Dunn Vineyards 2015 Howell Mountain Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

96 points Jeb Dunnuck  Coming from tiny yields and a hotter vintage, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a much more up-front, sweetly fruited, sexy wine compared to the more brooding, Bordeaux-like 2014, although there’s no shortage of structure and tannins in this 2015. Giving up a great nose of kirsch liqueur, blackcurrants, sandalwood, sweet tobacco, and exotic spices, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, elegant texture, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. There’s just a subtle firmer edge to the tannins here, which is common in the vintage, that I suspect will always be there, but the fruit is beautifully pure, it has remarkable sweetness (ripeness, not residual sugar), great balance, and it’s just a singular wine in the lineup.  (3/2022)  95 points Vinous  The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain) offers a striking balance of intense richness from the low yields on the mountain and the intensely mineral/savory qualities that are such signatures of the Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet. Graphite, smoke, grilled herbs, crème de cassis, menthol and iron build into the huge finish. The tannins are there, but they are buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. (AG) 95+ (12/2018)  95 points Wine Spectator  A bright and juicy style, with lots of freshly crushed loganberry, boysenberry and black currant fruit jumping to the fore, followed by briar and sweet tobacco notes on the finish. Solid grip throughout. This is really coiled for the long haul. (JM)   (3/2019)  93-95 points Wine Advocate  The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain looks sensational, as most of the better efforts do in this vintage of relatively low yields. Huge sucrosity, a big, fat, juicy mouthfeel, a dense black/purple color and plenty of crème de cassis, blackberry, camphor and licorice are all present in this layered, rather highly extracted and rich wine. It should drink well for 30-40 years. (RP) (10/2016)