Based around the old Kayli Morgan vineyard in Howell Mountain, Hundred Acre Vineyard was established in the late 90 by former investment banker Jayson Woodbridge.
The name of the estate comes from the woods that feature in A.A Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
In 2003 Woodbridge teamed up with Baron Philippe de Rothschild to buy out his original partner in a move that helped bring greater focus to Hundred Acre as well as adding additional properties such as the Few and Far Between cuvée and the Ark Vineyard.
Hundred Acre’s wines are now made by Jim Barber who is the head winemaker as well as being an experienced oenologist having previously worked for Chateau Haut Brion where he gained exposure to Michel Rolland whose influence can be seen throughout the range of wines coming out under Hundred Acres label.
During the picking season, the grapes are hand-sorted berry by berry as they come in from the vineyard to produce wines that are amongst some of Napa Valley’s finest. The grapes then go through a gentle and meticulous whole cluster fermentation before being pressed off to 100% French oak barrels where it spends between 14 and 18 months ageing slowly to produce rich, concentrated and complex flavours.
Hundred Acre’s wine portfolio is made up of three main ranges: Hundred Acre Cellar Selection which includes both red as well as white wines; Hundred Acre Proprietary Red Collection for their top releases such as Ark Vineyard Merlot or Few & Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon; and finally the third range is called Hundred Acre Estate with premium tier selections like Stag’s Leap or Ark Vineyard.
The most common characteristic found in Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignons is the exceptional elegance and fruit intensity with tasting notes of blackberries, black cherries and hints of vanilla.
The wine produced by Hundred Acre Vineyard has become so popular that there is up to a five-year waiting list for Woodbridge’s Hundred Acre vintages.