Duke of Bourbon: E-mail Specials

Flash!
Hundred Acre 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Ark Vineyard, has been reevaluated by Robert Parker with a score of 96-98+ and he had this to say: "Along with David Abreu's Howell Mountain Cabernet, the extraordinary 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard may be the finest Cabernet Sauvignon I have tasted from that mountain. A dense purple color is accompanied by a liqueur of wet rocks and minerals intermixed with blueberry, black raspberry, and floral notes, a full-bodied richness, sweet tannin, and extraordinary opulence and fleshiness. This offering may end up with a three-digit score if it keeps performing like this. "

Plus, read on for Kayli Morgan (score 98-100) and Ancient Way Shiraz (not yet rated).

Cheers! from the Duke of Bourbon

Jayson Woodbridge, owner/winemaker of the fabulous Hundred Acre wines, is set to release his next vintage in just a few weeks! His success since his debut with the 2000 vintage is marked by a series of monster scores from the wine critics. His first effort was from his home vineyard, Kayli Morgan, which is situated east of St. Helena. That offering was followed by the release of the incredible Shiraz from Barossa and then by a Cabernet Sauvignon from the 15-acre Ark Vineyard on his estate. The most common characteristic among all of the Hundred Acre wines is their incredibly opulent, creamy texture. That character shows the man's winemaking instincts, as he seems to achieve extraordinarily soft and silky tannins in his wines.

And now, great news from the Duke! We are taking pre-release deposits on the Hundred Acre wines. Read on and then give us a call for your favorite! Note: In the race for favorite, there can be such a thing as a triple dead-heat.

The wines are scheduled for release next week and require a 100% deposit with your order. These wines are always super-popular and are at the top of most collectors' lists. Order early to ensure your share. The production of the outstanding 2007 vintage was less than the 2006.

The Duke's prices on all pre-sale Hundred Acre wines are listed below. Each 3-pack is in the familiar custom wooden box.

Hundred Acre 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Kayli Morgan Vineyard
Parker said it pretty well after he awarded the wine a monster score of 98-100 points: "A potentially perfect wine is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard. This vintage of moderate yields produced such flawless Cabernet Sauvignon fruit as well as sweet tannin and sufficient acidity that top producers should have achieved their finest wine since 2002, perhaps their finest in the last twenty years. The inky/ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Kayli Morgan cuvee boasts an extraordinary nose of graphite, cedar, blackberries, cassis, and subtle notions of smoke and burning embers. Incredibly rich, pure, and multilayered with a 50-second finish, this outstanding effort will have early accessibility, but should age effortlessly for 20+ years. Jayson Woodbridge's vision of high quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is increasingly confirmed with each new vintage. His debut vintage, 2000, was not an easy year to launch a high end, luxury Cabernet Sauvignon, but it was so delicious upon release, that I couldn't believe it would get much better. After having a taste of it in late October, I'm happy to say I was wrong. At nine years of age, the 2000 is doing great. All of these wines are 100% Cabernet Sauvignons, and all are aged in 100% new French oak in various sizes, from small barrels to 500-liter puncheons, and 600-liter demi-muids. The flagship wine is from the home vineyard known as Kayli Morgan (just east of St. Helena). Woodbridge also has a 15-acre parcel on Howell Mountain, the Ark Vineyard, a new offering called Few and Far Between near the Eisele Vineyard southeast of Calistoga. Lastly, there is a limited cuvee called Deep Time where he is experimenting with small lots aged 36-50 months in oak. Woodbridge is irrefutably a contrarian, but he is the kind of person you want going against mainstream, conventional thoughts. His wines are among the most individualistic in California. Even with their lofty prices and limited availability, they merit support."
The Duke is proud to have offered every vintage of the fabulous Hundred Acre wines and is equally proud to be one of their primary retail accounts. We have Hundred Acre 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Kayli Morgan Vineyard, available for you in custom wooden 3-pack cases for $899.97 each ($299.99 per bottle). We do not have a limit on purchases at this time, but we suggest that you place your order sooner rather than later. With a score like this . . . .
Hundred Acre 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Ark Vineyard
Parker's notes as he awarded this beauty 96 points: "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."
We have the Hundred Acre 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Ark Vineyard, available for you in custom wooden 3-pack cases for $899.97 each ($299.99 per bottle). Parker has rated the 2005 Ark 98/100, the 2006 96/100 and the 2007 96. With such a string of high scores, this vineyard has the potential to become one of the premier vineyards in the state.

Hundred Acre 2007 Shiraz, Ancient Way Vineyard
The Ancient Way Vineyard was planted by the top viticulturalist in Australia while he worked for Penfold's. He selected the very best cuttings from Grange's core vineyard blocks to create this unique site. The soil is iron-rich red earth over fractured limestone, a rare soil sequence allowing Hundred Acre to produce a Shiraz like no other ever made in the Barossa Valley. The vineyard yield is usually only about one-fourth of a typical Shiraz vineyard. "Ancient Way" also describes the methods used in the vineyard. In an area where labor prices dictate the use of machines to harvest the crop and even to prune the vines, Hundred Acre does everything the "ancient way," entirely by hand!
A short note from Jayson: "The 2007 Ancient Way is the finest I have ever made. As the 2008 vintage was lost, I will not be releasing another vintage of this wine till 2013. So this is it, those of you that know the magic of this wine will not hesitate, and those who have not taken the leap are truly missing out on something magical or as Mr. Robert Parker has referred to it in the past "PHENOMENOL". "
The wine is unmistakably Hundred Acre : powerful, elegant, complex, packed with concentrated black fruit and layer upon layer of subtle spice, mocha and smoke nuances. This wine bears more resemblance to its sibling wine than it does to any other Shiraz made previously. With the Kayli Morgan Cabernet and the Ancient Way Shiraz side-by-side, the stylistic similarities are striking, one with nuances of Napa Cabernet, the other of Barossa Shiraz . . . both are, without question, among the finest wines made in the world.
The Duke is excited to offer one of the world's greatest Shiraz, Hundred Acre 2007 Shiraz, Ancient Way Vineyard, to you in custom wooden 3-pack cases for $765.00 each ($255.00 per bottle).
Call the Duke today!!
818-341-1234

Note: Prices are good while our supplies last and we reserve the right to change them at any time without notice.