2016 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

PRESS restaurant in St. Helena is basically a Napa Valley Cabernet museum, so when I sip a martini at the bar—while some patrons chat and others people-watch—I ogle wine labels. I might even stroll past a table to catch a glimpse of a vintage I can’t make out from across the room.

There’s no wine in the PRESS cellar that I wouldn’t be delighted to drink. But there are a special few that, when I see a perfectly-aged bottle being decanted, tempt me to ditch my drink, join the table, and lose myself in the ruby-hued, garnet-rimmed, leather-scented Cabernet. And none lights that fire in me faster than Dunn. 

Dunn is one of the most exquisitely ageable Cabernets in California, and I’m thrilled to bring you our first-ever allocation, their 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet. It’s a classic that shows its richness well before the first sip, in bold aromas of cassis, blackberry, and blueberry accented by savory mesquite smoke, clove, herbs, and vanilla. The palate is packed with ripe currant and blackberry, and the kind of opulent, fleshy tannins that will enable a beautiful and long evolution in the cellar. 

I drank the 2016 over two days, and enjoyed every moment of how it evolved in the decanter and the glass. I recommend drinking one young with a very long decant, and putting a good amount deep in your cellar—this Cabernet shows beautifully young, but will reward as much patience as you’ve got in reserve. 

Dunn’s label is unmistakable, its parchment color and filigreed script hinting at the classic, rich, and elegant wine that the Dunn family has produced on Howell Mountain since the late 1970s—the one that Jay McInerney of Town & Country declared “Some of the Best Napa Valley Cabernet” after a 20-vintage tasting orchestrated by Vinous.

When Randy and Lori Dunn bought their land in 1978, Randy was the winemaker at Caymus, and had just produced a Cabernet that Robert Parker compared to the 1947 vintages of Cheval Blanc and Petrus. During that time, Randy would work in the Valley during the week, then he and his family—including his young son and Dunn’s current winemaker, Mike—would tend the vines at their new property on the weekends. 

The winery was bonded in 1981, and in 1984, thanks to the efforts of a group led by Randy and Bill Smith (of W. H. Smith Wines), Howell Mountain was approved as a sub-AVA of Napa Valley. The next year, Randy left his job in the Valley to concentrate on Dunn Vineyards.

The Dunn estate that started off with just five acres of vines now consists of 42 spread over five vineyards: the family's original Alta Tierra (or Trailer) Vineyard and the nearby Frank Vineyard, which the Dunns don’t own, but have farmed since the late 1970s. The Eagle Summit, Lake, and Park Muscatine Vineyards complete the array, all sitting above 1,400 feet of elevation (obligatory to qualify as Howell Mountain AVA) and providing Randy with the stout and structured Cabernet that he’s made famous.  

Sourced primarily from the Dunn estate on Howell Mountain, the Napa Valley Cabernet is lent forward fruit and softness from a small quantity of fruit from the valley floor. It’s aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak, adding beautiful toasted notes and vanilla to the fleshy, opulent wine, yielding a Cabernet that never fails to thrill me. I know that when you pull a bottle from the cellar—whether it’s this year or in two decades—you’ll feel the same way.