2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)

I was sure my appointment at Dunn was going to be cancelled this year. Devastating forest fires forced mandatory evacuations on Howell Mountain that were beginning to be lifted as I arrived. Still, the situation looked extremely dangerous. Angwin and the roads leading up to the winery were pretty much deserted as I made my way up to Dunn. The first thing I noticed after I parked was the antique fire truck, standing at attention and at the ready. The hoses were all laid out, just in case the fires changed direction. Basically, Randy Dunn was not going to leave his property no matter what anybody told him. In the end, bordering Lake County was devastated, but Howell Mountain was spared. In this context, wine seems a bit less important when you can literally see the smoke billowing into the sky. As for the wines. Dunn's 2012s are terrific. Dunn fans will notice the addition of a new wine in the range, the Trailer Cabernet, which was made only in 2012 and 2013 as a homage to a historically significant vineyard on the property that has since been replanted. In addition to these wines, I also had a chance to revisit the Howell Mountain Cabernets from vintages 2006-2009, which reinforced my view that these wines are less forbiddingly tannic young than they used to be. Of those vintages, 2008 remains the star.