Randy, Randy, What have you Dunn to me?

[sdr]

Deep, deep ruby red, all the way to the rim. Can't be more than 15 years old, 20 at the most. Even just a sniff tells you you are on the hallowed ground of Pessac-Léognan. Complex classical aroma of woodsmoke, cedar, cranberry, cassis. On the palate, a major hit of mature yet vigorous cab sauv, maybe a bit of merlot in there somewhere. Really complex and interesting. Grabs the tongue and won't let go. Welcome, though slightly coarse, tannins and juicy acidity bring this mother home and glide the passage down the hatch for my grilled bison tenderloin. It's terrific, it's massive, it's muscular. It's La Miss from a great vintage, maybe 1989. Easy guess in a blind tasting.

But wait - the label says it's from California. Impossible, I say. But further inspection shows it's 1992 Dunn Howell Mountain. Maybe somebody switched the label. But no, I uncorked it myself.
My world is forever changed.

Stuart

[Blanquito]

Great note, Stuart. I've only had a Dunn Howell once (this past spring) but it was sensational. Top 2 or 3 Cali Cabs in my life, and perhaps in the top 20-25 from anywhere. Oh yeah, it was a '93.

Glad to hear the '92 measures up!

[JimHow]

My world is forever changed.

First Spain, now Ca-Ca-California???

It may be 2012 on the Mayan calandar, but are we seeing the first signs of the Apocalypse??

[stefan]

Yeah, BD, Stuart worries me. I hope he just needs some jolting from Bordeaux.

[Jay Winton]

I've been drinking more Spanish wine lately-lots of QPR. I will also never say no to a Dunn HM. So, sdr's palate is in an excellent place, IMO.

[Nicklasss]

Watch out when he will fall under Bourgogne control...

I'll try to go see Stuart and Kathy, for a secret mission in March, as I'll be in Orlando for a week, so a little detour by Fort Lauderdale or Miami is something possible...

Nic

[JimHow]

We'll expect a full report from Mission: Ft. Lauderdale, Agent Maltais, your mission: Steer the subject also known as "sdr" back to Bordeaux.

[Michael Malinoski]

The 1982, 1984, 1987 are all drinking great as of fairly recently. I don't think I've been brave enough to open any from the 90s yet--I was thinking another decade at least was needed for any of those. Glad to hear such positive impressions of the 1992 (and 1993)!

Michael

[Mike Christensen]

Well, Dunn isn't your average California Cabernet. I can't tell you how many times I've brought a Dunn to a double-blind tasting where everyone guessed it was Bordeaux (and this with most of the tasters knowing that I'm a huge Dunn fan...).

And I think Dunn softened his style a bit circa 1990. So they're only horrifically tannic for the first 15-20 years.