1999 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Bright, medium red. Somewhat wild aromas of plum, raspberry, leather and loam, accented by hints of licorice and flowers and some darker fruit note. Fairly large-scaled but still a bit edgy, showing a very fine-grained texture but slightly disjointed acidity. I would give this wine some time in a decanter or leave it in the cellar for another five or six years. Finishes with excellent grip, but the wine's substantial broad, dusty tannins currently cut off the fruit. (13.3% alcohol)

The tasting ends on a high note, as the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is deeply expressive, despite its obvious youth. Here it is the wine's sense of energy that stands out most. Vivid, nuanced and structured, the 1999 is a wine to cellar for another 5-10 years at a minimum to allow the flavors to flesh out. Readers lucky enough to own the 1999 who can wait a few years will be very happy.

Dunn's normal policy is to select the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from his barrels right before bottling. Hence what I tasted was a trial blend of this wine. This year produced extremely small crops characterized by extremely cool growing seasons as well as unusually late harvests. Dunn dropped 30% of the crop in order to guarantee ripeness in his vineyard. There is no astringent tannin or vegetal characteristic to be found in this full-bodied, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. (Not released yet) Tel. (707) 965-3642; fax (707) 965-3805