Dunn Howell Mountain Tasting

Randy Dunn and his daughter were present for a tasting of ten vintages of Howell Mountain in the afternoon. In the evening, a dinner by Christian Bau followed with two more Dunn wines and a selection of a few others.

• 2007 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Spectacular fruit, cassis, round, silky tannins. Drinking beautifully right now. But will it close down? this seems much more straightforward than many of the older vintages.

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• 2005 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Soft and sweet with blackberries, herbs, tobacco. Outstanding but for the long run.

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• 2003 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Blackberries, cassis. Sweet, but already elegant with silky tannins.

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• 2001 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Blueberries, cassis, tough tannins, herbs. Tastes still young.

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• 1999 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Typical cool blueberry notes, cassis, but a bit too much game for my liking. Not sure whether that bottle was quite right.

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• 1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Blueberries, cassis, core of cool fruit, eukalyptus, mint, some tobacco. Long finish.

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• 1993 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  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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• 1990 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Still quite youthful and tannic. Core of cassis, black fruit, complex and long finish.

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• 1989 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Cassis, herbs, tobacco, leather, slightly austere.

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• 1984 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  First bottle had TCA. Second was in great form: Nicely developed, some fruit left, elegant sweet tannins, long silky finish.

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• 1989 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Nicely mature cabernet with tobacco, leather, herbs. Long finish.

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• 1982 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  This 82 showed what the Dunn Howell Mountains can domwith some bottle age. Nose of tobacco, leather, flowers, herbs. On the palate leather, tar, smoke, unbelievable balance and long long silky finish.

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• 2001 Balthasar Ress Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Auslese 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Honey, peach, lemon zest, nice minerality.

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• 2010 Balthasar Ress Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Erstes Gewächs 85 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  I can understand why someone takes the position that wines should not be deacidified (and 2010 was the vintage where this was a valid consideration). But this was just too much for my liking. Snappy acids meant you really had to taste hard for the underlying fruit and minerality. While certainly there, will it ever come to the fore?

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• 2008 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken Erstes Gewächs 91 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  From magnum. Good minerality, lemon zest, passion fruit, grapefruit. Quite good.

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• 2005 Château Palmer Alter Ego 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Cassis, leather, smoke, chocolate. Sweet tannins and long finish.

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• 1998 Château Palmer 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  What a wine. Sweet chocolate, blueberries, silky tannins, some charcoal. Unbelievably elegant. Palmer has really excelled in this vintage that favoured Merlot.

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• 2009 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Auslese 90 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Honeysuckle, bittersweet grapefruit, good minerality. Nice.

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• 2007 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese 92 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Mango, passion fruit, honey, nice bitterness and minerality.

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The event shows just how ageworthy these Dunn Cabernets are. All of them have plenty of life left in them, even the 1982 was still in great form.