JAYSON WOODBRIDGE'S HUNDRED ACRE WINE CAPSTONE
“When I’m making the wine, I let my heart speak”
We investigate the vision and strategy of Jayson Woodbridge - the contrarian winemaker’s single-minded, uncompromising quest for the perfect Cabernet
INTRODUCTION
Napa Valley winemaker Jayson Woodbridge affords every detail money can buy to make the best wine possible. It is a quest for perfection. Often against common wisdom and making less than fiscal sense, it is however, brutally simple. He does whatever is necessary to make the best possible wine for each vintage. Hundred Acre Winery is his Capstone.
He has been described as flamboyant, visionary, driven, exceptional, genius, volatile and probably not surprisingly, arrogant. That he ‘thinks on another plane of existence’. That he is the ‘Howard Hughes’ of wine. Worth delving deeper we thought, here’s our summary of Jason his Hundred Acre Wine Capstone…
CORNERSTONE PHASE
Jayson Woodbridge grew up in southern Ontario and wine was on his radar from an early age:
“My grandfather started giving me my own little glass of wine when I was about five years old. He told me wine was part of life and part of family; it was essential and sacred. And that created curiosity. As a teenager, my friends and I used the money from our part time jobs and went to the wine store to try every bottle we could”.
He was a wild child but a stint in the Canadian infantry parachute regiment taught him discipline and focus. The world took on more meaning when, aged 18, he was diagnosed with cancer:
“ I don’t view the world the same way as everyone else. I want to make sure everything I do is the top of the game.”
“It kind of connects you with yourself, and to God. I’m not an overly religious guy, but you realize, hey, there’s gonna come a time when it’s all over.”
KEYSTONE PHASE
Jayson was a man in a hurry, so what we would consider his keystone phase was shorter than most… He had early success in his career as an investment banker financing Canada’s top oil companies in Toronto. As ‘oil guys like drinking good wine’ he was introduced to fine wine:
“As a banker, I had a virtually unlimited budget, which I used. I fell in love with wine. I saw the magic of it. But I soon realised that my friends, though collectors, were not tasting and smelling everything that I was. I had a gift. What they saw was a black-and-white TV, and me, high def. One day in 1990, I walked into a vineyard and had an epiphany. I said, “I gotta do this.” So I started saving money”.
By 1999, aged 35, he had reached financial freedom and retired. He moved his family and literally planted roots in Napa Valley. He was under no illusions he was moving to become a farmer yet had no formal training in making wine.
“I took everything I had — all in, like Texas Hold’em — and started Hundred Acre”.
CAPSTONE PHASE
In 2000 Jayson and his partner bought the Kayli Morgan Vineyard (planted in 1996) at the base of Howell Mountain (“If you want to discover oil, drill in an oil field” says Jayson). The property reminded them of The Hundred Acre Wood, the fictional forest from Winnie-the-Pooh. He named the vineyard it as “its not a physical place. It symbolizes the vastness- that special place- in your heart”.
Cabernet Sauvignon was the natural choice of wine to produce as it thrives on the warm Californian sunshine and cool morning fog. Napa Valley has a rich history of producing cult wines – think Screaming Eagle, Inglenook, Harlan and Bryant Estates… Jayson got off to a strong start. In 2002 he got 100 points from Wine Spectator.
We’ve picked five things to highlight about Jayson and family’s Capstone… what we believe make the Capstone a success:
1) SCARCITY WITH QUALITY
Jayson uses the analogy of Ferrari… that if demand goes up you can get another factory and build more. But with his wine, he has four vineyards (chosen after visiting thousands) and therefore a finite production. Coupled with the fact the winery produces outstanding wines, (the winery has been awarded 22 100-pointers on Robert Parker Wine Advocate since its first vintage in 2000). You have the classic over demand and restricted craft supply. It is reminiscent of the 1990s Bordeaux Garagistes… the region’s most expensive bottles coming from small plots of land owned by men and women without historic family names. Think Château Le Pin. Also analogies with Super Tuscans… originally low yields, small production and high-precision winemaking… daring to be different and fully trusted for their ability to make great wine. Hundred Acre has a 5 year wait to be on the waiting list…
2) PRECISION
Each harvest is taken berry by berry by the vineyard’s full-time staff rather than seasonal pickers. They are paid by the hour not by weight of picking, quality not quantity. Fermentation is done by block and clone at the dedicated winery at on site at the Ark vineyard. Each expression (100 micro picks) are fermented separately then blended with acute precision. There are no shortcuts. Everything is scrutinized, hand crafted, hand pruned and aligned to his mission… towards perfection.
3) CARVING ONE’S OWN PATH
Jayson is essentially doing anything he pleases in pursuit of perfection. This goes against the non-interventionalist winemaking movement. His decisions are made on what he feels best. He isn’t afraid to do it differently in aide of ‘better’, for example the wines have unusually long and dense corks as well as a final sealing of beeswax that protects the wine and cork against microorganisms. They are then topped with a 24-carat gold band which represents his bond to his customers.
4) FOCUSED CONVICTION BEYOND GOOD
He is not out to produce good wines:
“I don’t know anything about good wines. I know about wines that are ethereal; that are great wines amongst the one percent of the one percent. Good isn’t a word – stand amongst the very best or not at all”.
He is blending and producing based on his own knowledge and conviction from his very developed palate and appreciation for great wine:
“When I’m making the wine, I let my heart speak”
Great is worth paying for, especially Jayson believes for his customers that mostly have stressful jobs:
“Hundred Acre isn’t cheap. If people are paying those prices, they need to be getting greatness in every bottle.”
“Having a great wine at your side gives you a moment of respite”.
5) IT’S PERSONAL
Jayson and family have added personal touches throughout. Three of his vineyards are christened, in some way, after his kids. The names of the wines are cheeky – ‘If you see kay’ is one of their past outputs (say it out loud).
FINAL NOTE: RELENTLESSNESS AND SOUL-STIRRING WINES
Jayson clearly believes it is his destiny to make great wines and you get the sense he will relentlessly pursue until he cant be 100% all in:
“It takes a lot of hard work and your heart and your soul never stopping. There is absolutely no compromise at any point. We go all the way."
At the end of the day, what price do you pay for the ultimate limited resource that’s magical, and can make your soul sing a little?”
It’s recommended the ultimate is the Hundred Acre 2007 vintage if you can get access to one. It was one of the best ever vintages for Napa with growing conditions described as perfect.
For more on Hundred Acre Wine visit: https://www.hundredacre.com/
FOR MORE WINE CAPSTONES & ARTICLes
OUR RECENT CLUB OENOLOGIQUE ARTICLE ABOUT FINE WINE & TECHNOLOGY CLICK HERE
ROBERT EDEN’S WINE CAPSTONE CLICK HERE
THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY IN WINE CLICK HERE
MIKE T BARROW’S OPEN VINO CAPSTONE CLICK HERE
ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE AND CAUTIONARY WINE CAPSTONES CLICK HERE
TO READ MORE ABOUT THE HOME FOR FINE WINE CAPSTONE 67 PALL MALL CLICK HERE