Dunn Vineyards’ Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the family’s Howell Mountain estate in Napa Valley, a high-elevation site long associated with firm structure and longevity. The 2022 is also a notable technical marker for the winery: as J.C. notes in Robert Parker’s *Wine Advocate*, it is “the first vintage in a while that didn’t get 100% new French oak—it’s just 84%,” raised for about 31–32 months. Reported alcohol is restrained for the appellation (13.9% in *Wine Advocate*), and Wine Spectator reports production of “3,012 cases.”
The top critical results are excellent. Decanter (98) calls it “one of the most approachable Dunn Cabernets in recent memory,” praising a “strikingly fresh” bouquet and the way “soaring tannins frame a wine that is at once succulent.” James Suckling (98) likewise highlights freshness and polish, describing it as “minerally, earthy… seamlessly balanced,” with “melting tannins” and “no hard edges,” concluding it “can age for decades.” Jeb Dunnuck (97) goes further on drinkability, calling it “a smoking good 2022,” with “velvety tannins” and “a gorgeous finish,” and suggests a wide window: “Drink 2026–2046.”
A consistent through-line is Howell Mountain’s savory-mineral signature meeting the warmth of the year. Decanter points to “cured black truffle charcuterie,” “wet slate,” and “loamy earth,” while *Wine Advocate* notes “undertones of crushed stone and pencil shavings.” Vinous (95+), with Antonio Galloni calling it “among the finest wines of the year,” describes “dried herbs, menthol, licorice, incense and blood orange” and “beams of tannin.”
Not every review is rapturous. Wine Spectator (92) finds “a touch of tarry grip” and frames it as “a solid effort for this compromised vintage,” recommending “Drink now through 2032.” Collectively, the 2022 reads as unusually accessible for Dunn, without giving up the cellar-worthy frame that defines the label.
