- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
2017 Hundred Acre 'Ark Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, USA
Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard possesses a deep, profound bouquet of blue-black fruit, cassis, dried violets, korean spices, dark roasted coffee, and a hint of well-worn leather. Complex, full-bodied, and supremely textured, it keeps coming back with loads of fruit and opulence Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon yet stays perfectly balanced, has silky tannins, smooth edges and a royal, singular personality.
About the Producer
Proprietor and former investment banker Jayson Woodbridge bought the 3.6 hectare (9 acre) Kayli Morgan vineyard in Howell Mountain in the late 1990s, naming it for the Hundred Acre Wood from Winnie-the-Pooh. This has been joined by the Ark Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from a 6 hectare (15 ac) property on Glass Mountain in St Helena, and the Few and Far Between cuvée from a 2 hectare (5 ac) site near the historic Eisele vineyard which features around 10-percent Cabernet Franc. The Precious is a cuvée drawn from all three properties.
The vineyard is managed carefully, in such a way that the practices are commensurate with the price of the wines. Vines are pruned to one grape cluster per vine, producing very low yields, and five passes are made at harvest time. At the winery, grapes are sorted berry by berry, and fermented in French oak, usually 500 litre puncheons. Aging time for the wines varies from vintage to vintage, but two years is not out of the ordinary. These wines frequently sell out upon release and are not easy to secure unless one is on the Hundred Acre mailing list.