April 25, 2022 - Bright scarlet color with a light amber edge. Cassis, red raspberry, blueberry, sweet lilies, iron and lead pencil. Still a higher alcohol presence, but the palate is showcasing some dried fruits and age. Very tasty and recommend drinking up in this window.
p.s. leftovers
April 9, 2022 - Good wine not great as I had expected for price. Brought from home cellar to Nevis cooler has been here for 2 years. Decanted 1.5 hours had with steaks with friends. We also had ‘09 Staglin which was much better and 1/3 the value.
February 13, 2022 - Opened a 2012 Staglin and a 2006 Hundred Acres Ark with MK&K. By group consensus, the Staglin was the better wine. M called the Hundred Acres “aggressive.” Definitely bigger and more dense, the secondary flavors were buried beneath all of the big fruit. The Staglin offered more in a smaller package with balance and lively secondary notes. Don’t get me wrong, these are both excellent wines, but the edge goes to Staglin by a point or two. (The Hundred Acres received a 1 hour decant. The Staglin was opened at the same time but not poured. I’ve had several experiences where Staglin Cabernets have turned rough and tannic with too much air.)
June 13, 2021 - Decant for thirty minutes. This is fabulous. Deep, layered, racy, very pure, well balanced, everything in place. Blackberry, black currant, tobacco and tea. Long, long finish. If you like this style of wine which is unique even in the pantheon of cult cabs this is in an excellent place.
December 18, 2019 - Very disappointing! I think that's the first time I've said that about HA wine. Fruit was austere, tannins more evident and the mouthfeel was thin.
July 27, 2019 - Good cork, fill. PnP, good on opening, however improved throughout the night. Typical HA fruit - rich, big, silky, tasty. As others have noted, high alcohol is not a factor. Certainly a crowd pleaser. 94
April 3, 2019 - Decanted over cocktails and served with dinner. Absolutely singing. Fresh, focused, intense berries, figs, and plums on the palate seamlessly yielding to a finish of wet leather saturated with plum. What a well-made wine and showing so beautifully.
October 18, 2018 - Compared to 2006 Kali Morgan. The Ark received higher marks with fruit forward California new style. More balanced than Kali at this time. You could hold this for 15 more years. Very enjoyable and smooth. You would never know the alcohol level is 15+.
April 5, 2018 - Sweet cherry mixed with black fruit. Full bodied and silky with no hard edges. Slight sense of mushroom, black rasberry, vanilla, and blood orange. Obviously, the wine is smooth yet complex. No need to wait.
March 27, 2018 - Beautiful full bodied, red fruit, chocolate, cassis flavors. Silky mid palate held up by decent tannin. This is really easy to drink and doesn’t need a big decant.