Actually gave this a slightly higher score than our previous three tastings. Similar notes but was a perfect match with the shish kabob and showed some extra nuances in the finish and complexity. Blackberries, black cherries, black currants, licorice, and leather in the nose. Rich black fruits and chocolate in the flavor. Medium to full bodied and a long silky finish. Definitely drinking well right now.
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Dark center, red rim with some signs of age. Sweet and complex nose, brambles, cigar box, stones, plums and black cherries. Smooth, excellent texture, black cherry compote, quite intense, a little minty, reasonable acidity and tannin but clearly on the decline, finish of ash and mature fruit (touch of dried leaves), very good length. Excellent Dunn Cab, drinking very well but will be good for several more years. A reminder that even the regular Cab is best at around 20 years.
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Opening this bottle was about as challenging as finding treasure on oak island but I was rewarded with a smooth drinking medium bodied Napa Cab. Good aroma and good red fruited taste with balanced tannins that provide a slight but pleasant grip. I was worried it might be over the hill but i would say it still has a few years left.
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Similar notes as three years ago. Blackberries, black cherries, black currants, licorice, and leather in the nose. Similar flavor with lots of black fruits and chocolate. Medium to full bodied and a medium to long finish.
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pristine condition down to the cork which extracted easily and was barely soaked. on pnp, closed on nose but smells like Napa Cab. drinks soft but is rich with concentrated dark fruit (black plums and berries, fat and ripe but not stewed or dried)
no real signs of its age... completely dark in color--only tinged with a bit of brick, smells young, drinks youthful as well. fully soft and with little acid. drinks below 14% abv
very nice but hard to call this remarkable.
maybe in a dumb phase??? maybe this wasn't a long-haul bottle but is holding on amazingly well???? idk ...bottle age seems to only have rounded this wine and left it drinking like a muted version of the 2017.
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a tale of two bottles: first bottle was fantastic deep color slightest bricking soft yet full bodied balanced flavorfull great fruit with structure the reason why you keep a bottle in your cellar for 15 years. unfortunately the second bottle was spoiled the cork was hard and dry despite being stored next to the first bottle for the past 15 years the wine was drinkable but not great
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Solid performance...delicious and in a really good place right now...dark fruit flavors, roasted walnuts, dunn tang, all wrapped in a nice balanced package. I may be going crazy but reminded me a bit of Ducru.
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50+5+13+18+8=94 Beautiful color with no hints at rim separation or bricking. Forest floor, dark red and black fruits, hints of baking spice. At this point the tannins are resolved and everything is perfectly integrated. Elegant and and concentrated, but not at all over extracted. It's at it's peak although could remain here for another 3-4 years if properly cellared. I don't regret opening it, I do regret not having another. Rivals the Howell Mountain version, although this still shows some valley floor.
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Deep, opaque, garnet color. Earthy nose of forest floor and mushrooms. Blackberry, cassis, mocha, baking spice and tobacco box on the palate. Big mouth feel, full bodied and a long, lingering finish. Bigger than I expected. Approaching Dunn Howell Mountain big.
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Dark ruby red color with dead slow legs. On the nose black cherry jubilee,leather, oak, vanilla, nutmeg. On the palate loads of vanilla, oak, dark black brooding fruits and some sour cherry smash. The Dunn had it’s classic smooth long finish with blackberry, currant, black cherry and vanilla oak. Classic Dunn Napa Cabernet and all the components are here and can go on even more but it’s is in a wonderful place right now. Drink until 2024-2028 if cellared properly.
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Blackberries, black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and earthy notes in the nose. Similar flavor with lots of black fruits and chocolate. Full bodied and a medium to long finish.
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Deep, dark garnet, almost opaque in color. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, cassis & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty, roasted coffee, cedar & tobacco, dried herbs, minerals, spices & a hint of oak in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & silky smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with coffee, herbs, minerals, earthy, some spices & a hint of oak in the background. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but there is still limited potential remaining for further development from additional aging despite being 14 years old. Cork was clean & intact with no staining on the sides; fill was high in the neck.
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Lots of dark fruit and dark chocholate. A hint of lixorice. This has some bluberry and raspberry cream on the palate. STILL FULL OF FRUIT FOR A 13 YR OLD WINE!!
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Drank from a magnum. This was in perfect form. There was red fruit on the nose with spice. The palate had subtle red fruit with fading tannins. I enjoyed this on its own, but it would be perfect with a steak. This is a reminder of how great a deal the Dunn wines used to be a few years back (I know this is a larger Napa problem).
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Ready to go right after opening. Texturally grainy with tons of sediment. Baked cherries, old leather, espresso, minerals and some green pepper on the mid palate. Drinking well now and don't see a whole lot of reason to hold longer.
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This wine had an unpleasant green note in the mid-palate that didn't go away over two days. Perhaps it's in a dumb phase and will be much better after a few years. Parker commented this was a rare early-drinking Dunn so it could be that it's an unusual vintage.
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Dark garnet. Interesting nose of blackberry, old leather, and truffle salt. Opens full and powerful, but recedes quickly with air to a more reserved reticent place. An elegant, mature cab at this point drinking well but not likely to improve further.
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Really in a good place. Hints of blackberry on the nose. Not very earthy at all. Very balanced on the palate with fully integrated tannins. Not as bold, complex or powerful as the Howell mountain. But very fruit friendly and more ready to drink right now. Very nice wine that is awesome to drink
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still dark in color. Nose of roasted coffee, black currant and plums. Powerful and big. Still quite tannic but luckily there is enough fruit left for further ageing. What I am missing is complexity and length. All a bit one dimensional even after 2 hours in the decanter. Potential for 92pts is here, just give it a bit more time.
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At Tra Vigne in Napa, first night out. This was brought by Sandy, from a magnum. Dunn always ages well, in my opinion. This was no different, still drinking very young. Decanted for about 30 minutes, drank over two hours. Would benefit from a longer decant.
Inky purple/ruby color. Black fruits and herbs on the nose. Palate of blackberry, cassis, chocolate, floral/lavender notes. Long and layered finish.
Right in a zone, drinking well now but my guess has another 10 years ahead of it. Large format maybe longer. Excellent wine from Dunn
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Deep garnet in color. Lovely nose of cherries and chocolate. Taste of bing cherries, moca, and cassis. Supple tannins, great fruit, and nice balance. Drinking well. Bottle was a magnum.
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This wine (purchased upon release from the winery in magnum format and cellared in pristine fashion) was decanted off its moderate sediment. It was then Vinturi-decanted into another vessel and allowed three additional hours of aeration prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The wine was subsequently taken to a restaurant, where it was enjoyed over a three-hour period with food. The robe is still a youthful opaque ruby/red and the nose continues to possess aromatics of black raspberries, kirsch, crushed stones, mocha and lavender. The wine is round, silky and full-bodied on the palate, with ample sweet tannins and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14%). The flavors are commensurate with the aromas and the middle palate is solid. With a lengthy, smooth finish, this is definitely as elegant as Dunn Napa Cabernet can get. Although very drinkable now, this wine (from magnum) has the structure to provide pleasure for several more years. Drink now-2023.
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Still took some time to open up. I will keep the magnum for a few more years. I really enjoyed the wine because of the complex favors instead of big Napa fruit.
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Underwhelmed - not sure if it needs more time. Still a little sharp and might smooth out but fruit will be gone completely by then. It's certainly a good cab; deep purple hue, thickness, aroma but was expecting more
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Decanted an hour and a half before dinner. I guess I was just expecting more from this wine. It is a good, well balanced and nice wine but way too soft for my taste now. It has very little tannin left and is just not the big and bold cabernet that I really like. My wife loved the wine because she likes ready to drink cabernet sauvignon that is not overbearing. This is a perfect wine for her. In comparison, I also had a Rubicon Cask 2004 recently which showed much better for my taste. It had comparatively more punch and tannin left. I have one more bottle of this 2004 and I plan to drink it in the next several months.For that matter, I plan on drinking the rest of my 2004 wines within the next year.
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Decanted 4 hrs. Interesting mix of black and red fruit, tobacco, with a nice minerality. On the palate, nice concentration with big structure. Cassis, raspberry, oak, and licorice. Long finish.
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The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Mineral, Red Currant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Jam. It tastes like Mineral, Cedar, and Clove. The body is Full. The wine is textured Round. The wine finishes Long.
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Tasted at the winery. Deep purple with a very aromatic and spicy nose. Smelled of a pine forest in spring. Quite smooth with moderate red fruits, tobacco, and vanilla. Very drinkable now with nice complexity for a 2004. Tasted along side the 2003 and 2005 Dunn Howell Mountain. I wished I would have spent more time with the wine because I think I would have liked it more. Quite different from the structure and dark fruit in the Howell Mountain, but in no way inferior. This is not a "second label" wine. It is just a brighter, higher toned version.
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I was disappointed. I had read too many rave reviews of Dunn and my expectations were very high (always a danger). I had a magnum of the 04 Napa, which was decanted for over an hour. Nothing wrong with the wine, but nothing spectacular. I tend to like wines with more intensity of aroma and flavor and perhaps that was the issue.
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This was a pop and pour scenario. The wine was in good shape and exhibited classic Napa characteristics, including a bit of mint or Eucalyptus and dust. It had good structure and mature fruit. I think it is fully ready to drink and I am not sure if there is a lot to be gained by aging further.
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The most prominent thing about this wine was its massive nose. Elegant fruit that lingered into tobacco and leather. It is a stylized wine done with a great deal of art. The tannins were smooth and the drinking experience was easy and comfortable. The 04 runs about $60 but I thought the QPR was excellent. This has a similar experience of Napa royalty without the ridiculous price tag. Beautiful.
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This tasting note reflects that from magnum, which was taken from my cellar and double-decanted prior to bringing it to a wine-themed Christmas lunch. The sediment was moderate. The wine was allowed three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. Opaque ruby robe with red rim. Clean, quite intense nose of black raspberries, kirsch, crushed stones, mocha and lavender. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity and big ripe tannins. The flavors mirror the nose and the mouth texture is silky. The middle palate is full and the long finish is as smooth as smooth gets. Dare I say that this is an "elegant" Dunn??? Drink now-12/20.
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Deep purple with magenta hues on the rim. A very dark aroma, with cassis, black raspberries, and a bit of grape on the palate. Dry and finishes with some minerality. Finish isn't short, but isn't terribly long either. I think some age will really do this wine well. Looking forward to trying it again in a few years.
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Drinking well. A little hot on the finish on opening, but after 1 hr, drinking well. Not a typical California cab- meatier and less fruity, more French than California. OTBN 2010.
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A very honest and soulful bottling, more Bordeaux than Napacab. Concentrated and rich, with raspberry/cassis fruit on the nose and palate, yet sufficiently dry and graphite-laden to reference something old world. Since I like wines that bridge old world to new, this was in my wheelhouse. The wine also displayed a stong green pepper component, which might be a tad distracting. Also, a pleasant herbal component might play close to the line of becoming medicinal.
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Sonia Joya -- A youthful Dunn cab, with exuberant balsamic and bing cherry notes along with earth and a bit of black shoe polish (in a good way!). I liked it more and more as it opened up, and it was a great match with various savory non-seafood tapas.
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Ad Hoc Napa with Brenda -- More approachable than usual, with a real candied berry note braced by earthy minerality but not so cigar-box as Dunns of old were.
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Evvia with Rob -- I thought it showed absolutely great with loads of bright fruit, a loamy pumice crushed asphalt pencil lead note, and a touch of violet. Kudos to Dunn for holding the line on pricing and offering an awesome cab at this price.
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Clear, dark purple/pomegranate color. Pretty nose showing smoke, lead pencil, grape and cherry fruit. Considerable warmth, only moderate acidity. Restrained but lingering tannins, especially on the very vinous finish. Nothing backward or particularly tannic here, lovely balance and drinking fine now. I'd like to see more structure, as this is a borderline overripe and flabby style, with elevated alcohol that doesn't necessarily promise a great future. But for now, quite lovely. I doubt I'll seek out more at this price, though.
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Good, not great bottle of wine. Didn't wow me like other Cabs. Nose was best part of it. Good mix of flavors. Finish trailed off a little. Had at Ocean Club in Scottsdale. They really jack up the price of wine- much more than most restaurants I've been to.
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11/27/2023 - mowtod Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drinking well needed 2 hr to open up
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5/6/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Actually gave this a slightly higher score than our previous three tastings. Similar notes but was a perfect match with the shish kabob and showed some extra nuances in the finish and complexity. Blackberries, black cherries, black currants, licorice, and leather in the nose. Rich black fruits and chocolate in the flavor. Medium to full bodied and a long silky finish. Definitely drinking well right now.
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1/22/2023 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking extremely well.
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12/24/2022 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark center, red rim with some signs of age.
Sweet and complex nose, brambles, cigar box, stones, plums and black cherries.
Smooth, excellent texture, black cherry compote, quite intense, a little minty, reasonable acidity and tannin but clearly on the decline, finish of ash and mature fruit (touch of dried leaves), very good length.
Excellent Dunn Cab, drinking very well but will be good for several more years. A reminder that even the regular Cab is best at around 20 years.
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11/22/2022 - lachord Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby color. Still a decent amount of fruit with hints of cherry and tobacco. Exceptional with grilled steak.
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4/2/2022 - zylmanj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opening this bottle was about as challenging as finding treasure on oak island but I was rewarded with a smooth drinking medium bodied Napa Cab. Good aroma and good red fruited taste with balanced tannins that provide a slight but pleasant grip. I was worried it might be over the hill but i would say it still has a few years left.
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3/2/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes as three years ago. Blackberries, black cherries, black currants, licorice, and leather in the nose. Similar flavor with lots of black fruits and chocolate. Medium to full bodied and a medium to long finish.
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1/27/2022 - FiggySmalls wrote:
pristine condition down to the cork which extracted easily and was barely soaked. on pnp, closed on nose but smells like Napa Cab. drinks soft but is rich with concentrated dark fruit (black plums and berries, fat and ripe but not stewed or dried)
no real signs of its age... completely dark in color--only tinged with a bit of brick, smells young, drinks youthful as well. fully soft and with little acid. drinks below 14% abv
very nice but hard to call this remarkable.
maybe in a dumb phase??? maybe this wasn't a long-haul bottle but is holding on amazingly well???? idk ...bottle age seems to only have rounded this wine and left it drinking like a muted version of the 2017.
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10/5/2021 - deekmon wrote: flawed
Corked
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5/3/2021 - jww Likes this wine: 94 Points
a tale of two bottles:
first bottle was fantastic deep color slightest bricking soft yet full bodied balanced flavorfull
great fruit with structure the reason why you keep a bottle in your cellar for 15 years.
unfortunately the second bottle was spoiled the cork was hard and dry despite being stored next to the first bottle for the past 15 years the wine was drinkable but not great
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3/14/2021 - dajapino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Solid performance...delicious and in a really good place right now...dark fruit flavors, roasted walnuts, dunn tang, all wrapped in a nice balanced package. I may be going crazy but reminded me a bit of Ducru.
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2/15/2021 - annerk wrote: 94 Points
50+5+13+18+8=94 Beautiful color with no hints at rim separation or bricking. Forest floor, dark red and black fruits, hints of baking spice. At this point the tannins are resolved and everything is perfectly integrated. Elegant and and concentrated, but not at all over extracted. It's at it's peak although could remain here for another 3-4 years if properly cellared. I don't regret opening it, I do regret not having another. Rivals the Howell Mountain version, although this still shows some valley floor.
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11/11/2020 - kbtemp2004 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Adding notes years after tasting; remember ABSOLUTELY enjoying this wine. First ever Dunn wine. want more!!!! Soft, balanced, unbelievably enjoyable.
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11/29/2019 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, opaque, garnet color. Earthy nose of forest floor and mushrooms. Blackberry, cassis, mocha, baking spice and tobacco box on the palate. Big mouth feel, full bodied and a long, lingering finish. Bigger than I expected. Approaching Dunn Howell Mountain big.
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10/29/2019 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby red color with dead slow legs. On the nose black cherry jubilee,leather, oak, vanilla, nutmeg. On the palate loads of vanilla, oak, dark black brooding fruits and some sour cherry smash. The Dunn had it’s classic smooth long finish with blackberry, currant, black cherry and vanilla oak. Classic Dunn Napa Cabernet and all the components are here and can go on even more but it’s is in a wonderful place right now. Drink until 2024-2028 if cellared properly.
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7/17/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Out of magnum, similar notes as our 750ml tasting earlier this year. I've never opened a Dunn Cabernet (or Petite Sirah) I didn't enjoy drinking.
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5/26/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberries, black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and earthy notes in the nose. Similar flavor with lots of black fruits and chocolate. Full bodied and a medium to long finish.
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9/29/2018 - Pjzlotnik wrote:
Decanted 2 hours
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8/18/2018 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark garnet, almost opaque in color. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, cassis & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty, roasted coffee, cedar & tobacco, dried herbs, minerals, spices & a hint of oak in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & silky smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with coffee, herbs, minerals, earthy, some spices & a hint of oak in the background. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but there is still limited potential remaining for further development from additional aging despite being 14 years old. Cork was clean & intact with no staining on the sides; fill was high in the neck.
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1/2/2018 - Alcontd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lots of dark fruit and dark chocholate. A hint of lixorice. This has some bluberry and raspberry cream on the palate. STILL FULL OF FRUIT FOR A 13 YR OLD WINE!!
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7/18/2017 - Troon wrote: 91 Points
Drank from a magnum. This was in perfect form. There was red fruit on the nose with spice. The palate had subtle red fruit with fading tannins. I enjoyed this on its own, but it would be perfect with a steak. This is a reminder of how great a deal the Dunn wines used to be a few years back (I know this is a larger Napa problem).
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3/13/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
Ready to go right after opening. Texturally grainy with tons of sediment. Baked cherries, old leather, espresso, minerals and some green pepper on the mid palate. Drinking well now and don't see a whole lot of reason to hold longer.
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10/4/2016 - Quiet Lion Does not like this wine: 88 Points
This wine had an unpleasant green note in the mid-palate that didn't go away over two days. Perhaps it's in a dumb phase and will be much better after a few years. Parker commented this was a rare early-drinking Dunn so it could be that it's an unusual vintage.
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7/17/2016 - KJD45$ Does not like this wine:
A bust.... Improper storage I assume
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6/27/2016 - smphelps wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet. Interesting nose of blackberry, old leather, and truffle salt. Opens full and powerful, but recedes quickly with air to a more reserved reticent place. An elegant, mature cab at this point drinking well but not likely to improve further.
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2/5/2016 - jnocera Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really in a good place. Hints of blackberry on the nose. Not very earthy at all. Very balanced on the palate with fully integrated tannins. Not as bold, complex or powerful as the Howell mountain. But very fruit friendly and more ready to drink right now. Very nice wine that is awesome to drink
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10/3/2015 - davidrh1 wrote: 94 Points
Opaque dark purple color, licorice, dark cherry and toast on the nose. Intense, rich blackberry thick luscious texture, long and luxurious finish.
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3/15/2015 - Wine_lvr wrote: 90 Points
still dark in color. Nose of roasted coffee, black currant and plums. Powerful and big. Still quite tannic but luckily there is enough fruit left for further ageing. What I am missing is complexity and length. All a bit one dimensional even after 2 hours in the decanter. Potential for 92pts is here, just give it a bit more time.
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10/9/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
At Tra Vigne in Napa, first night out. This was brought by Sandy, from a magnum. Dunn always ages well, in my opinion. This was no different, still drinking very young. Decanted for about 30 minutes, drank over two hours. Would benefit from a longer decant.
Inky purple/ruby color. Black fruits and herbs on the nose. Palate of blackberry, cassis, chocolate, floral/lavender notes. Long and layered finish.
Right in a zone, drinking well now but my guess has another 10 years ahead of it. Large format maybe longer. Excellent wine from Dunn
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7/26/2014 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet in color. Lovely nose of cherries and chocolate. Taste of bing cherries, moca, and cassis. Supple tannins, great fruit, and nice balance. Drinking well. Bottle was a magnum.
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5/25/2014 - Trolson wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for six hours: lovely nose, body and taste. Super smooth, soft yet bold.
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2/23/2014 - danstrings Likes this wine: 92 Points
Seamless and not a hint of age, silky juicy unctuous cassis, yumm
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5/4/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine (purchased upon release from the winery in magnum format and cellared in pristine fashion) was decanted off its moderate sediment. It was then Vinturi-decanted into another vessel and allowed three additional hours of aeration prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. The wine was subsequently taken to a restaurant, where it was enjoyed over a three-hour period with food. The robe is still a youthful opaque ruby/red and the nose continues to possess aromatics of black raspberries, kirsch, crushed stones, mocha and lavender. The wine is round, silky and full-bodied on the palate, with ample sweet tannins and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14%). The flavors are commensurate with the aromas and the middle palate is solid. With a lengthy, smooth finish, this is definitely as elegant as Dunn Napa Cabernet can get. Although very drinkable now, this wine (from magnum) has the structure to provide pleasure for several more years. Drink now-2023.
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3/22/2013 - Troon wrote: 91 Points
Still took some time to open up. I will keep the magnum for a few more years. I really enjoyed the wine because of the complex favors instead of big Napa fruit.
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12/26/2012 - Jwd12 wrote: 96 Points
Smooth, big, mouth filling one of my all time favorites
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12/5/2012 - Magic Slim wrote: 88 Points
Underwhelmed - not sure if it needs more time. Still a little sharp and might smooth out but fruit will be gone completely by then. It's certainly a good cab; deep purple hue, thickness, aroma but was expecting more
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11/1/2012 - jww wrote:
Deep purple bright edges faint nose not as interesting as I had hoped
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6/3/2012 - cpgarage wrote: 90 Points
Not a typical big bold Calif. Cab, somewhat on the smoother side. Decanted for about 2 hrs brfore dinner, still continued to open up.
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5/10/2012 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted an hour and a half before dinner. I guess I was just expecting more from this wine. It is a good, well balanced and nice wine but way too soft for my taste now. It has very little tannin left and is just not the big and bold cabernet that I really like. My wife loved the wine because she likes ready to drink cabernet sauvignon that is not overbearing. This is a perfect wine for her. In comparison, I also had a Rubicon Cask 2004 recently which showed much better for my taste. It had comparatively more punch and tannin left. I have one more bottle of this 2004 and I plan to drink it in the next several months.For that matter, I plan on drinking the rest of my 2004 wines within the next year.
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3/31/2012 - cbkamp Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 4 hrs. Interesting mix of black and red fruit, tobacco, with a nice minerality. On the palate, nice concentration with big structure. Cassis, raspberry, oak, and licorice. Long finish.
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11/22/2011 - djarcara Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks Violet colored.
The legs are Slow.
It smells like Mineral, Red Currant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Jam.
It tastes like Mineral, Cedar, and Clove.
The body is Full.
The wine is textured Round.
The wine finishes Long.
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11/17/2011 - Grenik wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at the winery. Deep purple with a very aromatic and spicy nose. Smelled of a pine forest in spring. Quite smooth with moderate red fruits, tobacco, and vanilla. Very drinkable now with nice complexity for a 2004. Tasted along side the 2003 and 2005 Dunn Howell Mountain. I wished I would have spent more time with the wine because I think I would have liked it more. Quite different from the structure and dark fruit in the Howell Mountain, but in no way inferior. This is not a "second label" wine. It is just a brighter, higher toned version.
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10/1/2011 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Nice, showing well, silky and seamless cab...
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9/16/2011 - RPerro wrote: 94 Points
Amazing wine, and surprisingly smooth for a Dunn P&P. Lots of mint/eucalyptus notes to go with the cassis fruit and tobacco, quite outstanding.
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9/15/2011 - skp88 wrote: 88 Points
I was disappointed. I had read too many rave reviews of Dunn and my expectations were very high (always a danger). I had a magnum of the 04 Napa, which was decanted for over an hour. Nothing wrong with the wine, but nothing spectacular. I tend to like wines with more intensity of aroma and flavor and perhaps that was the issue.
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12/21/2010 - Redteeth wrote:
This was a pop and pour scenario. The wine was in good shape and exhibited classic Napa characteristics, including a bit of mint or Eucalyptus and dust. It had good structure and mature fruit. I think it is fully ready to drink and I am not sure if there is a lot to be gained by aging further.
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12/17/2010 - dan_hess Likes this wine: 93 Points
The most prominent thing about this wine was its massive nose. Elegant fruit that lingered into tobacco and leather. It is a stylized wine done with a great deal of art. The tannins were smooth and the drinking experience was easy and comfortable. The 04 runs about $60 but I thought the QPR was excellent. This has a similar experience of Napa royalty without the ridiculous price tag. Beautiful.
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12/17/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
This tasting note reflects that from magnum, which was taken from my cellar and double-decanted prior to bringing it to a wine-themed Christmas lunch. The sediment was moderate. The wine was allowed three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. Opaque ruby robe with red rim. Clean, quite intense nose of black raspberries, kirsch, crushed stones, mocha and lavender. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity and big ripe tannins. The flavors mirror the nose and the mouth texture is silky. The middle palate is full and the long finish is as smooth as smooth gets. Dare I say that this is an "elegant" Dunn??? Drink now-12/20.
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3/6/2010 - DSAStar wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple with magenta hues on the rim. A very dark aroma, with cassis, black raspberries, and a bit of grape on the palate. Dry and finishes with some minerality. Finish isn't short, but isn't terribly long either. I think some age will really do this wine well. Looking forward to trying it again in a few years.
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2/27/2010 - dburkes Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well. A little hot on the finish on opening, but after 1 hr, drinking well. Not a typical California cab- meatier and less fruity, more French than California. OTBN 2010.
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12/12/2009 - pgb67 wrote: 91 Points
A very honest and soulful bottling, more Bordeaux than Napacab. Concentrated and rich, with raspberry/cassis fruit on the nose and palate, yet sufficiently dry and graphite-laden to reference something old world. Since I like wines that bridge old world to new, this was in my wheelhouse. The wine also displayed a stong green pepper component, which might be a tad distracting. Also, a pleasant herbal component might play close to the line of becoming medicinal.
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9/26/2009 - danstrings wrote: 91 Points
Sonia Joya -- A youthful Dunn cab, with exuberant balsamic and bing cherry notes along with earth and a bit of black shoe polish (in a good way!). I liked it more and more as it opened up, and it was a great match with various savory non-seafood tapas.
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9/11/2008 - danstrings wrote: 91 Points
Ad Hoc Napa with Brenda -- More approachable than usual, with a real candied berry note braced by earthy minerality but not so cigar-box as Dunns of old were.
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7/26/2008 - danstrings wrote: 93 Points
Dinner Cyn -- Awesome cab absolutely loaded with cassis and sweet juicy fruit. Wow, so much more approachable than Dunns of old, yummm...
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6/15/2008 - danstrings wrote: 93 Points
Evvia with Rob -- I thought it showed absolutely great with loads of bright fruit, a loamy pumice crushed asphalt pencil lead note, and a touch of violet. Kudos to Dunn for holding the line on pricing and offering an awesome cab at this price.
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4/19/2008 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Nice richness; Good fruit; Nice balance; Great follow through
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4/7/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Clear, dark purple/pomegranate color. Pretty nose showing smoke, lead pencil, grape and cherry fruit. Considerable warmth, only moderate acidity. Restrained but lingering tannins, especially on the very vinous finish. Nothing backward or particularly tannic here, lovely balance and drinking fine now. I'd like to see more structure, as this is a borderline overripe and flabby style, with elevated alcohol that doesn't necessarily promise a great future. But for now, quite lovely. I doubt I'll seek out more at this price, though.
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1/22/2008 - GPujia wrote: 90 Points
Good, not great bottle of wine. Didn't wow me like other Cabs. Nose was best part of it. Good mix of flavors. Finish trailed off a little. Had at Ocean Club in Scottsdale. They really jack up the price of wine- much more than most restaurants I've been to.
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11/13/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 91 Points
Cherry, blackberry, pepper, earth and caramel. Beautiful acidity. Well balanced with a rich elegant finish. Everything is in harmony with this wine.
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