2022 Hundred Acre "Wraith'' Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the darker expression of WRAITH, and I tend to prefer it in 2022. The wine is profoundly soulful and deeply penetrating. It’s boldly rich red and black fruits, warming spices, and sinewy tannins unfold in mesmerising precision, flooding the palate with the most succulent, umami, and lush textures. The WRAITH Holy Quest is a barrel selection that embodies Jayson Woodbridge’s personal journey to fuse his life with wine as ‘a bodyguard, a protector—like body armour—shielding you from the buffeting forces of life.’ During my tasting with him in 2024, he offered this detailed explanation of Holy Quest: ‘[This is] a small, rare portion of WRAITH, [which is a wine] based on the legend of the Knights Templar. On Friday the 13th, the Templars were betrayed and extinguished by the corrupt French King and Pope. These knights, protectors of the realm, wore the Armour of Light. Still, as they prepared to create immortals, they forged the Armour of Night—allowing them to become vaporous at night, solid during the day, and safe only within the sanctity of Templar churches. The WRAITH label speaks to this secret, explaining how only two Templars can pass through the hidden seal—read the label closely.’ (JC)