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Hundred Acre is one of those estates where, if you know, you know. The quality of the wines made here is nearly impossible to describe without reaching for words like ethereal, sublime, and perfection. These highly coveted bottles regularly flirt with the upper limits of possibility. In fact, the ARK bottling has only ever scored outside of the 90s five times in its history—and each of those earned 100 points. There’s only so much praise one winery can receive, which is why Hundred Acre no longer pursues critical ratings.

The force behind it all is Jayson Woodbridge, who founded Hundred Acre in 1998. Remarkably, by just his second vintage, his wines earned a coveted spot on the Wine Spectator Top 100, and between 2002 and 2015, they amassed more than twenty perfect 100-point scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

That same relentless pursuit of excellence later fueled the revival of Fortunate Son, where, after years of searching for the right vineyard sites, Jayson introduced The Dreamer, The Diplomat, and The Warrior. Sourced from small, family-owned vineyards and crafted in Hundred Acre’s state-of-the-art underground winery, these wines reflect the same obsessive attention to detail and site expression that define the estate.

As James Suckling puts it, the wines of Hundred Acre are “eccentrically precise with their full-throttle nature.” Of the 2022 vintages, he adds they are “phenomenally seamless and not overpowering, with everything in the right place.”

2022 Hundred Acre ‘Ark Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon stands as one of the estate’s most iconic and uncompromising releases. Sourced exclusively from the legendary Ark Vineyard on Howell Mountain, this single-vineyard Cabernet captures the raw power and precision of its steep, volcanic terrain.

The site’s elevation and rugged soils naturally drive concentration, structure, and depth, shaping a wine built for both impact and longevity. Meticulously crafted and aged in French oak, the Ark Vineyard bottling is a pure expression of place and intent—bold, exacting, and unmistakably Hundred Acre at its highest level.

ABV: 15.5%

100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The aromatics explode from the glass in layered waves of blueberry compote and black cherry preserves, laced with brown sugar, plum skin, and warm sweet yam. A striking mineral thread of crushed slate cuts through, joined by dried rose petals, cigar box, fresh herbs, and a flicker of graphite. 

On the palate, the wine is powerful yet impeccably built, full-bodied, richly textured, and deeply expressive. Dark cherry, blueberry, and plum echo with intensity, carried by plush, composed tannins. Hints of charred cedar and savory herbs ride a firm acid backbone, driving the wine toward a long, opulent finish that lingers with authority and polish.

Black currant, hints of mint, lead pencil and black cherry aromas follow through to a full body with very fine tannins and an endless finish. The texture leaves me breathless and speechless. Incredible length and depth. Hard not to drink now. ~ 100 James Suckling

Just 4.8 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon are planted on this 18.21-hectare estate, situated on the steep, southeast-facing slopes of Glass Mountain in St. Helena. Purchased in 1999, the property is also home to Jayson Woodbridge’s striking underground Ring winery and caves. I awarded the 2021 vintage a perfect 100 points, and this 2022 Ark continues that legacy—it’s the most polished of Woodbridge’s single-vineyard Hundred Acre wines from the vintage. If Morgan’s Way is supreme elegance and Few and Far Between is deep, brooding, and muscular, then Ark sits perfectly in between—balanced and impressively saturated. The palate bursts with red-berry fruit, beautifully scented with brown baking spices, black tea, walnut, and a striking ironstone minerality. “This is superpower wine,” Woodbridge asserts as we taste. “This is a Corporate Hostile Takeover—you go in with this wine. If you’re working on the biggest buyout in history, you drink this just before you short the S&P 500… and then you go skiing in Switzerland. You drink this before and after.” ~ 100 Decanter

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