Hundred Acre
Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain
2009
Vintage
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2016-2037).
In 2026, the Hundred Acre Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 is at peak, entering its tenth year of prime drinking. The 2009 is the most massively constructed Few and Far Between in the recent lineup - where the 2012 was described as muscular and the 2014 as driven, the 2009 was called powerfully constructed and massively structured, a wine built on the scale that the opulent 2009 vintage permitted at this rocky hillside site. Ten years into peak in 2026, the chewy tannins that defined this wine on release have moved substantially toward integration, revealing the complex brooding bouquet of dark plum, black olive, graphite, and smoked meat that sits beneath the structure. The dark fruit, mineral, espresso, and dark chocolate layers that evolve in the glass are now accessible without the decade-long wait the wine once required. Wine Spectator's characterization of the 2009 Napa vintage as a late, cool year that yielded a surprise bounty of pure, opulent wines describes exactly the conditions that produced a Few and Far Between of unusual body and density. With 11 years remaining in the peak window through 2037, the 2009 still has substantial age-worthiness ahead, but in 2026 it is delivering the maximum complexity that the site and vintage can produce.
The ‘09 Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ten years into peak in 2026, the Few and Far Between 2009 emerges from the opulent surprise vintage as the most massively constructed expression of this site's brooding graphite character - chewy tannins now integrating, 11 years of prime drinking ahead.
Drinking window
Tasting note
Dense, impenetrable garnet-black at the core that lightens to a deep ruby rim - the visual density of a massively constructed wine entering its most complex phase. The nose is brooding and slowly revealing even at ten years of peak: dark plum and black olive lead with concentrated hillside intensity, followed by graphite and smoked meat complexity that speak of the Few and Far Between site's iron-mineral character at its most extracted and powerful. The 2009 vintage's opulent character amplified the site's concentration without softening its essential graphite precision. On the palate the wine reveals its scale: enormous body with chewy tannins that have moved from their original density toward integration, yet retain enough structural authority to assert the wine's considerable architecture. Layers of dark fruit, mineral, espresso, and dark chocolate evolve across a finish of extraordinary length and complexity. Ten years of bottle age have added tobacco, dried meat, and cedar complexity that the primary fruit once masked. This is the Few and Far Between at its most powerful and age-worthy expression, built for patient collectors.
The 2009 vintage
The 2009 Napa Valley vintage earned a Wine Spectator Classic rating of 96 points from a growing season that delivered what observers called a surprise bounty. The year was late and cool for much of its duration, which typically points toward modest quality - yet the late-season conditions aligned favorably to produce what Wine Spectator described as pure, opulent wines of exceptional character across the valley. The combination of naturally cooler temperatures that preserved acidity and structure alongside a late-season push that delivered full phenolic ripeness created wines with an unusual completeness: the opulence of a warm year and the structural backbone of a cooler one. For the Few and Far Between site, where rocky hillside soils naturally produce graphite and iron mineral concentration, the 2009's particular brand of cool-season opulence produced a wine of unusual body and density - massively structured in a way that the more measured warmth of the 2012 or 2014 did not match, and the most powerful expression this site has delivered.
About Hundred Acre
Jayson Woodbridge's Few and Far Between vineyard is the estate's most age-demanding expression - a wine that the rockier, more graphite-driven character of the hillside site makes more suited to patience than any other bottling at Hundred Acre. The 2009 vintage presented Woodbridge with the richest, most concentrated raw material the Few and Far Between site had delivered in the estate's history to that point: a combination of the 2009's opulent late-season ripeness and the site's naturally intense graphite and iron mineral concentration that produced a wine of scale rarely achieved in Napa Cabernet. The winemaking approach at this site emphasizes extended maceration with punch-down management designed to fully extract the hillside site's mineral character, followed by aging in new French oak that deepens the espresso and dark chocolate notes while preserving the graphite precision that makes this wine distinct from any of Hundred Acre's other labels. Production is strictly limited and available only through the mailing list.
From the cellar: pair with
Slow-Smoked Prime Brisket with Dark Cherry and Smoked Paprika Rub
The wine's smoked meat aromatic and dark plum concentration find direct counterparts in the preparation; the chewy integrating tannins match the collagen-rich brisket without a tannin clash.
Venison Osso Buco with Dark Chocolate Gremolata
The wine's dark chocolate and espresso mid-palate complement the gremolata while the graphite and iron mineral character bridge naturally to the concentrated venison marrow and braising liquid.
Aged Mimolette or Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano with Dark Chocolate
The wine's massive extract and dark chocolate finish find balance in the crystalline, caramel depth of aged hard cheese; a piece of dark chocolate alongside amplifies the wine's natural chocolate notes.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 62-65F (17-18C)
- Decanting
- Decant 2 to 3 hours in 2026. The 2009 is the most massively constructed Few and Far Between in the lineup and retains substantial structural scale even at ten years into peak. Pour into a wide-bottomed decanter at least 2 hours before serving to allow the dark plum, graphite, and smoked meat aromatics to fully emerge. Even after extended decanting, expect the wine to continue revealing additional layers of dark chocolate, espresso, and mineral complexity throughout a long dinner. Serve at 62-65F.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, on its side in a vibration-free environment.
The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.
More from Napa Valley, California, USA
Frequently Asked
When is the best time to drink the Hundred Acre Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon 2009?
In 2026 this wine is at peak, entering its tenth year of prime drinking, with 11 years of optimal enjoyment remaining through 2037. Ten years into peak is the first truly accessible moment for the 2009 - the chewy tannins that once made this wine imposing are now integrating, and the brooding complexity of dark plum, black olive, graphite, and smoked meat is fully revealed. For maximum secondary complexity, hold through 2028-2030. See [Napa Valley wines](/wines/region/napa-valley) for context on the 2009 opulent vintage.
Should I decant the 2009 Few and Far Between before serving?
Decant 2 to 3 hours in 2026. The 2009 is the most massively constructed Few and Far Between in the lineup and retains substantial structural scale even at ten years into peak. Pour into a wide-bottomed decanter at least 2 hours before serving to allow the dark plum, graphite, and smoked meat aromatics to fully emerge. Even after extended decanting, expect the wine to continue revealing additional layers of dark chocolate, espresso, and mineral complexity throughout a long dinner. Serve at 62-65F.
How does the 2009 Few and Far Between compare to other vintages of this wine?
The 2009 is the most massively structured and age-demanding Few and Far Between in the current peak lineup. Compared to the [Hundred Acre Few and Far Between 2012](/wines/hundred-acre/few-and-far-between-cabernet-sauvignon/2012), which is at seven years into peak and showing savory mineral complexity, the 2009 is denser and more brooding - the 2009 vintage's opulent character amplified what the site naturally produces. Compared to the [Hundred Acre Few and Far Between 2014](/wines/hundred-acre/few-and-far-between-cabernet-sauvignon/2014) at five years into peak, the 2009 shows how this wine transforms over a decade. See [Cabernet Sauvignon wines](/wines/varietal/cabernet-sauvignon) for broader context.
What makes the 2009 Few and Far Between so powerful?
The 2009's unusual scale comes from the intersection of two factors: the 2009 Napa vintage's rare combination of cool late-season conditions and full phenolic opulence (WS 96 Classic), and the Few and Far Between site's naturally graphite-driven, iron-mineral hillside intensity. The WS 96 Classic vintage produced wines described as a surprise bounty of pure, opulent character - at the rocky hillside Few and Far Between site, that opulence was filtered through graphite and iron mineral concentration. Compare with the [Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard 2009](/wines/hundred-acre/ark-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon/2009) for the estate's other legendary expression of the same vintage.
How long can I cellar the 2009 Hundred Acre Few and Far Between?
The 2009 has a peak window running through 2037, with hard decline not expected until 2046. In 2026 the wine has 11 years of optimal drinking remaining. Ten years into peak, this wine is the most evolved but also the most slowly developing Few and Far Between in the lineup - the massive structure and density guarantee a slow, patient evolution through the 2030s. Expect the primary dark plum and black olive to give way further to tobacco, leather, and dried meat complexity as the decade progresses. Store at 55F, 60-70% humidity, on its side.