The wine presents a deep ruby colour with a magenta rim. They produce just under 3,000 cases of this Napa Valley-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, constituting about 60% of their total production. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Cabernet Franc aged in 72% new French oak barrels for up to 32 months. This young, restrained wine exudes both power and elegance. Aromas of spicy cedarwood dominate, supported by a vibrant core of crunchy red berries, firm, taut tannins, and delicate floral hints of red rose petals. There's an enticing confected note weaving through the cedarwood character. Overall, this is a wine built to age and tasted with Mike Dunn, who said that the wine was opened a couple of hours before tasting and double-decanted. I’d recommend holding off until at least 2028 before popping corks. The fruit sources are 45% Oak Knoll, 37% Howell Mountain, and 12% Napa Valley, with 6% coming from Yountville AVAs. The first vintage of Dunn Vineyards produced was the 1979 Howell Mountain Cabernet. Founder Randy Dunn's son, Mike, joined in 1999. As of 2023, Ted Kizor was named winemaker, working in tandem with the Dunns.
95 points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter (Aug 2024)
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 72% new French oak. It has a vivid ruby plum hue as well as a great nose of cassis and framboise intermixed with sappy flowers, graphite, and some tobacco notes. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, with ripe tannins, and a great finish, it's a killer example of this cuvée.
93 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Jan 2025)
Dunn’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) hits the palate with waves of inky dark fruit, mocha, leather and spice. This is an especially overt style for Dunn. Then again, the Napa Valley Cabernet is designed to offer more early approachability than the top wines here. All this needs is a bit of time in bottle for the French oak to integrate further. Readers will find a dense, almost shockingly rich wine from Randy and Mike Dunn. Hints of graphite, sage, menthol and licorice kick on the long, beautifully persistent finish. A dollop of Cabernet Franc adds aromatic presence, something Randy Dunn quietly did in this wine in the past. The Napa Valley Cabernet is mostly from the estate, with a bit of purchased fruit from sites in Yountville and Oakville.
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Dec 2024)
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