Dunn Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Dunn Vineyards has been one of Napa Valley's benchmarks for Cabernet Sauvignon since Randy and Lori Dunn established the estate on Howell Mountain in 1979. The family's reputation was built on a distinctly traditional approach: Cabernet with structure, freshness and the ability to age for decades rather than the softer, sweeter style that came to dominate much of modern Napa. Today, the second generation of the Dunn family continues that philosophy, making just two primary Cabernets, Howell Mountain and Napa Valley.

The 2022 Napa Valley bottling is particularly unusual. Although it carries the broader Napa Valley appellation, the fruit came entirely from the family's Howell Mountain vineyards, something that had not happened since 2011. Dunn selected earlier-ripening mountain parcels that could provide the more approachable, plush personality traditionally associated with its Napa bottling. Brambly raspberry, blackberry and black currant are balanced by graphite, black licorice and forest floor, with fine tannins and lively acidity keeping the wine focused. Like Dunn's two Cabernets, it receives an extended élevage of roughly 32 months in French oak.

We selected the 2022 because it offers a fascinating intersection of Dunn's two identities. You get 100% Howell Mountain-grown Cabernet from one of Napa's most historic mountain producers, but in a wine deliberately selected for greater accessibility and suppleness. James Suckling awarded it 96 points, while Wine Advocate gave it 94. For collectors who admire Dunn but don't always want to wait fifteen years for a bottle to come around, this is a particularly compelling vintage.