Placeholder Image

Fortune 1621, Cabernet Sauvignon

California, United States 2017 (750mL)
$32.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Fortune 1621, Cabernet Sauvignon

Honestly, I thought wines like this had all but ceased to exist. Given the costs of inputs in today’s Napa Valley, it’s not often you see a Cabernet Sauvignon of genuine pedigree at this price point. At $32 you’re more likely to find something mass-produced and largely innocuous, not a 2,500-case boutique bottling with the kind of power and polish that pushes other wines into three-digit territory.
Color us impressed: The Bump family of Napa’s Darms Lane have created something special with their “Fortune 1621” label, namely one of the best values for real-deal Napa Valley Cabernet any of us has ever seen. Today’s 2017 was poured for us without any mention of price, which made the eventual “reveal” that much more dramatic: We were prepared to pay (and charge) more for it, because it would still have been a great buy, but once we learned the real number it became a question of how fast we could get it up on the site. So, here it is: Delicious, distinctive, small-production Cabernet offering value on par with SommSelect subscriber-favorite “Consortium” from Band of Vintners. I didn’t think I’d see the day, but this is it!
“Fortune 1621” is a label created by the Bump family, whose estate, Darms Lane, is in the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley. Formerly known as Crichton Hall Winery and focused primarily on Chardonnay, it was acquired by Larry Bump in 2002 and promptly re-planted to the “Bordeaux” varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. In addition to their own Darms Lane wines, which are produced in tiny quantities, the Bumps sold grapes to a handful of other producers, most notably Spottswoode (for use in their acclaimed “Lyndenhurst” Cabernet Sauvignon). The creation of Fortune 1621 provided a new, more affordable showcase for some of that estate-grown Cabernet (more than half the blend), which is supplemented by purchased fruit from Oak Knoll, Rutherford, and St. Helena.

The name for this new project is derived from that of a ship, called Fortune, which landed in Plymouth in 1621 (a year after the Mayflower) and included one Edouard Bompasse among its passengers—of whom the Bumps are direct descendants. Fanciful as that “branding” may be, however, make no mistake: This is a serious Cabernet with real pedigree, not an anonymous bulk wine with clever packaging. For all its dense concentration, there’s also surprising freshness on display in today’s 2017, which speaks to the uniqueness of the Oak Knoll District AVA: Located at the southern end of the Napa Valley, the region experiences a cooling influence from the nearby San Pablo Bay, which lengthens the growing season and helps preserve acidity. There’s plenty of juicy, ultra-ripe Cabernet out there at this price point, but much less with this level of nerve, minerality, and detail.

Comprised of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, this 2017 was crafted by Darms Lane winemaker Brian Mox and aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels (about 15% new). In the glass, it is an opaque ruby-purple moving to magenta at the rim, with powerful aromas of blackberry, cassis, currant, tobacco, cocoa powder, violets, and graphite. It is full-bodied, without a doubt, but its saturated fruit is lifted by bright acidity—a big yet nimble wine that drinks well now. Pull the cork on this delicious Cabernet about 15 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems and pair it with something comparably hearty and satisfying: It’s almost time to take the cover off your grill and start cooking outside again, so take the attached recipe and run with it. You’ll be very happy to have a glass of this wine by your side as you work. Enjoy!
Placeholder Image
Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesNapa Valley
Soil
Sandy/Gravelly Loam
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon 85% w/ Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc
Alcohol
14.5
OAK
Mixed French/American (15% New)
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Bordeaux Stems
Drinking
Now-2024
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Sticky BBQ Ribs

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Others We Love