2018 Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard
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Body: powerful. Fuller than most red wines from ; 14% alcohol.
Tannin: firm. From ; aged in oak.
Sweetness: dry. Red wine from is almost always dry.
Acidity: medium. from the warm climate of .
Aromas: dark fruit and green notes, typical of
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Log inHundred Acre is a well-known wine producer from Napa Valley, California that specializes in making high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon's. Hundred Acre is best known for its single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon's, which have gained a cult-like status among wine enthusiasts and collectors.
The winery's name, "Hundred Acre," refers to the concept that the best wines come from small, carefully tended vineyards that can be as small as a hundred acres or less. Hunderd Acre wines are known for their strength, complexity and aging potential. They often receive high scores from wine critics and command high prices on the market. Some wines from this producer are: Kayli Morgan Vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon), Ark Vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon), Wraith (Cabernet Sauvignon), Deep Time (Cabernet Sauvignon) and the 'Fortification' (Port wine). Hundred Acre wines are typically made in limited quantities and are known for their bold and expressive flavors. They often show characteristics of ripe black fruit, chocolate and velvety tannins. It is worth noting that Hundred Acre is considered a huge luxury brand. They are sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts, and their releases generate significant interest and demand.
The Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is full of freshly crushed red and black currant, black cherry, black raspberry and cassis scents with fragrant earth accents. Full, rich and velvety, the palate is filled with extravagant fruit and ends with long and persistent earthy notes.
FACT : The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount. You will immediately see the possible discount if you choose Pickup in the Checkout page. We are almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address.
Character
The wine
- 100%
Origin
Bottle
Wine features
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 97
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Drink Date: 2023 - 2040
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard comes from a site on Howell Mountain that's planted in nine blocks, each of which is planted on two different rootstocks. Each parcel is picked, fermented and barreled separately, yielding at least 18 different lots from a vineyard that's only 15 acres in size. On the nose, it reveals a hint of mint, followed by deep, earthy loam notes and black fruit, all underscored by vanilla and cigar box. Full-bodied, plush and expansive, this generous, open wine finishes with serious length.
One of the highlights of my last trip to Napa was having the opportunity to renew acquaintances with Jayson Woodbridge. I had previously met him when Hundred Acre was producing a Barossa Valley Shiraz, but it had been a number of years since our paths had crossed. We met at his office in downtown St. Helena to taste through two dozen bottled wines under the Summer Dreams, Fortunate Son and Hundred Acre labels. Summer Dreams and Fortunate Son have their own separate write-ups; this producer note focuses on Hundred Acre. The heart of Hundred Acre is the three estate vineyards Woodbridge bottles separately. Kayli Morgan (known as Morgan's Way from the 2019 vintage) is located toward the base of Howell Mountain, at too low an elevation to be included in that AVA. According to Woodbridge, it's a dome of clay, volcanic gravel and obsidian. "It's the most elegant of the wines because the clay keeps the vines cool," he said. Because of the clay content, he considers the site largely immune to Napa's troublesome heat spikes. Ark is higher on Howell Mountain. Woodbridge describes it as an upthrown block with some beachfront and volcanic sediments, a 100-million-year sequence turned on its side. Planted in nine blocks, with two different rootstocks, each of those 18 parcels is picked separately, fermented separately and barreled separately. Few and Far Between is located in Calistoga, at Woodbridge's Napa Valley home. It consists of highly volcanic soils, really just fragments of blast rock from Mount St. Helena, he says. Located upslope from the Eisele Vineyard, it faces the Chalk Hill gap, so it gets the cooling wind, creating a huge diurnal difference, according to Woodbridge. At just under five acres, it's the smallest of his vineyards and the only one to include something other than Cabernet Sauvignon (approximately 10% Cabernet Franc). The other wines under the Hundred Acre moniker all derive from these three holdings. Dark Ark is a selection of the darkest, densest lots from Ark; Deep Time is a selection chosen for extended barrel maturation; Wraith is a blend of the three sites, a wine that's meant to provide a picture of the vintage more than a particular vineyard or portion of the valley. Recent vintages have had their share of ups and downs for Woodbridge. "I think 2018 was a legendary vintage," he says. "In 2017 we had a little fire—2018 then was so easy, so natural, the fruit just matured slowly and beautifully. The problem was that 2019 was even more wonderful. The most bucolic kind of vintage. It was almost like it was too good. I felt this great sense of trepidation. I went to the most remote part of New Zealand after harvest. I was stuck in New Zealand for 20 months." While Woodbridge was away on that COVID-19-enforced break, the 2020 fires cost him "both my forests, 15% of my vineyards and the whole vintage." The outspoken Woodbridge has strong opinions on winemaking—and on how his own wines measure up. When I asked him what other Napa wines he admired, he hesitated a bit. "It's hard because I don't really view it that way, " Woodbridge said. "I don't compare Hundred Acre on the local field. I think it is one of the greatest wines in the world. If I was going to have a single wine in California that I thought was worthy, it would be Abreu. Because I think Brad is a very good winemaker. But truthfully, I don't drink a lot of California Cabs. "In the right vintages, I like Haut Brion, and I like Ausone, Bussola Amarone, there are a few great wines from Italy that I like. In certain years, even the most unlikely wines in California can be great. But the test is in the other years. Not everyone can make a great wine in an average year. The wine takes absolute priority over everything. You can never take into account finances when you're deciding your picks. "When I'm making it, it has to be absolutely right. It's not a business, it's a holy quest. It's a business for a lot of other people, but not for me."
Published: May 04, 2023
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Hundred Acre is a well-known wine producer from Napa Valley, California that specializes in making high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon's. Hundred Acre is best known for its single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon's, which have gained a cult-like status among wine enthusiasts and collectors.
History of Hundred Acre
The founder and winemaker behind Hundred Acre is Jayson Woodbridge. He is known for his meticulous attention to detail and his dedication to producing wines of exceptional quality. Jayson Woodbridge, the visionary behind Hundred Acre, founded the winery in the early 2000s. Before entering the wine industry, he had a background in the technical industry. He discovered his passion for wine and winemaking and decided to pursue it with great dedication and enthusiasm. The winemaker's debut year was in 2000, with the release of the Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon.
Production of Hundred Acre
The winery's name, "Hundred Acre," refers to the concept that the best wines come from small, carefully tended vineyards that can be as small as a hundred acres or less. Hunderd Acre wines are known for their strength, complexity and aging potential. They often receive high scores from wine critics and command high prices on the market. Some wines from this producer are: Kayli Morgan Vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon), Ark Vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon), Wraith (Cabernet Sauvignon), Deep Time (Cabernet Sauvignon) and the 'Fortification' (Port wine). Hundred Acre wines are typically made in limited quantities and are known for their bold and expressive flavors. They often show characteristics of ripe black fruit, chocolate and velvety tannins. It is worth noting that Hundred Acre is considered a huge luxury brand. They are sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts, and their releases generate significant interest and demand.
Deze volle, weelderige Cabernet Sauvignon toont geconcentreerd zwart en rood fruit zoals cassis, zwarte kers en zwarte framboos, ondersteund door aardse loamtonen, een vleugje munt en lagen van vanille en sigarenkistje met rijpe, zachte tannines en een lange, elegante afdronk. Dankzij die stevige structuur en rijpe fruitconcentratie vormt de wijn een ideale partner voor rijk vlees; de tannines en het alcoholpercentage snijden mooi door vet en bindweefsel, terwijl de aardse en houttonen harmoniëren met de umami van rundvlees, lam en wild, en met de diepe smaken van gestoofde gerechten; probeer hem bij gegrilde ribeye of gebraden lamsrack met rozemarijn voor extra rokerigheid en kruidenarmaturen, of bij langzaam gegaarde stoofschotels zoals beef bourguignon of korte ribben waar het lange sudderen de saus en het vlees verzacht en de wijn en gerecht in balans brengt.
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