95pts James Suckling

A full and layered red with lots of plums and chocolate with dark chocolate and crushed stones. Full and layered. From old dry-farmed, head-pruned merlot and cabernet sauvignon vines, all Calistoga. From the owner of Napa’s Hundred Acre winery.

94pts Jeb Dunnuck

The Merlot-dominated 2019 The Diplomat comes from a handful of sites and would give a great Pomerol a run for its money with its darker red and black fruits, smoky herbs, and earthy goodness on the nose. These carry to a full-bodied, rounded, opulent 2019 with sweet, building tannins and a great finish. Give it a few years.

94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Riper and substantially more expressive than the 2018, Fortunate Son's 2019 Red Wine The Diplomat is a plush, luscious wine, laden with black cherries, mocha and loam notes. It's full-bodied, rich, velvety and supple, with a lingering finish. Like the previous vintage, it's mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a fair whack of Merlot.

Winemaker Notes

A dark and rich wine sourced from small, family vineyards. Aged for 24-30 months in the finest French oak barrique. The stave wood is hand-selected for ultra-tight grain, then air dried for three years before being made into barrels.

Vineyard Notes

Jayson Woodbridge from Hundred Acre has recently revived this Fortunate Son label that he started a few years ago. “Some of the fruit for this label comes from Hundred Acre vineyards,” said Woodbridge. “Additionally, I’ve negotiated to farm and take per-acre fruit from selected family vineyards in Napa Valley.” More recently, he and his wife, Helen, purchased the historic David Fulton ranch/winery and vineyard, located on Fulton Lane in St. Helena, partly to restore the winery and establish a dedicated winery for The Fortunate Son. The 2021 harvest was the first vintage to be produced at the new winery, while the 2018 wines reviewed here were made at Hundred Acre’s “The Ring” winery. “We’re using the same methods and equipment at the new winery as at The Ring winery,” Woodbridge confirmed.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah