Elegant, ephemeral, and expansive. Showing exceptional polish in the glass and revealing mounds of juicy, crunchy red cherry fruit and a wash of compellingly sweet and savoury baking spices. An open-knit structure affords juicy, crunchy acidity to lift the deliciously pure red fruit. A blend of Cabernet with Merlot and Petite Sirah, the Merlot lends an almost claret-like quality to this sophisticated and seamless blend, which builds to an elegant medium-bodied finish of crushed red flowers and river stones. Jayson Woodbridge, the founder of Hundred Acre, purchased the David Fulton Vineyard in St. Helena on Fulton Lane, and a winery on site is now the home of Fortunate Son and 6ha of Cabernet Sauvignon vines managed by Jim Barbour. Woodbridge appointed his son Cameron as cellar master in 2023. Woodbridge acquired a second estate vineyard for the Fortunate Son label in 2022 called Larkmead Vineyards. The 7.5ha ranch has been renamed True Romance and will serve as the site of a future Fortunate Son winery and estate slated to open in 2027.
97 Pts Jonathon Cristaldi, Decanter
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 The Diplomat shoots out of the glass with bold notions of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and mulberries followed by suggestions of dusty soil, Indian spices, and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is wonderfully plush, with a refreshing line to support the generous black fruit and exotic spice layers, finishing with a compelling red berry burst. "This is a classic Claret (it says Teralc on the label, which is Claret backwards) with a lot of old-vine Merlot in the blend," says owner Jayson Woodbridge.
95 Pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent
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.
94 Pts Jeb Dunnuck
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.
94 Pts Robert Parker