2012 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

The stunning 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a 30-year wine. Loads of cr̬me de cassis, blackberry liqueur, licorice, incense and oak jump from the glass of this huge, massive, concentrated and ripe wine that reminds me of some of the early vintages from Michael Dunn‰۪s father, Randy, particularly the 1982 and 1984. This is a beauty of great intensity and purity that should age effortlessly for 25-30+ years. If you can find it, it will be certainly worth having, as it flirts with perfection. Mike Dunn seems to be far more flexible than his father about alcohol levels in their Cabernet Sauvignon, as some of these are over 14%, while his father consistently maintained he used reverse osmosis to lower the alcohol. That being said, there is never a question about ripeness. These wines are always picked at 25 or more Brix to get the fruit ripe. After some hiccups over the last decade, the 2011s performed well above the average vintage quality, and the 2012s are spectacular, including the first old-vine cuv̩e from the first vines Randy Dunn planted in 1972. Unfortunately, that wine is limited as only four barrels, or about 100 cases, were produced. There have always been two cuv̩es and they are Napa bottling, which comes from young fruit as well as purchased fruit, in more recent years from Coombsville. And the estate wine comes from the steep, 35-acre red Aiken soil-dominated vineyards of Howell Mountain.(RP)