Fortunate Son 2022 "The Diplomat" Red Blend Napa Valley 750ml

Jayson Woodbridge founded Hundred Acre in 1998, and it took him just two vintages to land on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list — an almost unheard-of debut. Between 2002 and 2015, his wines collected more than twenty perfect 100-point scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, a run of critical acclaim that established Woodbridge as one of Napa Valley's most flamboyant, most talented, and most genuinely contrarian producers. Fortunate Son is his revived label — a project built specifically around old, dry-farmed, head-pruned Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, all sourced from Calistoga, some more than 80 years old — vineyards Woodbridge spent years relentlessly searching out before finally weaving them together into a collection of three wines: The Dreamer, The Diplomat, and The Warrior.

The Diplomat is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 4% Petite Sirah, aged a full 35 months in 100% new French oak — barrique built entirely from hand-selected, ultra-tight-grain stave wood, air-dried for three years before ever being coopered into a barrel. The wines are made with the same exacting method and equipment Woodbridge uses at Hundred Acre, now produced at the historic David Fulton ranch and winery on Fulton Lane in St. Helena, which Jayson and his wife Helen purchased and restored specifically to give Fortunate Son its own dedicated home. The 2022 growing season delivered exactly the conditions the fruit needed: plentiful winter rain filled the reservoirs, abundant summer sunshine and heat drove ripening, and an unusual late-season rain washed the dust from the berries and triggered a gentle cooling trend that set up the final push toward ideal ripeness in the fall.

James Suckling awarded 97 Points: "dark berry aromas with some graphite and stone. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins that are creamy and polished. Succulent and very long. Juicy finish. Lovely tension and drinkability already." Decanter's assessment landed similarly high, around 97 points. Woodbridge's own description of the vintage captures the ambition behind it perfectly: "it's as good as the British Empire would have been had they loved Claret like this." Red currant and cherry fruit lead, accented by perfumed rose petals, gliding across the palate with what one retailer called "the smooth precision of a Rolls-Royce, every cylinder firing in harmony." The estate's own tasting notes describe dark cocoa, fresh-cut strawberry, and vanilla bean opening the wine, joined by a profound mineral layer wedged alongside candied almond slivers and flaky pie crust, with fresh-cut cedar and a cooling thread of peppermint providing lift. Soft, supple tannins carry a tapestry of red fruit and sweet spice across the tongue — silken, elegant, and quietly powerful, exactly the character Woodbridge spent years of vineyard searching to finally bring together.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Fortunate Son is the revived personal label of Jayson Woodbridge, founder of Hundred Acre — one of Napa Valley's most revered cult wineries since its founding in 1998, whose wines earned Wine Spectator Top 100 recognition in only their second vintage and collected more than twenty perfect 100-point scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate between 2002 and 2015. After years of dedicated searching for the right vineyard sites, Woodbridge assembled a collection of old, family-owned vineyard plots in Calistoga — dry-farmed, head-pruned Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, some more than 80 years old — and wove them together into three distinct Fortunate Son bottlings: The Dreamer, The Diplomat, and The Warrior.

The Diplomat is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 4% Petite Sirah, aged 35 months in barrels made entirely from new French oak — using only barrique constructed from hand-selected stave wood with ultra-tight grain, air-dried for a full three years before being coopered. Beginning with the 2021 vintage, Fortunate Son wines have been produced at the historic David Fulton ranch and winery on Fulton Lane in St. Helena, a property Jayson and his wife Helen purchased and restored specifically to serve as Fortunate Son's own dedicated production facility, using the same methods and equipment employed at Hundred Acre's own winery. The 2022 growing season featured a wet winter that filled reservoirs, an abundantly sunny and hot summer, and an unusual late-season rain event that washed dust from the berries and initiated a gentle cooling trend that carried the fruit through an ideal final ripening period in the fall.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 97 Points:
"Dark berry aromas with some graphite and stone. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins that are creamy and polished. Succulent and very long. Juicy finish. Lovely tension and drinkability already. Blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, aged 35 months in barrels. Drink or hold."

Decanter — ~97 Points

Fortunate Son official tasting notes (2022 vintage):
"The 2022 Diplomat greets the senses with a captivating suite of aromas, including dark cocoa, fresh cut strawberry and vanilla bean. A profound mineral layer, like an outcropping of stone, are wedged alongside sweet notes of candied almond slivers and flaky pie crust. A flourish of rose petals adds perfume, while fresh-cut cedar and a cooling thread of peppermint provide lift and freshness. On the palate, soft and supple tannins glide effortlessly, carrying a tapestry of red fruit and sweet-spice nuance across the tongue. The texture is both silken and inviting, leaving a lingering impression of elegance, balance, and quiet power."

Jayson Woodbridge, Founder:
"It's as good as the British Empire would have been had they loved Claret like this."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Bright ruby colored. Dark cocoa, fresh-cut strawberry, and vanilla bean open with immediate warmth, joined by dark berry aromas layered with graphite and stone. A profound mineral layer sits alongside candied almond slivers and flaky pie crust. A flourish of rose petals adds delicate perfume, while fresh-cut cedar and a cooling thread of peppermint provide genuine lift and freshness.

Palate
Medium-bodied, with very fine tannins that are creamy and polished — soft and supple, gliding effortlessly across the tongue. Red currant and cherry fruit lead, joined by raspberries and maraschino cherry, carrying a tapestry of red fruit and sweet-spice nuance. The texture is both silken and inviting, elegant and quietly powerful throughout.

Finish
Succulent and very long, closing on fine cocoa-powder tannins that build around deep, succulent fruit. Juicy and refined, with lovely tension and drinkability already present despite the wine's serious 35-month oak aging — carrying tremendous intensity and genuine staying power.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Seared ribeye and dark chocolate — a specifically confirmed customer pairing
• Grilled lamb or beef
• Aged hard cheeses
• Rich, savory braises