Decanted off 1-2oz settled sediment. Deep ruby, somewhat less bricking than expected at 30 years old; black fruited, some dusty spices, slight capsicum; palate is well balanced with medium-plus alcohol, well integrated tannin, medium-plus refreshing acidity, fully mature with faded black fruits; medium length finish. A nice Dunn, but slightly weaker than the other vintages. Ready now. 92
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Cork was malleable but in relatively good shape. Sad to say, this bottle left me with the same impression as my last two. I think (hope) that means just a bad lot.
Color shows little, if any, sign of age. Nose is lovely -- red fruited and dusty with some menthol. On the palate... a void. Just some slight minerality. No fruit, nothing secondary or tertiary to note.
I tasted this after opening, after several hours in a decanter, and 24 hours later. No change. What a bummer, and just holding out hope that the remaining bottles show better.
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From Magnum. 2 hour decant with less than a teaspoon of sediment. In this format, the wine still needed an additional 3 hours of air before it fully came around. Also massive, and my last 750ml of this wine showed better. Nonetheless, all the earmarkings of a great wine and one of the best from Napa for this vintage. Loads of very ripe black and red fruits, tannins still a bit thick but also rounded and pliable. Touches of brett that were perfectly enjoyable, with some eucalyptus, sweet Oak and cassis.
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Drank side by side with 1993 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Cork fell apart but no problem with the wine. Not the first Dunn cork that disintegrated. This wine is the essence of Howell Mountain Cabernet. Dark ruby red, no hint of the 30-year age. Dark red and blue fruit, dark chocolate, maybe lilac and touch of earth. The palate is structured balanced with the fruit, acid and tannin matching well producing seamless intensity. Love the low alcohol! Many years left but how much better will it get?
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Recently purchased a lot of 6 bottles of this wine. One bottle in the lot had some signs of seepage/a slightly different ullage, so I figured I would open that bottle first.
After hacking through the wax, it became evident that the wine had a cork issue - the top of the cork had seen some wine. On opening, the wine smelled fine, and the color looked remarkably young.
Then, the palate -- just a void. No fruit, nothing tertiary. Just something vaguely mineral. Never had this happen with a bottle before.
I opened a second bottle with a more promising looking closure; more pronounced nose, but still nothing on the palate. Bizarre.
Open that bottle - Dan chooses 1994 Harlan (My house): Decanted and drank about 1/3rd of the bottle over 2 hours. The only issue with this wine was that it was served next to a 1994 Harlan. But that was kind of the point. This was less-friendly from a fruit perspective, a bit austere. Still, very classy and also funky, with a lot of brambly earth, leather and plum.
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Open THAT Bottle - Special Edition (Joe's Bistro): I love Dunn....not sure why I don't own more....oh yeah, because they need a ton of time and I am impatient! I do love whenever someone opens up an old one though! I think that Howell Mountain fruit holds up so well! This wine is in a very good place where there is a nice balance between fruit and tertiary flavors....squarely in my wheelhouse!
Nose shows lots of earth, dark fruit, lilac and cedar notes. Palate is compelling with plenty of earth, dark fruit, tobacco and leather, with some red fruit, spice and birch on the finish. A delightful wine that paired quite well with grilled hanger steak! 94+ easily!
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Classic Dunn HM. At 28 years of age, it still is a vibrant, evolving wine. Beautifully balanced and lush, the tannins have softened considerably and are now sweet and very well-integrated. The usual notes of pencil lead, cedar, cigar box, cassis and saddle leather. A hint of spice (licorice) and that distinctive Howell Mountain bramble. The finish is long and satisfying with more leather and minerals that lasts for a good 60 sec+ Not a mind-blowing Dunn, but very typical of the style.
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Wow! Consistent to previous bottles. Beautiful nose of cassis, dark fruit and leather. On the palate, lots of black fruit with a hint of spice. Tannins are nicely integrated. Lovely acidity creating freshness and amazing balance. Long finish. This to me is a truly fantastic wine!
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Purchased in 90’s cellared at 55 since. Cork friable. Nice fresh clean cab fruited aromas exode from bottle as I eff w the cork. Deep dark opaque black at core youthful still appearance. Fresh deep and pure and clean blackberry and cherry and minty cedary aromas and flavors buoyed on lively enough tartness and still ample but soft velvety chiefly polymerized tannins w just a fun bit of spicy finer grained tannins still free to titillate the palate. Never ran out of energy- last sip as fulfilling as the first. Remarkable stuff. Wish I had more to revisit over what has to be a wine made to last for ages as long as the seal and the cellar condition allows. A real vindication for keeping a cellar.
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Cork removed with Durand in one piece but shreds immediately on removal as typical with Dunn corks. Deep ruby, less bricking than expected for its age; aromatic, blackberry, bell pepper, eucalyptus, slight mint; full bodied, low alcohol (13%), medium-plus acidity, elegant black fruits, mint; medium-plus finish. Really lovely Dunn at maturity as it will stay for a decade. 93
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My bottle. Purchased on release. Classic cab nose of dark fruits - cassis and maybe some blackberry, along with a green-herbal-menthol streak - eucalyptus, maybe a touch of mocha. very deep and sweet. This is resolved and ready to go - full throttle but not overdone at all. The palate has good grip, nice fruit and nice savory herbal-menthol. Good acid carries through the finish which is a bit more tart with the menthol and a bit of mocha coming out. Delicious. Note - when poured into small bottles and drunk about 24 hours later this lost about 30% of its intensity. So PnP recommended. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 17-17.5/20.
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Into neck fill. Cork soft and half soaked. Wine color just beginning to show a little age. 2 hour decant. Overripe Cali blackberries, black cherry, and some red fruits to go with sweet Oak, hints of Eucalyptus and dried herbs. Long finish. Nearly silky smooth. This bottle clearly had another 4-5 years of peak drinking in it.
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Previous bottle drank in 2014 and the wine has improved since then. Opened and put on an argon gas serving system. Drank over 4 days. This is classic Dunn and the reason I collect them.
Some bricking on the rim and now the presence of a thin, clear rim. Visually it looks like a 10 year old wine. Nose is bright with blue fruit and pine forest. Pallet is still dominated with cool blue and black berry fruit, boysenberry. This is all supported with cedar, pine, minerality, and rich loam. Bright and clear fruit with a rich organic base. The wine is ever changing in the glass and different flavors come and go throughout the glass. These are drinking great right now, but have 5-10 years left without breaking a sweat.
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Double blind. Attractive and alluring nose of mature plum fruit, tobacco and an intense mint note (that I mistook for American Oak dill). Perfectly mature on the palate with tannins that are now melted into the fruit. Classic cabernet profile. I was guessing Penfolds 707 or Ridge MB.
This is a wow bottle. Enticing smoky aroma followed by a juicy burst of cherries on the palate. A solid mountain Cabernet of great stature, unfolding complexity and length. It is all there. Purchased upon release. No need to decant. Drink now -2030.
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Acquired 11 months ago. Opened an hour prior to dinner to assess. High fill but cork was crumbly dry and came apart. I chose not to decant after filtering a test pour. Color is semi opaque garnet red. A little cloudy from screwing around with cork extraction that negated my standing it up in the cellar for clarity. Nose started out showing its age with some antique furniture aromas but the palate immediately delivered resolved elegant, almost sweet lifted and fresh raspberry and cherry flavors. We simply continued to filter each pour from pre dinner sips to the last pour. This had a ton of sediment. I used my 3/4 size BDX, all purpose red glasses since this didn't scream a need for air at age 34. The nose cleaned up a bit and while not annoying it didn't have a lot going on. The palate continued to deliver the raspberry, along with cherry, licorice and light tobacco leaf. This btl was likely killer 3-5yrs ago but tonight it was on the down slope and not the head turner I hoped for. More in the aged resolved pleasant claret camp. 13% alc. 92pts for a lovely palate offset by a slightly over the edge 88pt nose. Paid $165 and that was a good $100 too much for where this btl was tonight.
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Last of my 93s of any label or type and went out well. Nice complexity, balance and flavors immediately and for first night. This is why we like to age wine. Second night some of the fruit receded and tannins started to overwhelm. My bad. Should have drank it all first night. Think this is at plateau.
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Cork was dried out and starting to come apart, but the wine was sound. I love Frank's "the salty mint opera" descriptor, it's so appropriate here. Just a lovely bottle, in perfect nick for drinking. Some of the heaviest sediment I've seen in awhile!
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Wonderfully integrated scents of cherry, earth, anise, tobacco. Fully mature. A little less body than I remember from the last time I had it about 2 years ago. A little murkier than last time but that may be due to the cork: this one split even with the Durand. Score: 94. relative to expectations: 0
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Decanted for 2 hours. Nearly a tablespoon of sediment. Dark color and looks like a 5 year old wine. Rich black fruits, some black currant and cassis, a few dried herbs with sweet vanilla Oak, then in the 3rd hour the eucalyptus started to come through more and hang on with the long 40 second finish. This bottle had no fewer than a half dozen years left in peak form.
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OK, its hard to be impartial as I'm a huge Dunn Howell Mountain fan. This is the '93 - 26 years old. I haven't had a well kept Dunn which is over the hill. These puppies are made to last. It is a very distinctive taste. Pure Cab (big green bell pepper). Highly integrated fruit (opposite of a 'Parkerized' wine - can i still say that - with his retirement?). Low alchohol.. A bitter plum taste in the mouth, which is the grip of the tannins which are still there. Long finish. Definitely a wine to savor and think about, rather than to quaff. This is my last '93 - pity.
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Another terrific bottle. Cherries, smoke, and beguiling complexity. Big flavors with only 13% alcohol! What more could you ask for in a classic California Cabernet?
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this was fantastic, with good med plus body and dark red fruit, not a lot of secondary character (given its rep) but certainly enough to really enjoy and not find boring, this felt like it has peaked and I would suggest drinking in the next five years... I decanted for two hours in the AM and then back to bottle and had with dinner around 7pm... frankly didn't seem to change much -- it was pretty darn approachable right out of bottle in the AM (of course I had to try it on the PNP)
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1h slo ox to blow off funk and ready to go with still present but nicely transformed fruit, touch of dusty tannin, lingeringfinish. Paired well with the savory and tender Beef Wellington.
No reason to hold longer from my standpoint.
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Brickish brown in the glass. Classic nose of red fruit and leather. On the palate it’s full of black fruit, green pepper, spice, pencil lead and leather offset by an amazing freshness. Tannins are beautifully integrated. Amazing length that just keeps giving. This is quite simply an amazing wine! Still got plenty of life ahead of it I think but it’s drinking beautifully now.
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A very deep, classy wine with ripe but cool dark berry fruit. Structured and still tannic, its nevertheless gorgeous with great flavors of minerals and eucalyptus and a really opulent, saturated texture. Finishes with great intensity and verve. Drinkable tonight with a long decant but this is a long-distance runner with many years of evolution ahead. Drunk next to the '96 Latour, this was easily the younger-tasting wine and perhaps even the better wine. Thank you Randy Dunn for remaining true to yourself and making Napa Cabs the right way. So ripe yet amazingly fresh with 13% alcohol. 95+
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A dense tide of juicy black cherries backed by classic cigar box cedar, anise, with a complex and long finish. Tastes remarkably fresh but is showing its age with browning at the edge and a tremendous amount of sediment. Wonderful out of the bottle but an initial bitter edge melts away with 30 minutes in a decanter.
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From magnum. Classic old school Cali Cab. 13% alcohol and all about balance. Really fresh with good cherries, cedar, spices and some black cherry. Well structured and good acidity. This has plenty left in the tank from this format. Great bottle.
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Typical Dunn profile with loads of cedar, graphite and baseball glove leather and Howell Mountain minerals. The tannins have softened somewhat but are still prevalent. Not as enticing as some of the more recent Dunns but, still, this one is still drinking beautifully and has enough backbone to last another decade.
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93. 2 hour decant. Cork crumbled like dry dirt. Slightly bricking color. Bordeaux like nose of leather, forest floor, earth and dark fruits with a farmhouse cheddar aroma. Smooth finish. Holding up well for a 25 year old.
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From magnum. Showed well after two-hour decant. Barnyard nose, earthy undertones more like the Napa Dunn than the Howell. Mountain fruit didn't really come through in either bottle of the '93 I've tried. Good with steaks though.
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Beautiful bouquet with silky dark berries, chocolate and a touch of bell pepper. On the palate mushrooms and autumn forest, but also cherries, sweet spices, dark berries, smoke and toast with good acidity and soft tannin with still some bite. Beautiful wine. Ready now and still some future ahead.
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bad crumbling cork, but wine didn't suffer. Decanted 1 hr. At first I thought the wine was gone, but with air it improved throughout the meal. A mature wine & the fruit was still there.
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Wines of Good Hope: Summer 2017; 7/29/2017-9/14/2017 (River's Inlet, British Columbia): [5-Litre] Red cedar and damp cigar tobacco. Ferns and forest floor. Cool and dry red and blue berry fruit. Soily and textured palate. Dusty in a distinctly old school Californian way. Can't imagine this developing or improving any further, especially given the large format, but certainly enjoyable and nuanced drinking right now.
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Dunn Howell Mountain Vertical B-day Dinner (Maple & Ash): A fairly lush and giving nose with loads of leafy tobacco, cedar and damp earth notes. Palate is lush and ready to go. Nice layering and earthy complexity. Good now, though not as intense and nuanced as many of the other Dunn HMs tonight. Don't expect this to get better, though it should hold.
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Dunn Howell Mountain vertical (Chicago, IL): Each flight has to have a weakest wine, and this was the weakest of the 95-93-91 flight. It showed a little unbalanced, with a lot of vegetal elements and some ungainly stemmy qualities as well. The black fruit didn't seem to be here at all, and the tannins and acidity seemed to jut out a little bit. However, this still managed to hold onto the signature well enough.
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Celebrating our 24th anniversary with this great Howell Mountain Cabernet. Still lots of fruit and thick tannins. Very enjoyable, seems like this could go for many more years.
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In a perfect spot now. A little forest floor on the nose. The secondary flavors are kicking in right now and I'm getting leather and cigar box. This is both elegant and complex.
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For a 24 year old wine this still looks very dark. Ruby red in color with only slight signs of brick-age on the edges. The nose is totally cigar box and cedar. Could easily be a 1st growth Bordeaux. This is a very well structured wine on the palate. The fruit and oak are totally integrated but the tannins are still very strong. Great complexity and mix of flavors. The finish is smooth, long and complex just a great example of what an aged Dunn should taste like.
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I don't know, this didn't do it for me this time. Nothing wrong, and still in middle of drinking window, but flavors weren't good enough to justify a 20+ year wait. Seemed like what people used to say about Bordeaux. Hope my other Dunn's taste better.
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Perfect cork and fill. Pretty tight and funky upon opening but showed very well with a 2hr decant. Followed over another 3hrs. Herbal, leather, and eucalyptus nose with a little dried fruit. Palate is energetic, youthful and narrow, with dark plummy fruit and minty streak. Quite nice and refreshing and great with steak. Finish is shorter and less complex than ideal, but solid. This is ready for consumption with air, but can hold another decade or more. Fine present tannins but not obtrusive at this point.
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The color on this is a lighter ruby red its starting to show some signs of bricking on the rim. The nose is pure secondary scents of cigar box, tobacco, and meats. On the palate this is a very well made wine. Great balance tannins are stil, there but well integrated and very smooth. Finish is also smooth and very long.
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Cork fell apart when I opened this. Had to strain and decant. Color is still a very dark ruby red. On the nose lots of cedar, cigar box and tobacco really still a great nose. On the palate this is an amazingly structured and strong wine. Fruit is still alive and tannins are integrated but still giving the wine weight. A very classic Dunn that can still go another 5-10 years. It's ready now but I don't see it going away anytime soon.
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Tight and focused wine of dark berry fruit, little barnyard, eucalypt freshness, florals and salty minerality. Appears softer on the palate as you would expect after smelling the fresh and focused aromatics. Nicely integrated, juicy and perfectly balanced with black fruit, little earth, graphite and peppery spiciness. Dusty tannins and vital acidity show the long road ahead.
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Possibly not quite at its peak yet. Just think the drinking window for Dunn is a lot longer than most California Cabs. Filet mignon on the nose, lots of cherry and anise on the palate. Great length, power and balance. This one could turn into absolute magic in another 5+ years.
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Decanted for two hours. Prominent cedar on the nose, perhaps a bit too one dimensional. Some fruit on the palate, but the cedar is rather dominant here too. Will hold for at least a decade, but I don't expect this to improve all that much.
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This wine was built to last. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the cork. After straining out the pulverized cork particles and letting the wine open up in a decanter to settle the considerable sediment we were treated to a fantastic twenty-two year old Cab. Tery dark in color with blackberry, cassis, and a hint of mint on the nose. Cherries and black fruit on the palate. Well balanced with a long finish.
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As usual the cork is terrible but a Durand always does the job. 2 hours decanting (reticent when first opened). Deep ruby, minimal bricking; nose has eucalyptus, black fruit, mint, great classic balance and depth and all integrated well; palate is full bodied, integrated tannic structure but still present especially towards the finish, deep black fruit including blackberry, mint, medium-plus acidity, low alcohol (~13%); finish is medium length. A classic Dunn with superb balance but still Californian ripe fruit and low alcohol, excellent acid, complex flavors but not surprisingly complex or layers on layers of depth. Easily decades ahead as this hasn't developed much secondary complexity yet. 94-95+
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Drinking well for a Dunn HM, this is the most Bordeaux like of a series of mid-1990s Cali cabs. Mint, herbs and tons of minerally dark fruit, there's also good acidity and nice structure. A bit too polished and lacking complexity for me to go ga-ga over, but really excellent. 92-93 pts.
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the wine began to open after 20 minutes. Great nose. Brick in color Earthy with smoky notes. Full bodied with floral smells. We drank it over 3 hours. Long legs and heavy sediment. In spite of being 22 years old this magnum probably can age more. Amazing wine.
Cork sheared in half when attempting to open, bottom half ended up falling into the bottle so had to filter into decanter. Decanted two hours. Was somewhat fruit forward when first opened but after the decant, it had evolved into a secondary earthy funky style that isn't my thing. Some may love this state, but I'm not a big fan. Lots of chunky sediment.
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Powerful nose of black cherry, cassis and graphite that follows through on the palate with ripe, fleshy black fruit, menthol, graphite, cigar box, good acidity, and dusty, well integrated tannins. Mouth coating, with a long, luscious finish. This has the depth and complexity that comes with 21 years of age, but it's also still a powerhouse with many years ahead of it. As good as it was, I think this particular bottle would have been better still in 5+ years.
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Dinner with M/M vinole (HB Bistro, Chicago): Violets, black and red fruits, perhaps even a hint of graphite in the bouquet. In a terrific place right now, this shows lovely cherry, black currant, cedar and mineral tones on the palate. Perfectly integrated, this is in its prime and will drink well for quite a few years yet. Thank you vinole.
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Opened by Vinole at Home Bistro. This was in a beautiful place with a green/herbal Bordeaux like nose. But, unlike a Bordeaux, there is a nice hit of fruit in here as well with cherry and blackberry. Another success by DHM.
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Initial greeness dissipated after 30m in the decanter. Tight up until the 1h mark.
Nose displayed clean aromas of cherries, cassis, cigar box, espresso, leather and chocolate.
On the pate this was fleshy, mineral, firm and powerful, but also elegant and refined. The fine tannins were present but in check with the lively acidity. The delicious, impressive finish lasted a minute+.
Wine of the year for me so far and one of the most impressive bottles I have tasted, made in a style I thoroughly enjoy. A wine to ponder upon.
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This was really very good indeed. Ruby rim with impenetrable black core. Somewhat closed yet complex nose. Cedar, cigar box, hint of Brett, cassis. Palate flavours and complexity follow the nose with some earthy-iron-graphite undertones. Nicely weighted, with a lean and structured palate and good length. A high quality, classic-Bordeaux style Napa. Fully developed and drinking well now, but no need to rush. (94 Excellent wine)
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Blind tasting of five 95+ RP cab/cab blends. The bottles were double decanted 5 hours before drinking.
It was definitely my wine of the night. Also, this was one of my favorite bottles from the past year.
Super dark color with ever so slightly brick edges. It has nice old world bottle bouquet. The mouth feel was incredible ... smooth, velvety, well balanced. The tannins are still powerful and very present (typical Dunn), but they are perfectly integrated. This 21 year old powerhouse rocks. Super complex on the palate (dark berries, underbrush, anise) and a long delicious finish. Excellent.
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$100 bottle tasting (Home): I loved this wine, but it was the lowest rated wine of the night. Color was showing some age, but not 20 years worth - Lighter brick rim, burgundy core. The nose felt very French in nature with barnyard, minerality, and metallic notes. The taste profile was right on with blueberry and blackberry flavors supporting layers of graphite, forest floor, wet stone, wonderful earth tones. Not what you expect from Napa, but classic Dunn. I think it is time to drink these. The nose lacked fruit and I am guessing that it is sliding toward more earth notes and less fruit in the palate. No rush, but plan on drinking these in the next few years?
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A great wine, albeit with a little of that raspy white pepper/cardboard quality I found in a couple others. Great fruit, still very young both in appearance and the lively fruit. Deep rich ripe fruit aromas too.
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1993 Double Blind Horizontal (Chris'): Double blind. Medium ruby. Initially only modest aromatics of red fruit and herbs - but this picks up with a couple of hours in the glass (and significant decanting time before that). Yum. Focused palate has berries, spice and bell pepper. Youthful fruit and still firm tannic structure. With air and time this picks up Bordeaux notes.
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Double Blind 1993s From Around the World (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a flight of 1993s. Modest start, this really opened and expanded with air (even having already been open 2+ hours and double decanted). Serious power and density emerged with concentrated black fruit and very well balanced structural support. I thought this left bank Bordeaux. My WOTN, group's WOTN.
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Nose of pickled herring, salted cod, cherry, cassis, earth, moss Palate is dominated by leather, mushroom, cherry, spice, plum,..and a saline note Finish is medium + length….there is a definite riper aspect but the earthier notes still come though…quite structured @ 20 years….definite black t-bag notes…..this is a bit un-giving and in a weird spot. Hard to score…
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A Small Saturday Night Wine Dinner: Poured from a perfect looking bottle recently sourced from Hart Davis Hart. On first pour the nose was a tad ungiving, colour is fairly dark with little bricking. Fruit is pretty ripe and oak is noted with interesting touches of sweat, saline, and a touch of soya sauce. I left a bit in the bottle and by the next day the nose was more open with lots of dark cherry sauce, vanilla, coffee grounds, nutmeg and cloves. Still young a primary feeling with more ripeness than I usually care for, though not jammy. Palate is dense and concentrated with plenty of acid and tannin remaining and replays the saline and soya sauce on the moderate finish.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 10/3/2013 (Farm House Cafe, San Diego): Mid-neck fill. This bottle showed no sign of leakage after years on its side, but after standing upright at cellar temperature for several weeks, strangely developed a drop of damp wine residue emerging from the wax seal. Opened and decanted at 5:30 PM, re-bottled at 6:45 PM, tasted at 8:30 PM. Clear deep garnet-blood red color. Glorious bouquet of red currant and red cherry liqueurs, crushed boysenberries, cloves, eucalyptus, bay leaf, forest floor. Similar on the palate, with full body, great balance, minimal unobtrusive oak, long finish. My #2; group's FIRST PLACE tonight.
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This was my first Dunn. Decanted for about 1.5 hrs and then served with steaks off the grill. It was good but not great. Muted fruit, cedar,and a little kind of funk on the follow through. Sort of had the older cab flavor that I was hoping for but not like a 92 chat montelena that I had a few months ago.
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Opaque dark rosewood color, tending towards inky. This has a deep, dark nose of cedar, shoe polish, and a whole host of other viscous, woodsy aromas. On the palate this retains the darkness of the nose but with a ripe, rich juicyness, like kumato tomatoes. Structurally, the tannins have integrated well thus far but remain robust enough to support several more decades of salutary maturation. In short, this is evolving in the manner of the best of the Deuxième Cru Bordeaux. Someday the visionaries at Dunn will be recognized and respected for producing such serious, enduring wines. Until then they can be yours for a song, compared to French or American wines alike in quality.
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This is beast of a wine. It did not even show the orange ring! Very dark ruby color, opened very barnyardy a and herbal,but after 2 hour of decanting lost all the funk and became floral with rose petal notes. Full bodied with lots of acidity and goos mineral backbone. It is had to place the wine in California just based on its mineral backbone. Well balanced with good tannin and weight on the palate. Long length and balanced and pleasant finish. Stood very well to food (big juicy steak) if it did not overwhelmed it! I am amazed. this is a beast of a wine!
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Incredible wine! Drank with a small group for a celebration, so detailed notes not taken. Color was deep and vibrant. It looked much yonger than it actually was. Nose had blue and black fruits in abundance. Palate was cooler in tone with blueberry, dark cherry, cedar, tobacco, pine all making appearances at one point or another. Rich feel and a long, lingering finish that was sweet. Excellent balance and there is still plenty of fruit to offset the firm structure of this wine. Drinking great right now, but no rush.
After letting the wine stand up for several days, and letting it breath for a little under an hour-- the wine offered an intense bouquet or loam and wild mushrooms. Well balanced and rich with some cherry fruit
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Decanted for 3 hours. Still plenty of tannins and acidity (a bit more so that other bottles I've had, which knocked this down a point for me this time) but wonderful cassis, and some red cherries. Dried herbs with a little Oak.
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I decanted this all day, literally 9 hours. It worked out well as the wine was in perfect shape. Even at this age (nearly 20 years) the wine was in a long drinking plateau - it can go many years yet. Blueberry, earth, soy and all sorts of aromas. Graphite and the glorious green bell pepper. Wonderful.
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An excellent cork beneath an intact wax capsule, this poured a mature ruby with slightly tawny edges. However, the nose was vigorous, featuring red fruits (mostly red currant), cassis, subtle oak spice and a touch of earthiness. Decanted for 2 hours prior to pairing with grilled, oven-finished NY strip steaks. Medium-full bodied on the palate, less mature than I anticipated. Good concentration and push through the mid-palate, ending with a 20+ second finish. Tannins still present on the finish, though largely resolved. This was better than expected, and should remain good for several more years.
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Nice minty, plum, tobacco, cassis, capsicum nose. Ash, cassis, cocoa palate that is sleek, regal, and balanced. Overall this is very nice but rather ordinary.
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Late Feb 2012, Dunn tasting (with Randy Dunn present) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival: bottle opened approx. 75 min. before tasting, bottle to decanter back to bottle decanted, 15 min. before consumption poured into the glass (sommelier information); crimson color; started very restrained, after quite a while and endless swirling some red berries; austere on the palate; medium body; somewhat unbalanced texture and finish.
The bottle of the 1993 Dunn Howell Mountain Cab. Sauv. made the weakest impressions of all ten tasted vintages. The 1993 gained a substantial better average note at CT (at the time of this writing: 92.4 pts). Blame it on the bottle, the taster or the circumstances. I consider 89 points very good, but that day it wasn't an excellent showing by my standards.
Flight II: 1998 - 1993 - 1990 - 1989 - 1984
Randy Dunn information: approx. 450 cases/year, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 80-85% Nevers oak
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Why people age wine (my first note open opening the bottle). Nose of aged Cab - Bordeaux or Cali? Seemingly Bordeaux like in its cedar, tobacco, mustiness - Pichon Lalande in a lesser year - but there are hints to say no it is not French - red fruit and warmth. Delineation of aromas and fruit is a bit muddled. Aromas of red currant.
Pencil lead on the nose too, reminiscent of a Paullaic or weighty St. Julien
At first, palate is reticent and disappointing compared to the nose - the red fruits are subtle, as another ct poster put it. There is good acidity to give the wine grip, and integrated tannins, but palate is muted in the center compared to the nose. Lingering finish however, with plenty of tobacco and dust showing up there. At first glance, good but was hoping for more.
Overall, was decanted some 5 hours, tasted intermittently. The nose and palate both evolved minty menthol tones, and the palate becomes austere. Perhaps this wine is on the way to some other place, having picked up a few secondary characteristics, looking to pick up more.
Yet the final sips were the best. How will this evolve. Good question. A puzzle this wine has been throughout, so that in some ways distracts as the best wines are seamless and catch you by surprise with their elegance and impact. This is a serious wine yet backward in its sense of maturity. Even when this when is grown up, it will not be mature in the sense of having all of its components seamlessly integrated.
For much of the night I thought of saying this would not be worth another look but it does compel me. I would not only taste this but buy it again. Seems like I have had better 93s (thinking here of an Abreau Cab).
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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.
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Sampled 9/10/11. I keep coming back because I can't keep my hands off it. This time gave it 2 hours in the decanter. It was worth it. Still tons of cassis but more blackberries and the menthol almost complete disappears. Silkly smooth and lots of sediment lined bottle's interior with only a very small amount of unfilterable fine grains in the last glass. The finish was a solid 45 seconds.
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Sensational wine. In a great place, with terrific intensity and fruit yet totally dry and balanced. It's got that Napa cab mint going on with some bittersweet chocolate. Very aromatic and expressive, yet fresh and food friendly. Alas, not cheap but worth the tariff. My favorite.
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Sampled 7/2/11. Not as sublime as my last bottle, but that is because this bottle seemed a little more mature. This one didn't take as long to open up, but it had less sediment than my last bottle. Dark ruby color. Ton of cassis! Some red currant, menthol, spice. Silky smooth but the acidity seemed to rise up a little on the long finish, which I didn't experience with my last bottle. Still a truly wonderful wine and will gladly go back even in my 2010 experience is not repeated.
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Wow, what a wonderful bottle. Really in a great place right now. The mountain fruit is evident here. Notes of cassis, some black fruits. Tannins well-integrated. Lovely.
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Strong anise component, bright red cherry fruit. But this wine has a slight flaw, a distinct wet cardboard taste and even a peppery dryness which I think is unintended. Although it mostly blows off as it softens, I have to mark it down a notch.
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I used to love Dunn's wines but lately I had many bad bottles. Thus one was simply devoid of fruit and lots of acid. Also just opening the cap is an undertaking and not suitable for restaurants.
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Having really looked forward to this, I was a little disappointed. The trademark Howell Mountain characteristics showed themselves, but in a muted fashion. Some very pleasing Pauillac like notes, pencil box, etc. and cassis, and also quite a bit of tar. Others seemed far more impressed then I, but I think my fascination with this wine is declining since my first bottle, and perhaps this has less to do with the wine then me.
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Sampled 9/5/10. Dark ruby color. After about 30 minutes in the glass it was opening well. Tons of cassis! Some red currant, menthol, spice. Exceptionally smooth and lots of sediment lined bottle's interior, but the tannins still had some firmness to their wonderful length. The finish was a solid 45 seconds. One of the most intriguing and compelling wines we've had in a while and certainly one of the greatest "93s ever. We were very sorry to see the bottle come to an end.
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This bottle is drinking very young. Very "Dunn" styling, with relatively subtle and elegant fruit. Still shows a lot of sweet, tooth-staining tannins. A bottle in this condition easily lasts another 10-15 years. Another gracious bottle opened by Mike this afternoon.
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Jeroboam opened 2h before tasting, which I feared was too short, but turned out perfect. A nose of rose and dark berries, tannins had softened well, giving the wine some good structure. Medium body. Not a complex wine, as expected for the vintage. Overall a wonderful experience.
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Very dark color to the rim with virtually no bricking. Wonderful nose of currants, tobacco, and earth. I didn't pick up any f the vegetal notes that others mentioned. On the palate there is blue, black fruit, spice, herbs tannins are starting to resolve and there is nice uplifting acidity. Nice lengthy finish, I think this wine is at its peak and will definitely hold for quite a few more years.
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Rich, thick, full body with dark fruit and forest floor nose,. Very ripe. Over 2 hours the wine faded for me. Some green pepper emerged. I advise drinking right after opening. It wasn't oxidized, but it developed a peppery quality that was a distraction. Still a very good wine
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Drank at Morton's with a bone-in ribeye. Double decanted but left to sit for 1.5 hr prior to re-bottling. Intense raspberry nose, almost liqueur like. Earthy with some mushroom. Lots of sediment. Slightly vegetal at the beginning. Much more full bodied than the '93 Conn Valley Reserve.
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The party is over...deep beautiful hue, dried fruits, earth, mushroom to the nose. The tongue is greeted with dried fruits, green pepper, tart cherry. Little finish. The notes are no longer forming a harmony. What was once a beautiful and solid orchestration is now staring to wane. Decanted for sediment only.
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Barnyard aromas at the fore, with some raspberry, tobacco and eucalypt coming through as well. The palate didn't show any sign of the brett to me, it was medium bodied with excellent balance and length.
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Fruity and chocolate scents on the nose. Tannins have softened since last tasting many years ago. First impression is tart that evolves into rounded fruits with blackberry and spices. Good after taste with raspberry and strawberry flavors surfacing as it fades. Still somewhat tart. A fair wine with time left to improve.I came back and re-edited my notes not feeling it impeoved throughout the night as I thought it would. Overall, still hoping these Dunns come around.
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Not even close to ready, this was very challenging to appreciate tonight and really provided little pleasure with tannins dominating in every way. That said, clearly there is great black fruit in the background which might make this a great wine if the varied elements can integrate in another 10-20 years.
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Klingenstein Dinner w/Stephan Blicker (Custom House): This seemed a bit more closed than other bottles I've had and I had a tough time getting a good read. Opaque black color. Medium nose dominated by black fruit. Full round black fruit on the palate with some brightness.
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decanted about 45 minutes. Deep purple/red with hints of brown/orange on the edges. Aromas of spice and a bit tobacco .Dark fruit flavors on the palate a bit of bitterness. Firm tannins still. Long finish. (471 views)
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Cali Cabs w/Bryans Steaks (The Shaffers): Full black red color. Clean bright black fruit on the nose. Very tight bright clean red and black fruit on the palate. Still young, but promising stuffing.
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High-end Cali Cabs with Bryan's Steaks (The Shaffer's): Effusive aromas of currants, herb, spice box and tobacco. Burst of huge currant fruits on the palate. Licorice, tar and herbs add complexity. Firm tannins are well balanced by lush fruit. Long and delicious.
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Boy, you could really taste the terroir, the rocky hills. Tannins are shedding and the fruit isn't fully out but it's subtle and really nice. A real pleasure. Consumed at Gardens at Glendon before "Speed the Plough" with Vahan, Karen, Krishna and Sandy.
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Had this next to the '02 insignia and how different these two wines were. This Dunn was still a tannic beast, best estimate is to try another in 10 years. Cassis, smoke, cedar and dark fruits on the nose. In the mouth, searing tannins still and too much oak.
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Decanted for two hours. Color was red-brown. Aromas of wet dirt and berries. Strawberry and some blackberry on pallette. A bit lean and tart. Little vomplexity. Medium finish. Smooth. A nice wine but not great.
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1993 Dunn H.M - was rockin! Lush black-fruits and earth on the nose. It had loads of cassis and a little minerality on the palate. Great structure and balance. While approachable right out of the bottle, it continued to evolve and put on weight throughout the night showing that it has a long life ahead of it. I think that the '93 is better than the more acclaimed vintages of '91, 94 and 95. This was one of the better California Cabs that I’ve had in awhile – great juice! 95+ pts.
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Parker got this right; this is a brute of a wine, classic Dunn. Fabulous fruits, but tannins still dominant, clearly coming along. Second night, solid presence, had not lost a step...this is a keeper, check back in 5 years
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10/15/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Decanted off 1-2oz settled sediment. Deep ruby, somewhat less bricking than expected at 30 years old; black fruited, some dusty spices, slight capsicum; palate is well balanced with medium-plus alcohol, well integrated tannin, medium-plus refreshing acidity, fully mature with faded black fruits; medium length finish. A nice Dunn, but slightly weaker than the other vintages. Ready now. 92
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9/11/2023 - ekorn wrote:
Cork was malleable but in relatively good shape. Sad to say, this bottle left me with the same impression as my last two. I think (hope) that means just a bad lot.
Color shows little, if any, sign of age. Nose is lovely -- red fruited and dusty with some menthol. On the palate... a void. Just some slight minerality. No fruit, nothing secondary or tertiary to note.
I tasted this after opening, after several hours in a decanter, and 24 hours later. No change. What a bummer, and just holding out hope that the remaining bottles show better.
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7/1/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
From Magnum. 2 hour decant with less than a teaspoon of sediment. In this format, the wine still needed an additional 3 hours of air before it fully came around. Also massive, and my last 750ml of this wine showed better. Nonetheless, all the earmarkings of a great wine and one of the best from Napa for this vintage. Loads of very ripe black and red fruits, tannins still a bit thick but also rounded and pliable. Touches of brett that were perfectly enjoyable, with some eucalyptus, sweet Oak and cassis.
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6/23/2023 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank side by side with 1993 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Cork fell apart but no problem with the wine. Not the first Dunn cork that disintegrated. This wine is the essence of Howell Mountain Cabernet. Dark ruby red, no hint of the 30-year age. Dark red and blue fruit, dark chocolate, maybe lilac and touch of earth. The palate is structured balanced with the fruit, acid and tannin matching well producing seamless intensity. Love the low alcohol! Many years left but how much better will it get?
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4/16/2023 - ekorn wrote:
Recently purchased a lot of 6 bottles of this wine. One bottle in the lot had some signs of seepage/a slightly different ullage, so I figured I would open that bottle first.
After hacking through the wax, it became evident that the wine had a cork issue - the top of the cork had seen some wine. On opening, the wine smelled fine, and the color looked remarkably young.
Then, the palate -- just a void. No fruit, nothing tertiary. Just something vaguely mineral. Never had this happen with a bottle before.
I opened a second bottle with a more promising looking closure; more pronounced nose, but still nothing on the palate. Bizarre.
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4/16/2023 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Open that bottle - Dan chooses 1994 Harlan (My house): Decanted and drank about 1/3rd of the bottle over 2 hours. The only issue with this wine was that it was served next to a 1994 Harlan. But that was kind of the point. This was less-friendly from a fruit perspective, a bit austere. Still, very classy and also funky, with a lot of brambly earth, leather and plum.
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4/13/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Open THAT Bottle - Special Edition (Joe's Bistro): I love Dunn....not sure why I don't own more....oh yeah, because they need a ton of time and I am impatient! I do love whenever someone opens up an old one though! I think that Howell Mountain fruit holds up so well! This wine is in a very good place where there is a nice balance between fruit and tertiary flavors....squarely in my wheelhouse!
Nose shows lots of earth, dark fruit, lilac and cedar notes. Palate is compelling with plenty of earth, dark fruit, tobacco and leather, with some red fruit, spice and birch on the finish. A delightful wine that paired quite well with grilled hanger steak! 94+ easily!
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11/27/2022 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich, some tannin, a very nice wine in the Bordo/Cab tasting
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11/6/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Still there. And round. And ready. Very acidity notes many tasters.
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11/26/2021 - mojotojo wrote: 92 Points
Classic Dunn HM. At 28 years of age, it still is a vibrant, evolving wine. Beautifully balanced and lush, the tannins have softened considerably and are now sweet and very well-integrated. The usual notes of pencil lead, cedar, cigar box, cassis and saddle leather. A hint of spice (licorice) and that distinctive Howell Mountain bramble. The finish is long and satisfying with more leather and minerals that lasts for a good 60 sec+
Not a mind-blowing Dunn, but very typical of the style.
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7/4/2021 - MattB72 wrote: 93 Points
Nearing the end of its drinking window, But still very good
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6/19/2021 - cnichelson wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/2/2021 - Battersea James Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! Consistent to previous bottles. Beautiful nose of cassis, dark fruit and leather. On the palate, lots of black fruit with a hint of spice. Tannins are nicely integrated. Lovely acidity creating freshness and amazing balance. Long finish. This to me is a truly fantastic wine!
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5/30/2021 - MattB72 wrote: 94 Points
So good. Definitely at its peak. Fruit still there with structure. Excellent.
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5/8/2021 - Tgood wrote: 97 Points
Purchased in 90’s cellared at 55 since. Cork friable. Nice fresh clean cab fruited aromas exode from bottle as I eff w the cork. Deep dark opaque black at core youthful still appearance. Fresh deep and pure and clean blackberry and cherry and minty cedary aromas and flavors buoyed on lively enough tartness and still ample but soft velvety chiefly polymerized tannins w just a fun bit of spicy finer grained tannins still free to titillate the palate. Never ran out of energy- last sip as fulfilling as the first. Remarkable stuff. Wish I had more to revisit over what has to be a wine made to last for ages as long as the seal and the cellar condition allows. A real vindication for keeping a cellar.
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3/21/2021 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Cork removed with Durand in one piece but shreds immediately on removal as typical with Dunn corks. Deep ruby, less bricking than expected for its age; aromatic, blackberry, bell pepper, eucalyptus, slight mint; full bodied, low alcohol (13%), medium-plus acidity, elegant black fruits, mint; medium-plus finish. Really lovely Dunn at maturity as it will stay for a decade. 93
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2/24/2021 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
My bottle. Purchased on release. Classic cab nose of dark fruits - cassis and maybe some blackberry, along with a green-herbal-menthol streak - eucalyptus, maybe a touch of mocha. very deep and sweet. This is resolved and ready to go - full throttle but not overdone at all. The palate has good grip, nice fruit and nice savory herbal-menthol. Good acid carries through the finish which is a bit more tart with the menthol and a bit of mocha coming out. Delicious. Note - when poured into small bottles and drunk about 24 hours later this lost about 30% of its intensity. So PnP recommended. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 17-17.5/20.
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2/14/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Into neck fill. Cork soft and half soaked. Wine color just beginning to show a little age. 2 hour decant. Overripe Cali blackberries, black cherry, and some red fruits to go with sweet Oak, hints of Eucalyptus and dried herbs. Long finish. Nearly silky smooth. This bottle clearly had another 4-5 years of peak drinking in it.
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1/9/2021 - Grenik Likes this wine: 96 Points
Previous bottle drank in 2014 and the wine has improved since then. Opened and put on an argon gas serving system. Drank over 4 days. This is classic Dunn and the reason I collect them.
Some bricking on the rim and now the presence of a thin, clear rim. Visually it looks like a 10 year old wine. Nose is bright with blue fruit and pine forest. Pallet is still dominated with cool blue and black berry fruit, boysenberry. This is all supported with cedar, pine, minerality, and rich loam. Bright and clear fruit with a rich organic base. The wine is ever changing in the glass and different flavors come and go throughout the glass. These are drinking great right now, but have 5-10 years left without breaking a sweat.
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12/23/2020 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Double blind. Attractive and alluring nose of mature plum fruit, tobacco and an intense mint note (that I mistook for American Oak dill). Perfectly mature on the palate with tannins that are now melted into the fruit. Classic cabernet profile. I was guessing Penfolds 707 or Ridge MB.
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12/23/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Festivus: Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength (Chicagoland IL): Double blind, really rich and charming, at first I thought New World Grenache with its richness and ripeness. Great depth and balance, with finessed and long finish.
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11/8/2020 - JR_Boston Likes this wine: 95 Points
10 Year Tasting @ Cobble (1997-2006)
Had this vintage after the 10 year vertical tasting. Compared well to some of the best in the vertical
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10/17/2020 - Lipsman wrote: 97 Points
This is a wow bottle. Enticing smoky aroma followed by a juicy burst of cherries on the palate. A solid mountain Cabernet of great stature, unfolding complexity and length. It is all there. Purchased upon release. No need to decant. Drink now -2030.
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5/2/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 91 Points
Acquired 11 months ago. Opened an hour prior to dinner to assess. High fill but cork was crumbly dry and came apart. I chose not to decant after filtering a test pour. Color is semi opaque garnet red. A little cloudy from screwing around with cork extraction that negated my standing it up in the cellar for clarity. Nose started out showing its age with some antique furniture aromas but the palate immediately delivered resolved elegant, almost sweet lifted and fresh raspberry and cherry flavors. We simply continued to filter each pour from pre dinner sips to the last pour. This had a ton of sediment. I used my 3/4 size BDX, all purpose red glasses since this didn't scream a need for air at age 34. The nose cleaned up a bit and while not annoying it didn't have a lot going on. The palate continued to deliver the raspberry, along with cherry, licorice and light tobacco leaf. This btl was likely killer 3-5yrs ago but tonight it was on the down slope and not the head turner I hoped for. More in the aged resolved pleasant claret camp. 13% alc. 92pts for a lovely palate offset by a slightly over the edge 88pt nose. Paid $165 and that was a good $100 too much for where this btl was tonight.
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4/19/2020 - levinml wrote: 93 Points
Last of my 93s of any label or type and went out well. Nice complexity, balance and flavors immediately and for first night. This is why we like to age wine. Second night some of the fruit receded and tannins started to overwhelm. My bad. Should have drank it all first night. Think this is at plateau.
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2/28/2020 - 5laton wrote:
Cork was dried out and starting to come apart, but the wine was sound. I love Frank's "the salty mint opera" descriptor, it's so appropriate here. Just a lovely bottle, in perfect nick for drinking. Some of the heaviest sediment I've seen in awhile!
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10/6/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 95 Points
Mature cali cab !!! Jumped right out of the glass . Pnp !!! The minty salty opera started . Nothing heavy or too much. So lovely. No hurry
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9/7/2019 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderfully integrated scents of cherry, earth, anise, tobacco. Fully mature. A little less body than I remember from the last time I had it about 2 years ago. A little murkier than last time but that may be due to the cork: this one split even with the Durand.
Score: 94. relative to expectations: 0
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9/6/2019 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Nearly a tablespoon of sediment. Dark color and looks like a 5 year old wine. Rich black fruits, some black currant and cassis, a few dried herbs with sweet vanilla Oak, then in the 3rd hour the eucalyptus started to come through more and hang on with the long 40 second finish. This bottle had no fewer than a half dozen years left in peak form.
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7/28/2019 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 95 Points
OK, its hard to be impartial as I'm a huge Dunn Howell Mountain fan. This is the '93 - 26 years old. I haven't had a well kept Dunn which is over the hill. These puppies are made to last. It is a very distinctive taste. Pure Cab (big green bell pepper). Highly integrated fruit (opposite of a 'Parkerized' wine - can i still say that - with his retirement?). Low alchohol.. A bitter plum taste in the mouth, which is the grip of the tannins which are still there. Long finish. Definitely a wine to savor and think about, rather than to quaff. This is my last '93 - pity.
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6/11/2019 - tacmhh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent. Fruit came across ant full body. Only negative at all was a tad shorter than I expected in after taste. Very happy my first of a case.
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5/26/2019 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another terrific bottle. Cherries, smoke, and beguiling complexity. Big flavors with only 13% alcohol! What more could you ask for in a classic California Cabernet?
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5/4/2019 - Diane (LI) wrote:
It had the sweet Howell Mountain fruit, tobacco, and bright acidity. Tannins are fully resolved and the finish is long.
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3/10/2019 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
this was fantastic, with good med plus body and dark red fruit, not a lot of secondary character (given its rep) but certainly enough to really enjoy and not find boring, this felt like it has peaked and I would suggest drinking in the next five years... I decanted for two hours in the AM and then back to bottle and had with dinner around 7pm... frankly didn't seem to change much -- it was pretty darn approachable right out of bottle in the AM (of course I had to try it on the PNP)
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2/22/2019 - SonnyChiba wrote: 89 Points
Great nose but fell flat on the palate. One dimensional. Came across sort of hollow in the middle and finish. Bottle seemed in fine condition.
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12/26/2018 - Empirate wrote: 94 Points
1h slo ox to blow off funk and ready to go with still present but nicely transformed fruit, touch of dusty tannin, lingeringfinish. Paired well with the savory and tender Beef Wellington.
No reason to hold longer from my standpoint.
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12/24/2018 - Battersea James Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brickish brown in the glass. Classic nose of red fruit and leather. On the palate it’s full of black fruit, green pepper, spice, pencil lead and leather offset by an amazing freshness. Tannins are beautifully integrated. Amazing length that just keeps giving. This is quite simply an amazing wine! Still got plenty of life ahead of it I think but it’s drinking beautifully now.
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7/27/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A very deep, classy wine with ripe but cool dark berry fruit. Structured and still tannic, its nevertheless gorgeous with great flavors of minerals and eucalyptus and a really opulent, saturated texture. Finishes with great intensity and verve. Drinkable tonight with a long decant but this is a long-distance runner with many years of evolution ahead. Drunk next to the '96 Latour, this was easily the younger-tasting wine and perhaps even the better wine. Thank you Randy Dunn for remaining true to yourself and making Napa Cabs the right way. So ripe yet amazingly fresh with 13% alcohol. 95+
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6/1/2018 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 96 Points
A dense tide of juicy black cherries backed by classic cigar box cedar, anise, with a complex and long finish. Tastes remarkably fresh but is showing its age with browning at the edge and a tremendous amount of sediment. Wonderful out of the bottle but an initial bitter edge melts away with 30 minutes in a decanter.
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5/21/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum. Classic old school Cali Cab. 13% alcohol and all about balance. Really fresh with good cherries, cedar, spices and some black cherry. Well structured and good acidity. This has plenty left in the tank from this format. Great bottle.
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4/8/2018 - mojotojo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Typical Dunn profile with loads of cedar, graphite and baseball glove leather and Howell Mountain minerals. The tannins have softened somewhat but are still prevalent. Not as enticing as some of the more recent Dunns but, still, this one is still drinking beautifully and has enough backbone to last another decade.
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3/24/2018 - Arcturus wrote: 93 Points
93. 2 hour decant. Cork crumbled like dry dirt. Slightly bricking color. Bordeaux like nose of leather, forest floor, earth and dark fruits with a farmhouse cheddar aroma. Smooth finish. Holding up well for a 25 year old.
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10/9/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Showed well after two-hour decant. Barnyard nose, earthy undertones more like the Napa Dunn than the Howell. Mountain fruit didn't really come through in either bottle of the '93 I've tried. Good with steaks though.
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9/30/2017 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful bouquet with silky dark berries, chocolate and a touch of bell pepper. On the palate mushrooms and autumn forest, but also cherries, sweet spices, dark berries, smoke and toast with good acidity and soft tannin with still some bite. Beautiful wine. Ready now and still some future ahead.
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9/17/2017 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 93 Points
bad crumbling cork, but wine didn't suffer. Decanted 1 hr. At first I thought the wine was gone, but with air it improved throughout the meal. A mature wine & the fruit was still there.
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9/7/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote:
Wines of Good Hope: Summer 2017; 7/29/2017-9/14/2017 (River's Inlet, British Columbia): [5-Litre] Red cedar and damp cigar tobacco. Ferns and forest floor. Cool and dry red and blue berry fruit. Soily and textured palate. Dusty in a distinctly old school Californian way. Can't imagine this developing or improving any further, especially given the large format, but certainly enjoyable and nuanced drinking right now.
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5/16/2017 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Dunn Howell Mountain Vertical B-day Dinner (Maple & Ash): A fairly lush and giving nose with loads of leafy tobacco, cedar and damp earth notes. Palate is lush and ready to go. Nice layering and earthy complexity. Good now, though not as intense and nuanced as many of the other Dunn HMs tonight. Don't expect this to get better, though it should hold.
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5/16/2017 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Dunn Howell Mountain vertical (Chicago, IL): Each flight has to have a weakest wine, and this was the weakest of the 95-93-91 flight. It showed a little unbalanced, with a lot of vegetal elements and some ungainly stemmy qualities as well. The black fruit didn't seem to be here at all, and the tannins and acidity seemed to jut out a little bit. However, this still managed to hold onto the signature well enough.
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4/22/2017 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Celebrating our 24th anniversary with this great Howell Mountain Cabernet. Still lots of fruit and thick tannins. Very enjoyable, seems like this could go for many more years.
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4/19/2017 - Skip4wine wrote: 94 Points
In a perfect spot now. A little forest floor on the nose. The secondary flavors are kicking in right now and I'm getting leather and cigar box. This is both elegant and complex.
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3/18/2017 - jnocera Likes this wine: 93 Points
For a 24 year old wine this still looks very dark. Ruby red in color with only slight signs of brick-age on the edges. The nose is totally cigar box and cedar. Could easily be a 1st growth Bordeaux. This is a very well structured wine on the palate. The fruit and oak are totally integrated but the tannins are still very strong. Great complexity and mix of flavors. The finish is smooth, long and complex just a great example of what an aged Dunn should taste like.
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2/4/2017 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
I don't know, this didn't do it for me this time. Nothing wrong, and still in middle of drinking window, but flavors weren't good enough to justify a 20+ year wait. Seemed like what people used to say about Bordeaux. Hope my other Dunn's taste better.
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11/24/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 92 Points
More rustic than other Dunn Howells I've had but drinking well.
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10/7/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect cork and fill. Pretty tight and funky upon opening but showed very well with a 2hr decant. Followed over another 3hrs. Herbal, leather, and eucalyptus nose with a little dried fruit. Palate is energetic, youthful and narrow, with dark plummy fruit and minty streak. Quite nice and refreshing and great with steak. Finish is shorter and less complex than ideal, but solid. This is ready for consumption with air, but can hold another decade or more. Fine present tannins but not obtrusive at this point.
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5/21/2016 - jnocera Likes this wine: 93 Points
The color on this is a lighter ruby red its starting to show some signs of bricking on the rim. The nose is pure secondary scents of cigar box, tobacco, and meats. On the palate this is a very well made wine. Great balance tannins are stil, there but well integrated and very smooth. Finish is also smooth and very long.
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4/1/2016 - jnocera Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork fell apart when I opened this. Had to strain and decant. Color is still a very dark ruby red. On the nose lots of cedar, cigar box and tobacco really still a great nose. On the palate this is an amazingly structured and strong wine. Fruit is still alive and tannins are integrated but still giving the wine weight. A very classic Dunn that can still go another 5-10 years. It's ready now but I don't see it going away anytime soon.
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3/26/2016 - WineCellarTV Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tight and focused wine of dark berry fruit, little barnyard, eucalypt freshness, florals and salty minerality. Appears softer on the palate as you would expect after smelling the fresh and focused aromatics. Nicely integrated, juicy and perfectly balanced with black fruit, little earth, graphite and peppery spiciness. Dusty tannins and vital acidity show the long road ahead.
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2/13/2016 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Possibly not quite at its peak yet. Just think the drinking window for Dunn is a lot longer than most California Cabs. Filet mignon on the nose, lots of cherry and anise on the palate. Great length, power and balance. This one could turn into absolute magic in another 5+ years.
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1/23/2016 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Opened up after 30 minutes in the glass.
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11/25/2015 - kkleg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours. Prominent cedar on the nose, perhaps a bit too one dimensional. Some fruit on the palate, but the cedar is rather dominant here too. Will hold for at least a decade, but I don't expect this to improve all that much.
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11/20/2015 - Bottledrainer Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine was built to last. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the cork. After straining out the pulverized cork particles and letting the wine open up in a decanter to settle the considerable sediment we were treated to a fantastic twenty-two year old Cab. Tery dark in color with blackberry, cassis, and a hint of mint on the nose. Cherries and black fruit on the palate. Well balanced with a long finish.
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10/31/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
As usual the cork is terrible but a Durand always does the job. 2 hours decanting (reticent when first opened). Deep ruby, minimal bricking; nose has eucalyptus, black fruit, mint, great classic balance and depth and all integrated well; palate is full bodied, integrated tannic structure but still present especially towards the finish, deep black fruit including blackberry, mint, medium-plus acidity, low alcohol (~13%); finish is medium length. A classic Dunn with superb balance but still Californian ripe fruit and low alcohol, excellent acid, complex flavors but not surprisingly complex or layers on layers of depth. Easily decades ahead as this hasn't developed much secondary complexity yet. 94-95+
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8/6/2015 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Dunn herbs, mint, flowers, dark red/black fruit. Still plenty of life left in it.
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7/12/2015 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well for a Dunn HM, this is the most Bordeaux like of a series of mid-1990s Cali cabs. Mint, herbs and tons of minerally dark fruit, there's also good acidity and nice structure. A bit too polished and lacking complexity for me to go ga-ga over, but really excellent. 92-93 pts.
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4/19/2015 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
As good as expected. Great wine, popped and poured. Good fruit fully integrated tannins....subtle but inot overly vibrant.
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4/18/2015 - renapen Likes this wine: 95 Points
the wine began to open after 20 minutes. Great nose. Brick in color Earthy with smoky notes. Full bodied with floral smells. We drank it over 3 hours. Long legs and heavy sediment. In spite of being 22 years old this magnum probably can age more. Amazing wine.
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2/28/2015 - Coachron13 wrote: 88 Points
Cork sheared in half when attempting to open, bottom half ended up falling into the bottle so had to filter into decanter. Decanted two hours. Was somewhat fruit forward when first opened but after the decant, it had evolved into a secondary earthy funky style that isn't my thing. Some may love this state, but I'm not a big fan. Lots of chunky sediment.
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9/20/2014 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bordo/Calif Smackdown, young, dusty, very nice but not up to lofty expectations.
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8/3/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Powerful nose of black cherry, cassis and graphite that follows through on the palate with ripe, fleshy black fruit, menthol, graphite, cigar box, good acidity, and dusty, well integrated tannins. Mouth coating, with a long, luscious finish. This has the depth and complexity that comes with 21 years of age, but it's also still a powerhouse with many years ahead of it. As good as it was, I think this particular bottle would have been better still in 5+ years.
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7/20/2014 - vinole wrote: 94 Points
see notes from AllRed and thelostverse.
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7/20/2014 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with M/M vinole (HB Bistro, Chicago): Violets, black and red fruits, perhaps even a hint of graphite in the bouquet. In a terrific place right now, this shows lovely cherry, black currant, cedar and mineral tones on the palate. Perfectly integrated, this is in its prime and will drink well for quite a few years yet. Thank you vinole.
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7/20/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Vinole at Home Bistro. This was in a beautiful place with a green/herbal Bordeaux like nose. But, unlike a Bordeaux, there is a nice hit of fruit in here as well with cherry and blackberry. Another success by DHM.
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6/16/2014 - Firefly78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Initial greeness dissipated after 30m in the decanter. Tight up until the 1h mark.
Nose displayed clean aromas of cherries, cassis, cigar box, espresso, leather and chocolate.
On the pate this was fleshy, mineral, firm and powerful, but also elegant and refined. The fine tannins were present but in check with the lively acidity. The delicious, impressive finish lasted a minute+.
Wine of the year for me so far and one of the most impressive bottles I have tasted, made in a style I thoroughly enjoy. A wine to ponder upon.
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4/11/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Dunn. Black fruit, cigar box, cedar. Lean and serious. Nicely evolved and fully integrated.
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4/11/2014 - G.M. wrote: 94 Points
This was really very good indeed. Ruby rim with impenetrable black core. Somewhat closed yet complex nose. Cedar, cigar box, hint of Brett, cassis. Palate flavours and complexity follow the nose with some earthy-iron-graphite undertones. Nicely weighted, with a lean and structured palate and good length. A high quality, classic-Bordeaux style Napa. Fully developed and drinking well now, but no need to rush. (94 Excellent wine)
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3/16/2014 - ipp Likes this wine: 97 Points
Blind tasting of five 95+ RP cab/cab blends. The bottles were double decanted 5 hours before drinking.
It was definitely my wine of the night. Also, this was one of my favorite bottles from the past year.
Super dark color with ever so slightly brick edges. It has nice old world bottle bouquet. The mouth feel was incredible ... smooth, velvety, well balanced. The tannins are still powerful and very present (typical Dunn), but they are perfectly integrated. This 21 year old powerhouse rocks. Super complex on the palate (dark berries, underbrush, anise) and a long delicious finish. Excellent.
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1/25/2014 - Grenik Likes this wine: 93 Points
$100 bottle tasting (Home): I loved this wine, but it was the lowest rated wine of the night. Color was showing some age, but not 20 years worth - Lighter brick rim, burgundy core. The nose felt very French in nature with barnyard, minerality, and metallic notes. The taste profile was right on with blueberry and blackberry flavors supporting layers of graphite, forest floor, wet stone, wonderful earth tones. Not what you expect from Napa, but classic Dunn. I think it is time to drink these. The nose lacked fruit and I am guessing that it is sliding toward more earth notes and less fruit in the palate. No rush, but plan on drinking these in the next few years?
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11/28/2013 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
A great wine, albeit with a little of that raspy white pepper/cardboard quality I found in a couple others. Great fruit, still very young both in appearance and the lively fruit. Deep rich ripe fruit aromas too.
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11/25/2013 - Nanda wrote:
1993 Double Blind Horizontal (Chris'): Double blind. Medium ruby. Initially only modest aromatics of red fruit and herbs - but this picks up with a couple of hours in the glass (and significant decanting time before that). Yum. Focused palate has berries, spice and bell pepper. Youthful fruit and still firm tannic structure. With air and time this picks up Bordeaux notes.
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11/25/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Double Blind 1993s From Around the World (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a flight of 1993s. Modest start, this really opened and expanded with air (even having already been open 2+ hours and double decanted). Serious power and density emerged with concentrated black fruit and very well balanced structural support. I thought this left bank Bordeaux. My WOTN, group's WOTN.
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10/19/2013 - Dave Canada wrote: 90 Points
Nose of pickled herring, salted cod, cherry, cassis, earth, moss
Palate is dominated by leather, mushroom, cherry, spice, plum,..and a saline note
Finish is medium + length….there is a definite riper aspect but the earthier notes still come though…quite structured @ 20 years….definite black t-bag notes…..this is a bit un-giving and in a weird spot.
Hard to score…
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10/19/2013 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
A Small Saturday Night Wine Dinner: Poured from a perfect looking bottle recently sourced from Hart Davis Hart. On first pour the nose was a tad ungiving, colour is fairly dark with little bricking. Fruit is pretty ripe and oak is noted with interesting touches of sweat, saline, and a touch of soya sauce. I left a bit in the bottle and by the next day the nose was more open with lots of dark cherry sauce, vanilla, coffee grounds, nutmeg and cloves. Still young a primary feeling with more ripeness than I usually care for, though not jammy. Palate is dense and concentrated with plenty of acid and tannin remaining and replays the saline and soya sauce on the moderate finish.
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10/3/2013 - Javachip wrote: 95 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 10/3/2013 (Farm House Cafe, San Diego): Mid-neck fill. This bottle showed no sign of leakage after years on its side, but after standing upright at cellar temperature for several weeks, strangely developed a drop of damp wine residue emerging from the wax seal. Opened and decanted at 5:30 PM, re-bottled at 6:45 PM, tasted at 8:30 PM. Clear deep garnet-blood red color. Glorious bouquet of red currant and red cherry liqueurs, crushed boysenberries, cloves, eucalyptus, bay leaf, forest floor. Similar on the palate, with full body, great balance, minimal unobtrusive oak, long finish. My #2; group's FIRST PLACE tonight.
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8/6/2013 - KCBrian wrote: 90 Points
This was my first Dunn. Decanted for about 1.5 hrs and then served with steaks off the grill. It was good but not great. Muted fruit, cedar,and a little kind of funk on the follow through. Sort of had the older cab flavor that I was hoping for but not like a 92 chat montelena that I had a few months ago.
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7/6/2013 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opaque dark rosewood color, tending towards inky. This has a deep, dark nose of cedar, shoe polish, and a whole host of other viscous, woodsy aromas. On the palate this retains the darkness of the nose but with a ripe, rich juicyness, like kumato tomatoes. Structurally, the tannins have integrated well thus far but remain robust enough to support several more decades of salutary maturation. In short, this is evolving in the manner of the best of the Deuxième Cru Bordeaux. Someday the visionaries at Dunn will be recognized and respected for producing such serious, enduring wines. Until then they can be yours for a song, compared to French or American wines alike in quality.
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3/29/2013 - Winiac wrote: 93 Points
This is beast of a wine. It did not even show the orange ring! Very dark ruby color, opened very barnyardy a and herbal,but after 2 hour of decanting lost all the funk and became floral with rose petal notes. Full bodied with lots of acidity and goos mineral backbone. It is had to place the wine in California just based on its mineral backbone. Well balanced with good tannin and weight on the palate. Long length and balanced and pleasant finish. Stood very well to food (big juicy steak) if it did not overwhelmed it! I am amazed. this is a beast of a wine!
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3/25/2013 - uberoh wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted 2 hrs. Drinking great - lovely balance - no hard edges - stil has a lot of time left but ready now
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2/22/2013 - Grenik Likes this wine: 94 Points
Incredible wine! Drank with a small group for a celebration, so detailed notes not taken. Color was deep and vibrant. It looked much yonger than it actually was. Nose had blue and black fruits in abundance. Palate was cooler in tone with blueberry, dark cherry, cedar, tobacco, pine all making appearances at one point or another. Rich feel and a long, lingering finish that was sweet. Excellent balance and there is still plenty of fruit to offset the firm structure of this wine. Drinking great right now, but no rush.
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1/26/2013 - MC2 Wines wrote: 90 Points
(Dunn Tasting Dinner, NY Vintners) - Lots of dusty fruit, very deep wine with prominent tannins and a touch of heat
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1/4/2013 - renapen Likes this wine: 92 Points
After letting the wine stand up for several days, and letting it breath for a little under an hour-- the wine offered an intense bouquet or loam and wild mushrooms. Well balanced and rich with some cherry fruit
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12/24/2012 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Still plenty of tannins and acidity (a bit more so that other bottles I've had, which knocked this down a point for me this time) but wonderful cassis, and some red cherries. Dried herbs with a little Oak.
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11/27/2012 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 95 Points
I decanted this all day, literally 9 hours. It worked out well as the wine was in perfect shape. Even at this age (nearly 20 years) the wine was in a long drinking plateau - it can go many years yet. Blueberry, earth, soy and all sorts of aromas. Graphite and the glorious green bell pepper. Wonderful.
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10/28/2012 - dcasper wrote: 93 Points
Awesome example of Dunn's finest.
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8/4/2012 - wicozani wrote: 92 Points
An excellent cork beneath an intact wax capsule, this poured a mature ruby with slightly tawny edges. However, the nose was vigorous, featuring red fruits (mostly red currant), cassis, subtle oak spice and a touch of earthiness. Decanted for 2 hours prior to pairing with grilled, oven-finished NY strip steaks. Medium-full bodied on the palate, less mature than I anticipated. Good concentration and push through the mid-palate, ending with a 20+ second finish. Tannins still present on the finish, though largely resolved. This was better than expected, and should remain good for several more years.
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6/29/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
Nice minty, plum, tobacco, cassis, capsicum nose. Ash, cassis, cocoa palate that is sleek, regal, and balanced. Overall this is very nice but rather ordinary.
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2/28/2012 - Fatty Cat wrote: 89 Points
Late Feb 2012, Dunn tasting (with Randy Dunn present) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival: bottle opened approx. 75 min. before tasting, bottle to decanter back to bottle decanted, 15 min. before consumption poured into the glass (sommelier information); crimson color; started very restrained, after quite a while and endless swirling some red berries; austere on the palate; medium body; somewhat unbalanced texture and finish.
The bottle of the 1993 Dunn Howell Mountain Cab. Sauv. made the weakest impressions of all ten tasted vintages. The 1993 gained a substantial better average note at CT (at the time of this writing: 92.4 pts). Blame it on the bottle, the taster or the circumstances. I consider 89 points very good, but that day it wasn't an excellent showing by my standards.
Flight II: 1998 - 1993 - 1990 - 1989 - 1984
Randy Dunn information: approx. 450 cases/year, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 80-85% Nevers oak
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2/28/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 90 Points
Dunn Howell Mountain Tasting (Eltville, Germany): Complex with all the Howell attributes of blueberries and cassis, but slightly dry on the mid-palate and finish. I expected more.
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2/19/2012 - dcasper wrote: 90 Points
Classic DHM. Needed at least an hour to open up, and could have taken more time. Smooth, low-tide on the nose, great tannins.
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1/2/2012 - crmasson wrote: 92 Points
From 1.5L bottle. Restrained and European in style. Still quite tannic.
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12/21/2011 - lee.reiswig wrote: 89 Points
Reached its peak. Fruit going, tannins still there.
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12/16/2011 - kkazaks wrote: 91 Points
Why people age wine (my first note open opening the bottle). Nose of aged Cab - Bordeaux or Cali? Seemingly Bordeaux like in its cedar, tobacco, mustiness - Pichon Lalande in a lesser year - but there are hints to say no it is not French - red fruit and warmth. Delineation of aromas and fruit is a bit muddled. Aromas of red currant.
Pencil lead on the nose too, reminiscent of a Paullaic or weighty St. Julien
At first, palate is reticent and disappointing compared to the nose - the red fruits are subtle, as another ct poster put it. There is good acidity to give the wine grip, and integrated tannins, but palate is muted in the center compared to the nose. Lingering finish however, with plenty of tobacco and dust showing up there. At first glance, good but was hoping for more.
Overall, was decanted some 5 hours, tasted intermittently. The nose and palate both evolved minty menthol tones, and the palate becomes austere. Perhaps this wine is on the way to some other place, having picked up a few secondary characteristics, looking to pick up more.
Yet the final sips were the best. How will this evolve. Good question. A puzzle this wine has been throughout, so that in some ways distracts as the best wines are seamless and catch you by surprise with their elegance and impact. This is a serious wine yet backward in its sense of maturity. Even when this when is grown up, it will not be mature in the sense of having all of its components seamlessly integrated.
For much of the night I thought of saying this would not be worth another look but it does compel me. I would not only taste this but buy it again. Seems like I have had better 93s (thinking here of an Abreau Cab).
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12/6/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 85 Points
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.
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10/12/2011 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
Stutz bearcat. Beautiful right now.
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9/11/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 95 Points
Sampled 9/10/11. I keep coming back because I can't keep my hands off it. This time gave it 2 hours in the decanter. It was worth it. Still tons of cassis but more blackberries and the menthol almost complete disappears. Silkly smooth and lots of sediment lined bottle's interior with only a very small amount of unfilterable fine grains in the last glass. The finish was a solid 45 seconds.
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8/3/2011 - blanquito wrote: 95 Points
Sensational wine. In a great place, with terrific intensity and fruit yet totally dry and balanced. It's got that Napa cab mint going on with some bittersweet chocolate. Very aromatic and expressive, yet fresh and food friendly. Alas, not cheap but worth the tariff. My favorite.
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7/3/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled 7/2/11. Not as sublime as my last bottle, but that is because this bottle seemed a little more mature. This one didn't take as long to open up, but it had less sediment than my last bottle. Dark ruby color. Ton of cassis! Some red currant, menthol, spice. Silky smooth but the acidity seemed to rise up a little on the long finish, which I didn't experience with my last bottle. Still a truly wonderful wine and will gladly go back even in my 2010 experience is not repeated.
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4/25/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 94 Points
Wow, what a wonderful bottle. Really in a great place right now. The mountain fruit is evident here. Notes of cassis, some black fruits. Tannins well-integrated. Lovely.
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4/22/2011 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 90 Points
Strong anise component, bright red cherry fruit. But this wine has a slight flaw, a distinct wet cardboard taste and even a peppery dryness which I think is unintended. Although it mostly blows off as it softens, I have to mark it down a notch.
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3/22/2011 - MikeZ wrote:
absolutely delicious bottle--definitely entering a nice place in the drinking window
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12/19/2010 - aegerter Does not like this wine: 83 Points
I used to love Dunn's wines but lately I had many bad bottles. Thus one was simply devoid of fruit and lots of acid.
Also just opening the cap is an undertaking and not suitable for restaurants.
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12/14/2010 - ProfessorHTF wrote: 88 Points
Having really looked forward to this, I was a little disappointed. The trademark Howell Mountain characteristics showed themselves, but in a muted fashion. Some very pleasing Pauillac like notes, pencil box, etc. and cassis, and also quite a bit of tar. Others seemed far more impressed then I, but I think my fascination with this wine is declining since my first bottle, and perhaps this has less to do with the wine then me.
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9/6/2010 - mxpbuy wrote: 96 Points
Sampled 9/5/10. Dark ruby color. After about 30 minutes in the glass it was opening well. Tons of cassis! Some red currant, menthol, spice. Exceptionally smooth and lots of sediment lined bottle's interior, but the tannins still had some firmness to their wonderful length. The finish was a solid 45 seconds. One of the most intriguing and compelling wines we've had in a while and certainly one of the greatest "93s ever. We were very sorry to see the bottle come to an end.
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7/8/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
This bottle is drinking very young. Very "Dunn" styling, with relatively subtle and elegant fruit. Still shows a lot of sweet, tooth-staining tannins. A bottle in this condition easily lasts another 10-15 years. Another gracious bottle opened by Mike this afternoon.
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6/12/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Pro Kids of San Diego Charity Event - Older Bord and Cabs (Weissman Residence, Rancho Santa Fe, CA): On the tired side but not gone. Showing very much like a mature Cab that needs to be drunk. Tannins are well resolved and there is not a lot of power left on the palate. Pretty good but not one of the better bottles from Dunn.
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5/15/2010 - Dubie wrote: 92 Points
Jeroboam opened 2h before tasting, which I feared was too short, but turned out perfect. A nose of rose and dark berries, tannins had softened well, giving the wine some good structure. Medium body. Not a complex wine, as expected for the vintage. Overall a wonderful experience.
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4/20/2009 - ebrown35 wrote: 94 Points
Very dark color to the rim with virtually no bricking. Wonderful nose of currants, tobacco, and earth. I didn't pick up any f the vegetal notes that others mentioned. On the palate there is blue, black fruit, spice, herbs tannins are starting to resolve and there is nice uplifting acidity. Nice lengthy finish, I think this wine is at its peak and will definitely hold for quite a few more years.
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3/12/2009 - Coastman3 wrote: 91 Points
Rich, thick, full body with dark fruit and forest floor nose,. Very ripe. Over 2 hours the wine faded for me. Some green pepper emerged. I advise drinking right after opening. It wasn't oxidized, but it developed a peppery quality that was a distraction. Still a very good wine
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3/6/2009 - Fielding wrote: 94 Points
The cork disintegrated, but luckily, the wine was not affected. Wine in its prime, with delicious purple plum character.
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1/25/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Peter Pratt's 2009 Cali Cab Table (Yorktown, NY): Smooth mouth finish, short to med finish, I didn't get a lot from this wine.
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11/9/2008 - guile wrote:
Drank at Morton's with a bone-in ribeye. Double decanted but left to sit for 1.5 hr prior to re-bottling. Intense raspberry nose, almost liqueur like. Earthy with some mushroom. Lots of sediment. Slightly vegetal at the beginning. Much more full bodied than the '93 Conn Valley Reserve.
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11/6/2008 - Gringo wrote: 86 Points
The party is over...deep beautiful hue, dried fruits, earth, mushroom to the nose. The tongue is greeted with dried fruits, green pepper, tart cherry. Little finish. The notes are no longer forming a harmony. What was once a beautiful and solid orchestration is now staring to wane. Decanted for sediment only.
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4/13/2008 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
Barnyard aromas at the fore, with some raspberry, tobacco and eucalypt coming through as well. The palate didn't show any sign of the brett to me, it was medium bodied with excellent balance and length.
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11/23/2007 - tonyo123 wrote: 91 Points
Fruity and chocolate scents on the nose. Tannins have softened since last tasting many years ago. First impression is tart that evolves into rounded fruits with blackberry and spices. Good after taste with raspberry and strawberry flavors surfacing as it fades. Still somewhat tart. A fair wine with time left to improve.I came back and re-edited my notes not feeling it impeoved throughout the night as I thought it would. Overall, still hoping these Dunns come around.
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9/14/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Not even close to ready, this was very challenging to appreciate tonight and really provided little pleasure with tannins dominating in every way. That said, clearly there is great black fruit in the background which might make this a great wine if the varied elements can integrate in another 10-20 years.
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9/14/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Klingenstein Dinner w/Stephan Blicker (Custom House): This seemed a bit more closed than other bottles I've had and I had a tough time getting a good read. Opaque black color. Medium nose dominated by black fruit. Full round black fruit on the palate with some brightness.
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8/13/2007 - chrisraub wrote: 92 Points
decanted about 45 minutes. Deep purple/red with hints of brown/orange on the edges. Aromas of spice and a bit tobacco .Dark fruit flavors on the palate a bit of bitterness. Firm tannins still. Long finish. (471 views)
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4/14/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Cali Cabs w/Bryans Steaks (The Shaffers): Full black red color. Clean bright black fruit on the nose. Very tight bright clean red and black fruit on the palate. Still young, but promising stuffing.
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4/14/2007 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
High-end Cali Cabs with Bryan's Steaks (The Shaffer's): Effusive aromas of currants, herb, spice box and tobacco. Burst of huge currant fruits on the palate. Licorice, tar and herbs add complexity. Firm tannins are well balanced by lush fruit. Long and delicious.
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2/10/2007 - mfkidd wrote: 94 Points
Boy, you could really taste the terroir, the rocky hills. Tannins are shedding and the fruit isn't fully out but it's subtle and really nice. A real pleasure. Consumed at Gardens at Glendon before "Speed the Plough" with Vahan, Karen, Krishna and Sandy.
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12/25/2006 - bubbachumps wrote: 90 Points
Had this next to the '02 insignia and how different these two wines were. This Dunn was still a tannic beast, best estimate is to try another in 10 years. Cassis, smoke, cedar and dark fruits on the nose. In the mouth, searing tannins still and too much oak.
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12/22/2006 - tonyo123 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours. Color was red-brown. Aromas of wet dirt and berries. Strawberry and some blackberry on pallette. A bit lean and tart. Little vomplexity. Medium finish. Smooth. A nice wine but not great.
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8/25/2006 - cassetta wrote: 95 Points
1993 Dunn H.M - was rockin! Lush black-fruits and earth on the nose. It had loads of cassis and a little minerality on the palate. Great structure and balance. While approachable right out of the bottle, it continued to evolve and put on weight throughout the night showing that it has a long life ahead of it. I think that the '93 is better than the more acclaimed vintages of '91, 94 and 95. This was one of the better California Cabs that I’ve had in awhile – great juice! 95+ pts.
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8/13/2006 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does California Cabernet (Sammamish, WA): Bretty nose. Powerful, drying tannins. It doesn't sound very nice, but this was actually a pretty darned nice, chunky, Howell Mountain Cabernet. Break out the steak!
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10/20/2005 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
WS New York Wine Experience Grand Tastings; 10/20/2005-10/21/2005 (Marriott Marquis NYC): Bright pink red color. Towering aroma of red fruit, briar, and spice. huge rich ripe balck fruit with tons of spice and complexity. Really killer, seek this out.
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8/25/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 96 Points
Parker got this right; this is a brute of a wine, classic Dunn. Fabulous fruits, but tannins still dominant, clearly coming along. Second night, solid presence, had not lost a step...this is a keeper, check back in 5 years
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