasted from bottle under nitrogen. Not given much time to air considering the environment, showing a very tight nose w dark berries, dirt, creosote, well aged barrel. Very fine tannins coat the Tonnele, overpowering fruit at this point. Nonetheless, flavors are soft and accessible compared to most other Dunn's at this age. Rating is based on perceived potential; 89 today
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