Dunn Vineyards
The story of Dunn Vineyards began in 1978 when Randy and Lori bought a plot of land on Howell Mountain with a few Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Randy was already a full-time winemaker at Caymus Estate in Rutherford, so most of the work at Dunn Vineyards was done in the evenings and at weekends. Randy kept this up for several years, but then he quit his job to dedicate himself completely to their own winery. By the end of the 1980s, Dunn Vineyard had grown into a very successful wine company. Since 2005, Randy's two children have also been working full-time in the winery.
He has expanded the number of Cabernet Sauvignon vines to a total of 16 hectares, which are spread over 5 plots: Alta Tierra, Lake, Frank, Eagle Summit, and Park Muscatine. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 420 meters, just high enough for the vines to evade the infamous blanket of fog. Here, the grapes get more sun than they would in the valley, and the altitude also provides the necessary cooling. The soil consists of red sandstone combined with volcanic rock. All in all, a unique microclimate.
The production consists of two different wines: Howell Mountain Cabernet and Napa Valley Cabernet. The first is the winery's signature wine and is made exclusively from their own grapes. The Napa Valley Cabernet, on the other hand, is partly made from purchased fruit. Both wines are aged in 100% new French oak for a period of 32 months. The wines are concentrated, rich and packed with black fruit. A wonderful example of high-quality Napa Valley wine!
Production is limited to only 5,000 cases per year, which means that these wines often sell out rapidly. Dunn Vineyards' best vintages are 2008, 2012, and 2018.
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