Mission Codename Our nation's fortification
Gorgeous, soul-warming PORT. Napa style, in this case. And get this - FIFTEEN DOLLARS. Not a typo.
Woodbridge brothers sure have a true knack for crafting wines modeled after Port, the quintessential Portuguese contribution to the world of fine wine. When Cameron was working with Jayson at Hundred Acre, they released “Fortification” the first and only “Cali-Port” to ever garner a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker who wrote “unquestionably one of the finest fortified wines I have ever tasted.”
Parting ways to his own adventures with Stormy Weather and Wolf’s Head labels, Cameron continued his passion for this genre, quietly and under the radar, producing profound examples like this one. Intense, with a core of well-steeped plum and blackberry fruit within a smoldering earthen frame. Bramble and warm blueberry compote run through the finish, where a racy sage note counterparts cut and lift to the hefty mid-palate.
Amongst all his fortified we tried; this 2014 Iberian Ruby left us speechless.
If you won’t stash up some of these conveniently portioned 500ml gems, you will never know what you are missing out on at the end of those weekday meals. Don’t do that! We urge you because we genuinely care about your drinking only the best.
Now if you come across a bottle of Fortification (which can cost about $800 these days!) and experienced it side by side with this SUB-$20 GIFT FROM BACCHUS you would undoubtedly be blown away by the resemblance in quality and style.
To recap, Cameron worked alongside Jayson and Philippe Melka, who consulted for Hundred Acre at the time, starting in 2005. He honed his skills to break out on his own with comparably opulent, hedonistic, high-scoring wines, and the best Port tribute possible on this side of the Atlantic…
We’ll save you a search for reviews, ratings, or competition on this, there are NONE out there!
Too bad it’s very limited, here is all we could finagle, grab what you can.
What the Winery Says
2014 'Iberian Ruby' Port Blend 500ml
- Winemaker
- Cameron Woodbridge
- Varietals
- 62% Touriga Nacional, 25% Souzão, 13% Bastardo
- Vintage
- 2014
- Alcohol
- 19.8%
- Appellation
- Paso Robles, Central Coast
- Harvest date
- September 2014
- Bottle aging
- 24+ months
- Oak aging
- 24 months
- Barrels:
- French & Hungarian Oak