2008 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

(13.9% alcohol): Saturated medium ruby. Lovely violet lift to the aromas of blackberry, licorice, spice cake and minerals, plus a hint of Band-Aid. Slightly wild but fine-grained and smooth, showing lovely inner-mouth energy and lift to its dark fruit flavors. A bit leathery and sauvage but less austere and backward than a bottle of the same wine I tasted the next day as part of my vertical tasting at Dunn. Finishes with sneaky rising length and rather suave, nicely integrated tannins.

Randy Dunn’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain has always bean a real beast. The product of a year in which a spring frost decimated yields, the 2008 boasts massive fruit and overall intensity to the point the tannins are nearly buried. The flavors remain incredibly primary, with very little in the way of aromatic development, but, at the same time, I am happy to report readers will not have to wait another decade-plus to enjoy the 2008, as I had originally thought. Little by little Dunn's 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is coming together. (AG)

Bright, deep ruby-red. Deeper and riper on the nose than the Napa Valley bottling, showing brooding aromas of blackberry, cassis, tar, minerals and licorice. Rich and deep but extremely backward and youthfully imploded; a step beyond the Napa bottling in texture and depth, not to mention inner-mouth perfume. This really saturates the palate without leaving any impression of weight. Most impressive today on the subtle, rising, slowly expanding finish, which features big, rich, serious tannins and outstanding energy. There's nothing exotic about the Dunn 2008s, which perfectly capture the energy of this vintage. Should be long-lived.