Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard 2007

A perfect wine, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard (1,300 -1,400 cases) from Howell Mountain is one of the great efforts from this high elevation terroir. It offers notes of burning embers, black raspberries, blueberries and flowers, a full-bodied opulence, wonderful intensity, but the wine is not weighty or overripe. Fleshy and voluptuous with terrific floral notes, it should drink well for 15-20 years. (Not yet released)From meticulous harvesting berry by berry rather than grape bunch by grape bunch, to an obsessive/compulsive barrel regime as well as winemaking, Hundred Acre is the Napa outpost of visionary and a genius – Jayson Woodbridge. In addition to his original 9-acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard east of St. Helena, he has added a 15-acre parcel on Howell Mountain, and another parcel near the Eisele Vineyard in the northeastern end of Napa Valley called Few and Far Between. Jayson Woodbridge, never content to just make one Cabernet Sauvignon, has added a few other cuvees, one called Deep Time, which is essentially his commitment to very long barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon, and Precious, a selection of primarily the best barrels in the cellar. There is even another project, called Fortunate Son, which is another long barrel-aged wine made from selections Woodbridge makes. Perhaps all this is too much for many people, as these are relatively limited selections. Yet, most importantly, these wines are characterized by extraordinarily silky tannins, and an opulence and voluptuous texture that are irresistible. Moreover, they are capable of lasting for two decades in top vintages, such as 2007 and 2008. All the 2007s except for the Deep Time and Fortunate Son are in bottle, and are living up to the high promise of this stunningly opulent, showy, complex vintage. 2008 is another super-strong vintage for most of Napa Valley’s top Cabernet producers. It is just a notch below 2007 for most producers although some have matched and even eclipsed their 2007 counterparts.