Years ago, we showcased a massive six-pack vertical of Dunn’s flagship Cabernet ranging from 1994 to 2001 and it still remains one of our most memorable offerings ever. Dunn is one of those select few California producers I will always hold close to my heart: Their ultra-classic style has never wavered in the face of shifting tastes and extraction-hungry critics. And for that, we couldn’t be happier. For me, their handcrafted, intricately detailed, long-lived reds are not just among the finest in Napa, but the world. Now, the million dollar question: Does all that translate into today’s bottle?
You better believe it. One taste of this rarely seen 1993 Petit Sirah—from a Howell Mountain vineyard first planted in the 1800s—will hoodwink you into thinking it’s a first-class Bordeaux blend. Throughout more than two decades of aging, it has transcended Petit Sirah and morphed into a breathtakingly supple, endlessly savory red that reads like a Classified Growth. Truly, this bottle has smashed the quality barrier of this oft-besmirched variety, reaching a level of brilliance that Petit Sirah (a.k.a. Durif) rarely achieves. Seriously: Gather your top know-it-all wine friends around a table and blind-taste them on this ancient, if not cryptic, gem. Their answers and overall satisfaction will bring the widest of smiles. These bottles are coming direct from Dunn’s cellar—and don’t drag your feet because they only produced 100 cases in 1993!
[Note: To ‘e’ or not to ‘e’: that is the question. Though the correct spelling is Petite Sirah, today’s ‘93 honors the archaic version, so we did too.]
Dunn Vineyards has been producing some of the most balanced, age-worthy, and sought-after examples of Napa Valley red wine since its founding in 1979. Randy Dunn, a UC Davis alumnus and previous winemaker for Caymus in the ‘70s/‘80s, consistently captures the Old World’ elegance of Bordeaux with the essence of mountainside Napa. With immaculate fruit sourced from Howell Mountain AVA—a sub-appellation which he helped establish—the altitude and soil deliver unrivaled examples of harmonious acidity, structure, and complexity. A few years back, I was fortunate enough to attend a twenty-year vertical of Dunn’s wines with some of the top sommeliers in California. Every vintage was phenomenal, even from difficult years, thanks to Dunn’s restrained, balanced approach. Petit Sirah however, didn’t make an appearance in the lineup. I suppose they were still slumbering deep in their cellar, awaiting the right moment…
In 1993, this rare Petit Sirah (not to be confused with Syrah) was sourced from a cold, 2000-foot block within the “Park Muscatine” vineyard, located just a short walk from Dunn’s winery in Angwin. Back then, they simply called it “the old petit block.” Though it has since been replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon and renamed the “Coyote” block, this remains an extremely historic site: It was originally planted in the 1870s to a field blend of Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Carignan, and before Dunn purchased it in 1991, Ridge Vineyards was utilizing the grapes for their own wines. And why wouldn’t they—the block shares many similarities with their legendary Monte Bello vineyard!
For four vintages, starting in 1992, Randy Dunn sold off the majority of his Petit Sirah to other producers, only keeping a small amount for his own personal production—never more than 100 cases annually. For today’s 1993, Randy subjected the grapes to a long, cool maceration and fermentation before entering mostly neutral (25% new) French barrels for 12 months. It was then racked once and sent into stainless steel tanks for settling and additional maturation. As stated above, the allocation we are offering today has never left Dunn’s cellar. For those who taste this wine and swear there has to be some Cabernet in it—you might not be wrong! There’s a good chance a small percentage was blended in to round out the Petit Sirah.
First and foremost, I recommend opening this red wine antiquity with an ah-so. If you don’t yet have one, it’s a great tool to have when opening older wines—it removes the agony of watching crumbling cork particulate splash into your precious wine. After, treat the wine to a delicate decanting to remove it from its sediment. Once you see the wispy ‘smoke’ at the neck of the bottle, you’re done (there will probably be an ounce or two remaining in the bottle). Equipped with large Bordeaux stems and a proper drinking temperature (60-65 degrees), you're now ready to let the good times roll. Even the most trained sommelier in the world would have difficulty identifying this wine accurately, but they would surely call it a high-quality wine from a distinguished producer.
This ’93 displays a dense, hazy garnet color and instantly delivers the aromatic goods: scents of blackberries, huckleberry, currants, and plums waft out of the glass in an elegant fashion. Far from explosive and far from delicate, the deeply fruited aromas and subtle baking spice are gorgeously fine and composed. And then a cascade of savory secondaries—underbrush, damp herbs, cedar, crushed stones, leather—enter into the mix. The full-bodied palate is wholly integrated: layers of mature, savory fruit and crushed minerality dance across your taste buds with ultimate finesse. Decades of age have sanded down every rough tannin and lifted acidity has kept it extremely lively. This wine is the golden standard of classic Napa winemaking—if you ever happen to cross paths with Randy, shake his hand and tell him he’s done a damn fine job. I know I will. Enjoy.
