DUNN HOWELL MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON VERTICAL TASTING BACK TO 1987 Friday, December 1, 2023 - 7:30 PM and all the Dunn Vineyards wine and Howell Mountain wines in the store on SALE!!!
"Wine improves with age- I like it more the older I get." Anonymous
The older I get the better the wines tastings seem to get as I have accelerated my theme of “Drink the Good Stuff First” and with the amount of KILLER bottles here at Wine Watch I will have to live another 20 years to drink them all. Hopefully we do not sell them first as my main goal is to drink the best and most sought-after wines at our wine tasting events at the Wine Bar.
If you can’t make it to one or our tastings the wine bar is still only open for private events but any night we are here we will take one reservation for the private dining experience in the wine cave.
We have a minimum of 6 people to reserve the table in the Cave but we will take up to 16 people for a curated dinner by Chef Toni. We must know in advance what food items you want so you will have to coordinate the menu with Toni ahead of time but she can put together any of your favorites from past Wine Bar menus or whatever you want if she has enough notice. The best thing about this table is the view of the wine, we have the largest selection of vintage wine in South Florida and everything is available at a retail price!! You may want to bring a sweater it is 64 degrees in the wine cave.
Whenever we receive a vertical selection of a wine like Dunn Howell Mountain there is no question what happens ASAP. We put an event on the calendar to drink these wines with some of our “Wine Drinking People”. It is much easier to host an event than to put 11 single bottles into inventory and as I like to say “We are doing scientific research with wine here at Wine Watch.
Join me for an experiment with one of Napa Valley’s greatest producers that will take us back to the 1987 vintage. We will have 11 vintages of Dunn Howell Mountain along with a special meal to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $425 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
DUNN HOWELL MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON VERTICAL TASTING BACK TO 1987
Friday, December 1st
7:30 PM
2007 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
2006 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
2004 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
2003 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
2001 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
2000 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
1998 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
1990 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
1994 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
1986 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
1987 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Harpke Farms Micro Greens, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Drizzle
Duck and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Browned Butter and Fresh Basil
Turkey Meat Loaf with Cabernet Reduction and Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee with Rum Caramel Sauce and Fresh Berries
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $425 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about Dunn Vineyards
In many summer days the Napa Valley is filled with a dense blanket of morning fog that floats north from San Francisco Bay. On an early morning drive up Howell Mountain - which is east of St. Helena and forms the eastern ridge of the Napa Valley - one breaks through this fog at the 1400 foot level, where crystal blue sky and sunshine burst into view. One must climb another 800 feet to reach Dunn Vineyards, site of an old stagecoach stop in a long by-gone era. Nothing comes easy on Howell Mountain; the vines struggle to survive on this rugged outpost and are quite scrawny compared to those grown on the lush Napa Valley floor. As a result the Zinfandels and Cabernets grown on the mountain are not the types of wine one would characterize as elegant or delicate. The yield per acre is much smaller than elsewhere in the Napa Valley; but what the vineyards lack in tonnage, they make up for in intensity and concentration.
Randy Dunn and his wife began looking for a piece of property "way out from nowhere" back in the seventies. They moved into a rustic old home with a spacious wine cellar below the house and a six-acre vineyard attached. The wine cellar would serve as quarters for Randy to produce his wines. Dunn Vineyards is a family affair with wife Lori and the kids all pitching in to help when necessary. The winery is not one of those big glamorous estates nor the country retreat of some wealthy executive who switched careers in mid-life to make wine. Rather, it is one of those mountaintop primitives (quite similar to some of California's other great estates like Ridge, Chalone & Mt. Eden). Dunn says a typical day at the winery resembles more an episode of "Little House on the Prairie" than the popular image of the idyllic life of the vineyardist and winemaker in shows like "Falcon Crest". Although the lifestyle Randy and his family lead may be rather simple, the wines he makes are quite complex. Randy Dunn has California's best track record for Cabernet, for in addition to his own wines, Randy has consulted for a number of other successful Cabernet producers like La Jota and Livingston. However, Dunn's star was fixed in the firmament at Caymus Vineyards, for he was the winemaker there from 1975 to 1985. Many critics - including us - presently rate Caymus as California's number one producer of Cabernet Sauvignon; and the Caymus "Special Selection" Cabernets always score impressively when matched against the very best wines of every vintage.
Randy Dunn made his first Dunn Cabernet from the 1979 vintage; about 800 cases of that wine were produced. (When the winery's vineyards have fully matured, production will peak at 4000 cases.) However, it was not until the 1982 vintage that Dunn's wines really caught the fancy of critics and connoisseurs. That was also the first year that Dunn released two Cabernets - one from his "Howell Mountain" vineyard (it was blended with grapes from two other Howell Mountain vineyards as well) and one from purchased grapes in the Napa Valley. Both Cabernets received rave reviews, and Dunn Vineyards became an overnight sensation. Winelovers scoured retail shelves looking for the 1982 Dunn "Howell Mountain" bottling, a wine that is now generally regarded as the "wine of the vintage." The 1983 "Howell Mountain" was another big winner (though not as good as the 1982). Both of Dunn's 1984's are stunning accomplishments and are at the very top of the best Cabernet vintage in ten years. The "Napa" bottling (primarily from grapes grown in Groth's vineyards) impresses with its solid core of bright fruit, but this "Howell Mountain" is an extraordinary achievement. We tasted it in the company of some of the best wines of the '84 vintage (Spottswoode, Ridge "Montebello", Dominus, etc.) and picked it first in a tasting conducted by THE WINE NEWS in April of 1988. With some airing the nose reveals gobs of raspberry and blackberry fruit tones that meld with lots of vanillan oak. On the palate this wine is big, rich, very concentrated, and very tannic (should you choose to consume it early, we recommend a half day of breathing). Although this wine is quite intense and tight - reflecting its mountain heritage - it also has the ripe fruit we associate with the leading wines from the Napa Valley floor. After twenty years making wine Randy Dunn is still at the top of his game making extraordinary wine and one of the best Cabernets we have ever tasted from California.
All the wines from Dunn Vineyards that we have in the store on SALE!!
2019 DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $235.00 Your Price: $199.75
2019 DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA MAGNUM
Price: $487.50 Your Price: $414.38
(96 points) “***No. 6 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2023*** Lushly fruited, this sends waves of crushed plum, boysenberry compote and blackberry paste out from the core, with a strong undercurrent of cast iron and smoldering tobacco to boot. Grippy and dense, but with a sense of polish and a note of purity in the guise of a pretty violet echo. *Highly Recommended* (JM)” (11/2023) Wine Spectator
2019 DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA
Price: $129.50 Your Price: $113.96
(93 Points) The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a powerful, tannic wine. In some vintages, the Napa Valley bottling is quite accessible, but not here. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of dark fruit, gravel, spice, dried flowers, lavender and charred earth are pushed forward, with firm, chocolaty tannins that wrap it all together. This brooding, potent Cabernet needs at least a few years to settle. The 2019 is a bruiser, that is for sure. Vinous
2018 DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Price: $215.00 Your Price: $189.20 Quantity in Stock: 6
(95 Points) The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a typically long-term proposition, coated in dusty tannins and cedary oak. It will take time for the cassis, blueberry and slightly pine-scented backbone of this wine to emerge, as for the moment it's almost difficult to taste. Yes, the concentration is present, the tannins are almost silky-ripe, but the structure of this medium to full-bodied wine is unassailable. Hands off for at least five years, and probably more, to judge by how past vintages have evolved. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2005 DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $385.00 Sale Price: $235.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 points) “ Dense purple in color and still looking like a barrel sample, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain has a nice, cedary, new saddle leather-infused blackcurrant richness, outstanding purity, medium to full body, sweet tannin and a layered, lush texture. The level of concentration is impressive. I don’t think there’s a wine taster that could tell whether this is 13.8% or 15.8% alcohol, given this level of richness. (RP) “ (6/2015) Wine Advocate
2002 DUNN VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA
Price: $240.00 Sale Price: $185.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(90 points) “ Aromas of cassis, graphite, mint and chocolate, plus a whiff of band-aid. Then surprisingly pliant and creamy for a Dunn Cabernet, with accessible flavors of currant, licorice and milk chocolate. Finishes with rather suave tannins and some juicy acidity. Suppler than it appeared to be last spring when I tasted it from barrel, and considerably softer than the Howell Mountain bottling. (ST)” (1/2006) Int'l Wine Cellar
1997 DUNN VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA
Price: $275.00 Sale Price: $235.00 Quantity in Stock: 7
(92 Points) The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of pure cassis and blackberries with flinty notions in the background. Full-bodied, powerful, tannic, pure, and backward, it needs another 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035+. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate:
1995 DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA (6 LITER)
Price: $2450.00 Sale Price: $1950.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1995 DUNN VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Price: $350.00 Sale Price: $275.00 Quantity in Stock: 7
(96 points) “The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is similar in all respects to the Napa Valley, but somewhat heavier in the mouth, with an aggressive tannic bite, and more length. It possesses mineral-tinged blackberry and cassis fruit, massive body, and extraordinary purity and length. It should not be touched for 12-15 years. It will undoubtedly live through the first half of the next century. 1995 appears to be a fabulous vintage. I doubt there will be much difference in quality between the 1995s and Randy Dunn's spectacular 1994s. (RP) “ (12/1998) Wine Advocate
Other Wines from Howell Mountain on SALE at Wine Watch!
2019 CHARLES KRUG CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $180.00 Your Price: $158.40 Quantity in Stock: 9
2018 LA JOTA MERLOT HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $99.00 Quantity in Stock: 7
2018 LA JOTA VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON, HOWELL MOUNTAIN, USA
Price: $195.00 Your Price: $171.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
2018 CHARLES KRUG CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $150.00 Sale Price: $132.00 Quantity in Stock: 4
2017 INK GRADE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, HOWELL MOUNTAIN, USA
Price: $205.50 Sale Price: $180.84 Quantity in Stock: 3
2017 BEVAN CELLARS SENTINEL RIDGE CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $199.00 Sale Price: $169.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2017 CADE CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA (CORK ENCLOSURE)
Price: $279.00 Your Price: $245.52 Quantity in Stock: 2
2014 LA JOTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $195.00 Sale Price: $150.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
2009 LOKOYA WINERY HOWELL MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Price: $580.00 Your Price: $510.40 Quantity in Stock: 3
2007 HUNDRED ACRE 'ARK VINEYARD' CABERNET SAUVIGNON, HOWELL
Price: $995.00 Sale Price: $695.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1982 LA JOTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $200.00 Sale Price: $140.00 Quantity in Stock: 15
2013 ELECTRIC PUDDLE OLD VINE ZINFANDEL BEATTY RANCH HOWELL MOUNTAIN NAPA
Price: $49.00 Your Price: $43.12 Quantity in Stock: 2