Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is a 750ml, 13.7% ABV Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blending fruit from Howell Mountain and Coombsville, aged 32 months in new French oak. This vintage earned 95 points from both Decanter Magazine and James Suckling, along with 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 93 points from Wine Advocate.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.7%  |  Origin: Napa Valley, California  |  Vintage: 2019  |  Winery: Dunn Vineyards

Production & Heritage

Dunn Vineyards was founded in 1979 by Randy Dunn on Howell Mountain after his apprenticeship as winemaker at Caymus Vineyards. The 2019 vintage is composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon — 78% sourced from Howell Mountain and 22% from Coombsville — and marks the first inclusion of fruit from the Eagle Summit Vineyard, which was purchased in 2018. Grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed, and fermented in stainless steel tanks before transfer to 100% new French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and 32 months of aging, with racking every six months. This was the largest production in Dunn Vineyards' history, yet the wine retains the structured, age-worthy character the estate is known for.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose is aromatically expressive and layered, opening with red cherry and plum before unfolding into sweet tobacco, dried flowers, and cedar. Deeper notes of crème de cassis, graphite, and leather emerge with time in the glass.

Taste: The palate enters with ripe currants and blackcurrants, building through a mid-palate of roasted herbs, mocha, and cassia bark. Full-bodied yet deceptively supple, the wine carries balanced acidity and silky smooth tannins that give the fruit a polished, layered quality — warmed cassis and plum sauce flavors flanked by singed vanilla and apple wood.

Finish: The finish is long and textured, with a gorgeous interplay of fine-grained tannins, dried herbs, and a distinctive tug of tobacco. Violets and incense linger quietly beneath the structure, suggesting significant cellaring potential.

How to Drink Dunn Cabernet 2019

This wine is best served slightly below room temperature, around 62–65°F, in a large-bowled glass that allows its layered aromatics to develop fully. Decanting for at least an hour is strongly recommended given the wine's youth and tannic structure. A classic Cabernet of this caliber pairs naturally with a bone-in ribeye, where the silky tannins cut through the richness of the beef. It also stands up beautifully alongside braised short ribs, where the wine's herbal and tobacco notes mirror the savory depth of the braise. For a less conventional pairing, aged hard cheeses like Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano draw out the mocha and cedar undertones.

Best For

• Cellaring for long-term aging — this vintage has the structure to evolve over 15–20+ years
• Gifting a serious Napa Valley Cabernet collector
• Anchoring a special dinner with prime cuts of beef or lamb
• Adding a benchmark Howell Mountain Cabernet to a curated wine library

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Dunn Cabernet 2019 taste like? It delivers ripe currant, plum, and blackcurrant fruit supported by roasted herbs, mocha, sweet tobacco, and cedar, all carried by silky tannins and balanced acidity. The wine is full-bodied with a supple, layered texture that belies its firm tannic backbone.

How does Dunn Cabernet compare to Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon? Randy Dunn apprenticed as winemaker at Caymus before founding his own estate in 1979, so the two wines share historical roots. However, Dunn's mountain-grown fruit tends to produce a more structured, tannic, and age-worthy wine compared to the typically softer, more immediately approachable style of Caymus.

Is Dunn Cabernet 2019 good for sipping neat? Yes, it drinks well on its own after a thorough decanting of at least one hour, though patience will reward — this wine has the tannin structure and acidity to improve considerably with 10 to 20 years of cellaring.

Where is Dunn Cabernet made? Dunn Vineyards is located on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, California. The 2019 vintage draws 78% of its fruit from Howell Mountain estate vineyards (including the newly acquired Eagle Summit Vineyard) and 22% from the Coombsville sub-appellation in southern Napa.

What foods pair well with Dunn Cabernet 2019? Bone-in ribeye steak complements the wine's silky tannins and herbal depth. Braised short ribs mirror its tobacco and savory notes. Rack of lamb with rosemary echoes the dried herb character. Aged Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano amplify the mocha and cedar undertones. Dark chocolate with sea salt highlights the wine's cassis fruit on the finish.

What sizes does Dunn Cabernet 2019 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle.

Is Dunn Cabernet 2019 worth the price? Dunn Vineyards positions as a premium Napa Valley Cabernet producer with a decades-long track record of age-worthy wines. With 95 points from Decanter and James Suckling and 94 from Jeb Dunnuck, the 2019 vintage represents strong critical validation within its price tier of serious, collectible mountain Cabernet.

Why Dunn Cabernet 2019?

The 2019 vintage marks a pivotal moment for Dunn Vineyards — it is the first to incorporate fruit from the Eagle Summit Vineyard and represents the estate's largest production to date. Despite this expanded scale, the wine earned its highest combined critical scores, with 95 points from both Decanter and James Suckling. Randy Dunn has spent over four decades building a reputation for structured, mountain-grown Cabernet that rewards patience, and this release upholds that legacy with 32 months of aging in 100% new French oak and a tannic architecture built for the long haul. In a Napa landscape increasingly tilted toward opulent, early-drinking styles, this bottling remains a steadfast example of classically structured California Cabernet.