97 Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The Dunn 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is elegant, deep and classy. Inky dark purplish fruit, savory herbs, menthol, licorice and spice. The purity of the fruit is remarkable today. There is plenty of youthfull Howell Mountain tannin, so readers will have to be patient."
96 Points Wine Spectator: "Ripe and very juicy, with a youthfully compact set of plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors wrapped in licorice and violet notes. This is both racy and grippy, showing serious power but with the freshness and drive to match. Delivers a long, iron accent that scores the fruit through the finish. Best from 2024 through 2040."
95+ Points Robert Parker: "The Dunn 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."
Randy and Lori Dunn purchased a 14-acre farm in 1978, which at that time had only five acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Today it has grown to include 42 acres of Cab vines that the extended family of three generations still finds perfectly manageable. In the glass, the 2018 is ink colored with aromas of dried lavender, blueberry and black cassis. It has rich flavors of black and blue fruits complimented by notes of spice, pencil lead and saddle leather. The tannins are plush and rounded with balanced acidity that lingers into the long finish. - Robb Report / 2023
