2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard

(15.5% alcohol) Good deep red-ruby. Knockout claret-like aroma of currant, tobacco, mocha, licorice and loam. Sweet and lush, with lovely energy and a distinctly rocky mineral character contributing to the wine's suave impression. Finishes firmly tannic, bright and spicy, with terrific persistence. Jayson Woodbridge started picking his home vineyard on October 12, ultimately making five passes through the vines.

More tannin and earthiness are apparent in the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard. Last year, this wine revealed considerable softness, but that has morphed into a more delineated, beautifully dense, full-bodied Cabernet with dazzling fragrance and glycerin in addition to an extravagant fruit character. It, too, should drink beautifully for 20 years. ||(Not yet released)||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||Tel. (707) 967-9398; Fax (707) 968-9658 Wine Advocate.December, 2008