Hundred Acre Fortification 2007
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium tawny colored, the 2007 Fortification offers up rip-roaring coffee, Black Forest cake, caramel-coated walnuts and raisin cake scents with suggestions of sandalwood, Indian spices and a touch of dates. Full-bodied and full-on rich, unctuous and seductive, it has a plush frame and perfectly knit freshness, lifting the hedonic flavor layers to a very long, luxurious finish. One sip transports you to a whole other level of decadence!
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Jeb Dunnuck
Reminding me of a great, fully mature vintage port from Fonseca, the 2007 Fortification (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) is unquestionably the most exotic and extravagant release in the lineup and one of those wines that needs to be tasted to be believed. Revealing a ruby/plum hue (it's almost opaque), it has an incredible array of ripe red and black fruits, sweet tobacco, cigar, chocolate, and toasted spices, among other nuances. Incredibly complex, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a great, great finish. Like all the vintages of this cuvée, it has that fabulous ability to bring tons of richness and power while staying light on its feet and balanced, with a sense of elegance.
Other Vintages
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
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Wine
Spectator
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James
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Robert
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Jeb
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"One of California’s (perhaps the world’s) most flamboyant, talented, contrarian wine producers is Napa Valley’s Jayson Woodbridge, the owner of Hundred Acre winery. Woodbridge has been running in high gear since his debut 2000. His 100% Cabernet Sauvignons are made primarily by him, with some consulting advice from Philippe Melka. His first effort was from his home vineyard, Kayli Morgan, which is situated east of St. Helena. That offering was followed by a Cabernet from the 15 acre Ark Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Woodbridge recently purchased a tiny, well-situated hillside parcel above the Eisele Vineyard, southeast of Calistoga. His special projects include the Cabernet Sauvignon Precious (in issue #174 I mistakenly called it “Previous”), a wine harvested grape by grape rather than bunch by bunch, and his Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time, which sees extended oak aging (36-42 months). All things considered, this is an extraordinary group of wines. They are not easy to secure unless you are on Hundred Acre’s mailing list, but they are truly profound offerings that showcase a variety of Napa Valley terroirs as well as different harvesting and barrel aging techniques. The newest enterprise is the Dark Matter Zinfandel, a Zinfandel that is pushed to the limits of ripeness from the high elevations of Howell Mountain. The most common characteristic among all of the Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignons is their incredibly opulent, creamy textures. That character vindicates Woodbridge’s harvesting decisions as he seems to achieve extraordinarily sweet, noble tannins in all of his wines. There are approximately 250 cases of Jayson Woodbridge’s special projects, including the Precious and Deep Time cuvees."
-Wine Adocate, Robert Parker
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of this part of Napa’s rugged, eastern hills, but Zinfandel was responsible for giving the Howell Mountain growing area its original fame in the late 1800s.
Winemaking in Howell Mountain was abandoned during Prohibition, and wasn’t reawakened until the arrival of Randy Dunn, a talented winemaker famous for the success of Caymus in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early eighties, he set his sights on the Napa hills and subsequently astonished the wine world with a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Shortly thereafter Howell Mountain became officially recognized as the first sub-region of Napa Valley (1983).
With vineyards at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in elevation, they predominantly sit above the fog line but the days in Howell Mountain remain cooler than those in the heart of the valley, giving the grapes a bit more time on the vine.
The Howell Mountain AVA includes 1,000 acres of vineyards interspersed by forestlands in the Vaca Mountains. The soils, shallow and infertile with good drainage, are volcanic ash and red clay and produce highly concentrated berries with thick skins. The resulting wines are full of structure and potential to age.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah thrive in this sub-appellation, as well as its founding variety, Zinfandel.