#6 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023

98pts Vinous

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is outrageously beautiful. A wine of extraordinary purity, the 2019 dazzles right out of the gate. The tannins are nearly silky for a young Howell Mountain Cabernet. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, rose petal and pomegranate all build in this sumptuous, explosive Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2019 is one of the most elegant Cabernets I have tasted here, and that is saying something What a wine!

98pts Jeb Dunnuck

I would put the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain up against both the 2013 and 2016 as a potential reference point vintage for this cuv e. Checking in at 13.9% alcohol and revealing a deep purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of pure cr me de cassis, scorched earth, graphite, bouquet garni, and hints of plum, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness carrying ultra-fine tannins, a flawless sense of balance and purity, and incredible length. It has plenty of classic Howell Mountain structure, but it's far from the beast of a wine these were 10 to 15 years ago, and it clearly offers ample pleasure today. Nevertheless, it's going to benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and, I suspect, evolve nicely over the following 20-30 years. Tasted twice with consistent results, hats off to Mike Dunn for this brilliant wine.

97pts James Suckling

Bold and generous aromas of blackcurrants, pomegranates, cumin and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with silky smooth tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of blueberry compote, cedar, mocha, olive tapenade and ferric earth. Savory and soft with a serious undertone.

96pts Wine Spectator

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.

96pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Despite weighing in at under 14% alcohol (13.84% to be precise), the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain comes across as full-bodied and expansive on the palate, redolent of pine needles, blueberries and cherries. Possessing terrific texture and framed by plenty of softly dusty tannins, it finishes long and concentrated, promising at least two decades of positive evolution. Rating: 96+

Winemaker Notes

Dunn's signature wine contains only fruit farmed in their vineyards on Howell Mountain. The wine comes in a distinctive bottle that is hand dipped in red wax.