“Deep ruby red hue. The nose and palate are in perfect harmony and reveal aromas of black fruits, oak and spice. The attack is powerful and underpinned by direct, velvety tannins. This wine offers good structure and aromatic persistency.”

Control is only an illusion

The saying goes, “hindsight is 20/20,” but in this case, it was 2019. For years, Mother Nature gave us spectacular growing seasons. But in 2020, she grew angry. We’ve often heard about the wildfires and the lives they affected. The last weekend of September became a landmark moment for wine country, but for the wrong reasons. It reminded us that we can only control so much.

At Hundred Acre, we are meticulous in caring for our vineyards and wines. However, as we learned, a greater force largely determines the outcome. One gift from the ashes was our appreciation for the beauty of the 2019 vintage. Jayson called it “a precious time capsule,” reminding us why we make wine.

What is in a name?

You may have noticed the name Morgan’s Way. From 2019 onward, the previously known Kayli Morgan wine will be called Morgan’s Way. It’s a tribute to Jayson’s love for his only daughter, a nod to the power of that bond.

The Vineyard

Kayli Morgan (now referred to as Morgan’s Way) is where it all started. In August of 2000, I paid the highest price to date ever paid for planted vineyard land in Napa Valley. After examining the vineyard over a week’s time, I knew I had to own it and that it would make one of the world’s greatest wines. Six weeks later we harvested the first vintage of Hundred Acre, and in a year that was panned by the press, I made one of the highest scoring wines of the vintage…the rest is history.

Located just north of Saint Helena, California at the base of Howell Mountain, the soils are a chocolatey clay, holding moisture to keep the vines cool. As summer progresses, the ground forms micro-cracks, allowing the roots to seek water deeper and deeper into the earth; as they do, they pick up minerals that give the vineyard its distinctive characteristics. A single estate vineyard and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

In the Cellar

All Hundred Acre wines are made by sorting the fruit berry by berry, fermenting in small, French oak fermenters, and long aging in the finest barriques. The secret to Hundred Acre is no compromise and no detail overlooked, ever.

The 2019 vintage marks the 20th Anniversary vintage for Kayli Morgan and is the best I have ever known. The vintage is simply staggering. Must have been fate, since there is no 2020 vintage because of the fires that devastated the Napa Valley.

Cooperage

Hundred Acre wines are aged for a minimum of 30 months in the finest, center-cut French oak barrique. The stave wood is hand-selected for ultra-tight grain, then air dried for three years before being made into barrels.

Learn about the phenomenon that is Hundred Acre Wines here or visit the Hundred Acre website here.