Description
Fortune 1621, Cabernet Sauvignon
Even if Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t your first or third wine of choice, it’s going to be mighty hard passing over a quintessential $32 bottling from world-renowned Napa Valley. Honestly, I thought wines like this had all but ceased to exist: Given the frightening costs of inputs and the stratospheric benchmark for quality, finding a Napa Cab of genuine pedigree at a Beaujolais price point is a rarity. At $32, you’re more likely to find something largely innocuous, not a boutique bottling with the kind of power and polish that pushes many Cabernets into $60+ territory.
In other words, the Bump family of Darms Lane Estate, and their secret winemaking weapon, Brian Mox, have created something special with “Fortune 1621.” Namely, an authentic, no-shortcuts-taken Cabernet that’s one of the finest Napa Valley values we’ve seen—it’s even neck and neck with subscriber-favorite “Consortium!” For years, this has been our undisputed Napa Cabernet champion in the price-to-quality department, but today, there’s room for two on the pedestal. Fortune 1621 is the real deal!
“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 2018, 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, structure, and detail.
Comprised of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot with a soupçon of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, this 2018 was crafted by Darms Lane winemaker Brian Mox and aged in a combination of 85% French oak, 15% new, and the rest in brand new American oak. In the glass, it reveals a black-purple core moving to a vibrant magenta hue at the rim. Even if you skip the decant, there’s no mistaking this as anything other than opulent, beautifully structured Napa Cabernet on your first whiff. Powerful and intoxicating aromatics blast out of the glass with force: Black cherry/raspberry/blueberry liqueur dominate before subtler notes of cassis, wild plum, clove, cacao, tobacco leaf, crushed black rock, candied violet, and sage emerge. It is full-bodied, without a doubt, but I assure you there won’t be any palate fatigue. The mastery of blending up and down the valley, the light-handed new oak use—it all works in the wine’s favor. Big and showy but nimble and structured, this 2018 a pedigreed Napa Cabernet that demands to be consumed now. I recommend pulling the cork on this delicious Cabernet about 15-30 minutes prior to serving in Bordeaux stems. Other than that? Pick a hearty dish, and prepare to forfeit a belt notch.
