1984 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
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Tasting notes
Healthy full red. More reticent on the nose than the '83, showing a touch of cardboard and an earthy quality, if not an obvious TCA smell, along with its cherry, redcurrant, plum and earth aromas. A step up in texture from the '83, but less juicy in the middle palate and even drier on the finish. This doesn't have the personality of the '83 and it turned drier with aeration. (I've had better bottles of the '84 in the past, although I hadn't sampled this vintage in at least five years.) (13% alcohol)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Sadly, the 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain isn't perfect. One bottle is corked. A second bottle is moldy in its bouquet, but a bit better on the palate, which only heightens the frustration, as there seems to be good depth and nuance below the troubled aromatics.
Last Tasted 10/93 Extremely backward, closed, hard, tannic, and unyielding, this behemoth of a wine exhibits a saturated purple color, a nondescript bouquet, enormously rich, concentrated flavors, and a boat load of tannin. Unless you are a masochist, do not touch a bottle before the turn of the century.