This Cult Napa Winemaker Has an Exciting New Sonoma Coast Project

Amidst the persistent wave of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon brands vying for the title of Next Big Thing, our palates were relieved to discover Hundred Acre founder Jayson Woodbridge had shifted gears with the release of Summer Dreams. His new Sonoma project features Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc sourced from some of Sonoma Coast’s most renowned vineyards. Summer Dreams is an exciting departure from what one expects from Woodbridge, especially considering that six-packs of white, red, and rosé are in the same price range as a single bottle of Hundred Acre Cabernet, which currently fetch between $475 and $750. From its first vintage in 2000, Hundred Acre turned heads with its award-winning estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, which has earned an astounding number of perfect 100-point-scores over the years. While that brand is still going strong it’s nice to see Woodbridge and his wife and business partner Helen successfully veer in another direction.

Woodbridge calls the project “a love letter to summers past,” where the wine embodies the essence of the season. And the bottles are named for specific memories such as strolling on Los Angeles’s famed beachfront walk (Walking on Venice Beach Sauvignon Blanc), reading Hemingway’s first novel (The Sun Also Rises Chardonnay), or enjoying that beautiful part of the evening when the sun has just gone down (Twilight Pinot Noir).

“We have always loved the Sonoma Coast, the land, the forest, and the collision with the wonderful Pacific Ocean environments,” Woodbridge says. While just a year ago we may have said that Russian River Valley is the best spot in Sonoma for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, we have noticed a lot of incredible wine coming out of the Sonoma Coast AVA, which, as its name suggests, is much closer to the ocean. “The cooling winds from the Pacific and the wonderful marine soils create beautiful fruit if farmed with utmost attention,” Woodbridge says. “The vineyards sit above the fog, so, when the fog rolls in, the cooler climate and elevation make the fruit mature at a perfect rate.”

The top tier includes four distinct Pinot Noirs called Golden Hour, Super Chill, Halley’s Comet, and the aforementioned Twilight. All are labeled with the Sonoma Coast AVA and the winemaking regimen is the same (whole berries are destemmed and fermented in a mix of new and used French oak, and then matured in a combination of 100 percent new French oak, with 20 percent in larger wood tanks), but they are from distinct vineyard sites with different clonal selection. Woodbridge works alongside winemaker Ashley Holland, who oversees the white wines but has input into vineyard management and the Pinots as well. “Ashley and I discuss the vineyards and decide which ones we like best,” Woodbridge says. “We collaborate on the winemaking protocols and everything that goes into creating Summer Dreams.”

There are subtle differences among them, but if we had to choose a favorite it would be Summer Dreams 2021 Golden Hour Pinot Noir. Ruby red to the eye, it offers a bouquet of blackberry, white chocolate, holiday baking spices, and a hint of fresh marjoram. It is silky smooth on the palate, with plush tannins and well-integrated acidity that wrap around flavors of black cherry, red currant, clove, nutmeg, and a lingering note of orange zest. Summer Dreams’ lighter style of wine may find a different audience than Woodbridge’s Hundred Acre and Fortunate Son. While his other brands call out for a juicy, well-marbled slab of flame-kissed steak, the softer Summer Dreams wines call for more delicate fare like salads, seafood, and grilled chicken. As spring kicks into gear and we start and we’re not eating as much of the heavier foods that call for high tannin, heavy red wines, these bottles are perfect for the prelude to summer.