Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

The 1995 is densely concentrated and shows a dark ruby core moving to a rim of magenta and garnet. It displays a high intensity of aromas, featuring dried blackberries and cherry, cassis and over ripe plums. Its secondary aromas show some development and include a bouquet of bacon, game meats, leather, violets, and cedar. The palate offers pleasure with a delicious attack of sweet blackcurrant and licorice spice. Oak characters are well integrated with some background flavors of vanilla, toffee, mocha, and cinnamon. Some tasters noted a green or vegetal aspect to the wine with descriptors including thyme and green tomato. Earth characteristics ranged from iron-rich and compost to graphite. Most considered this wine to be youthful, with its high concentration of tannins, full body and fairly high levels of acidity. It seemed a difficult wine to grade because of the level of competition, almost every taster offered a tasting window from 2012 onwards.