Hundred Acre Dark Ark

2016: The “dark expression of ARK Vineyard" continues with the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Ark. Deep garnet-black, the nose is profoundly earthy/meaty, slowly revealing beguiling notes of damp soil, truffles and crushed rocks, before giving way to a core of creme de cassis, black cherry compote and fruitcake with wafts of beef drippings and wild fungi. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-earthy in the mouth, the palate delivers layers of black fruit preserves, beautifully offset by a lively backbone and velvety tannins, finishing epically long and layered. There is something hauntingly cerebral and yet satisfyingly visceral about this vintage—a singular experience!

Wine Independent 100: The 2018 Dark Ark Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. Plum preserves, creme de cassis, Chinese five spice, lavender, iron ore, and menthol lead to wafts of tree bark and wild blueberries. The full-bodied palate is super fine-grained, with energetic tension leading to a long mineral finish. This is so youthful. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Wine Advocate 98+: The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Ark is a 100-case selection derived from Ark Vineyard barrels that were notably darker and denser than the rest. Loaded with black cherries, cassis and loam notes, it's full-bodied, a bit brooding but concentrated, rich and supple, with a long, velvety finish. A true powerhouse, it's clearly one of Hundred Acre's top 2018s.

James Suckling 100: The purity of cabernet fruit is phenomenal, with black currant, crushed stone and gravel and some terra cotta. It’s full-bodied with incredible depth and length. It goes on and on. Reminds me of Latour from the late 1940s. Wow. Will age forever. Drink now or hold.

Decanter 100: A barrel selection drawn from nine distinct blocks within the Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard, Dark Ark represents the densest and most powerful expression of this site. The wine is immensely satisfying, filled with pure cassis, red and black currant fruit, spiced plums, and seductive toasty brown oak spices, all framed by extraordinary textures that are all satiny, silky, velvety, you name it. Tasted alongside Ark, its sheer power and intensity are undeniable—a perfect snapshot of the vineyard in a challenging vintage, magnified through a precise barrel selection. Impossible to put down. The Ark vineyard itself spans a 100-million-year sequence of sedimentary layers, each contributing micro-pockets of unique geological character. As Jayson Woodbridge explains, ‘The superstructure threads of Ark are here—what I consider the true core of the vineyard. Around those threads are enormous complexities and nuances, but when they appear within Ark itself, there’s often so much depth and power that this particular thread can be harder to see. Dark Ark isolates it—I want you to see it because it’s essential to what Ark is.’ Produced in minute quantities, Dark Ark functions like a time machine, revealing each geological layer divided and turned on its side—a rare perspective into the vineyard’s inner essence.