Far Niente – Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 2021

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
One of the classic wineries of the Napa Valley, Far Niente derives its name from the Italian phrase ‘Dolce Far Niente’ – ‘how sweet it is to do nothing’. It was founded in 1885 and flourished until the advent of prohibition. Abandoned for over 60 years, the winery was purchased in 1979 by Gil Nickel who started the long process of restoring it. Today, they own 80 hectares of vineyard, across three different sites, of what many consider to be some of the finest viticultural land in the Napa Valley. Since restoration, Far Niente has been dedicated to the production of the finest Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon and worldwide demand always exceeds supply.

THE VINTAGE:
The 2021 growing season began with very little rain for the second year in a row, and the dry and warm spring resulted in early budbreak and flowering. The summer months were mild with few heat spikes, allowing the vines to slowly ripen and yield small but intensely flavoured grapes. The harvest began at the earliest sites in late August and the continued moderate temperatures allowed the balance of fruit to be slowly and steadily brought in throughout the month of September. The intensity of flavoUr observed in the vineyard continued in the winery; the Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced are concentrated and rich with dark color and mouth-coating tannins.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The fruit comes from carefully selected vineyards across the Napa Valley in Calistoga, Oak Knoll, St Helena, Stags Leap, Diamond Mountain and Yountville, which complements the grapes from the Far Niente estate vineyards in Oakville. The Napa Valley is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with each vineyard bringing its own characteristics to the blend. The Far Niente Oakville vineyard is planted on gravelly loam soil, which uniformly produces wines with supple tannins, bright, vibrant fruit and fine tannin structure. The combination of influences from the San Pablo Bay and the hills of the North Coast Ranges creates Napa Valley’s distinguishing mesoclimate. The bay generates a distinctive morning fog, which is channelled across the valley by the hills, bringing with it cooling influences. The fog clears with the warming afternoon sun and returns with the cool nights. This mesoclimate promotes a long, slow growing season, where the fruit reaches wonderful flavour concentration balanced by natural freshness from the retained acidity in the grapes.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were carefully selected and each variety was vinified separately. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts and an average of 12 days of skin contact took place to ensure the desired levels of extraction of colour, flavour and fine tannins. The blend was aged for 17 months in French oak, of which 62% was new and 38% was second fill.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
A refined and smooth Cabernet Sauvignon, with elegant notes of dark plum and red cherry layered with liquorice, spice, black tea and toasted oak through to a plush and silky palate with a long, polished finish.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Merlot 6%, Petit Verdot 3%, Malbec 2%, Cabernet Franc 1%