This was an incredible opportunity to look at a vertical of Jayson Woodbridge’s fortified Cabernet Sauvignon release, Fortification. A unique fortified wine, the wine portion of the cuvée comes from the Kayli Morgan Vineyard in Napa (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), with the spirit used for the fortification coming from a double distillation of single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa as well. The Brandy is aged in new French oak for 5-6 years before being used in the fortification process. You rarely hear about the quality of the alcohol used for fortified wines, but after tasting through this vertical, it is unquestionably a vital component of the quality of the final wine that deserves more attention. The final wine is aged upwards of four years in new French oak.

Numerous times while tasting through these vintages, I had the distinct impression of tasting some of the mature, legendary Ports from the likes of Fonseca and Dow, and there’s no denying the world-class quality of these wines. In addition, while all of the vintages have unique characters, there are really no off-vintages here, and these are all brilliant wines that I wish I could have every reader taste.

The only downsides are that they’re just about impossible to find in the market with quantities in the 100-case range, and the price is north of $500 a bottle.

By Jeb Dunnuck
Founder & Wine Critic
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