2009 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is still an infant. Plush and deep, the 2009 offers a compelling mix of opulent fruit and huge tannins to match. Today, it is a bit rough around the edges. A few more years in bottle should help, although I don't see the 2009 quite reaching the heights of the very best years here.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright, saturated red-ruby. Very youthful, Pauillac-like aromas of cassis, blueberry, minerals, bitter chocolate and tobacco leaf. Densely packed and seamless but youthfully imploded, conveying a strong impression of saline minerality to its flavors of plum, dark berries, mocha and graphite. There's a sexy pliancy here but owing to its medicinal and mineral elements this big wine practically tastes like a barrel sample. Wonderfully thick, plush and dry, finishing with substantial but thoroughly buffered tannins and outstanding slow-building length and captivating sweetness. (13.9% alcohol)
Incense, forest floor, blueberry and blackberry aromatics open top a big, tannic, polished, California Cabernet Sauvignon with a soft, polished red, cherry finish. This will mature faster than most of the previous vintages of Dunn, which seem to require decades to come around.
About the producer
Few names capture the enduring appeal of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon quite like Dunn Vineyards. Founded by Randy Dunn in 1979, the estate has built its reputation on wines of depth, structure and longevity, rewarding patience with layers of complexity.