Far Niente - Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (750ml)
Price: $259.99
Producer | Far Niente |
Country | United States |
Region | California |
Subregion | Oakville |
Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Vintage | 2013 |
Sku | 6007 |
Far Niente Description
Far Niente Winery was established in Napa Valley, California, in 1885 by John Benson. It is a producer of premium Cabernet Sauvignon and one of the most storied California wineries.
Benson was the uncle of American impressionist painter Winslow Homer and a "forty-niner" – he travelled to California in 1849 during the California Gold Rush that saw a huge influx of people into the region. Benson bought land in Oakville and had a gravity-flow winery built and vineyards planted. The estate was profitable until Prohibition (1920-1933) caused the winery to be abandoned.
In 1979 Gil Nickel bought the winery and adjacent vineyards and began to refurbish them. The Benson name was kept until the words "far niente" were found inscribed in stone at the front of the winery – part of the Italian expression il dolce far niente or 'without a care'. A red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon and a white wine made from Chardonnay are the only wines produced, and the first vintages (1979, ’80, ’81) were vinified offsite until the restoration was completed in 1982.
The winery is now on the National Register for Historic Places. In 1998 a bottle of Far Niente Sweet Muscat from 1886 was discovered in a private California cellar. The bottle looks to be the oldest intact bottle of Californian wine, and the label is believed to have been illustrated by Winslow Homer.
There are several vineyards in the Oakville appellation that provide grapes for the Far Niente wines. The Martin Stelling vineyard provides fruit for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and bounds Heitz Cellar's famous Martha's Vineyard, as well as Harlan Estate. Fruit for the Chardonnay comes from several vineyards in Coombsville, a cooler area just east of Napa town.
In 1989, Gil Nickel founded Dolce, a California winery focused entirely on dessert wines blended from botrytized Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, in a Sauternes style. Several other sister wineries have since come into being including Nickel & Nickel, Enroute, Bella Union and, most recently, Post & Beam Winery.
Wine Enthusiast: 95 Points
Sourced largely from the Martin Stelling Vineyard behind the winery in the western shade of Oakville, this wine opens with charred oak and a smoky, meaty character that intrigues. Seamless on the palate in soft, perceptible tannin, it delves into characteristics of cedar and brushy sage as it goes, unveiling a wildness that’s hard to contain. Its bright, fresh finish gives it a roundness that’s ready to enjoy now.
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
This iconic estate has produced the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Beautiful purity of expression characterizes this medium to full-bodied, concentrated, impeccably well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is dense purple and the wine offers up notes of spring flowers a touch of background licorice and wood and pure floral crème de cassis and blackberry fruit. It’s full-bodied with a complete mid-palate and follow-through on the palate.
James Suckling: 93 Points
A soft and silky red with chocolate, blackberry and currant aromas and flavors. Round and full. Sexy young cab that seduces you with its softness. Drink or hold.
Vinous: 93 Points
A dark, explosive wine, the 2013 hits the palate with masses of dark, super-concentrated fruit. Spice, new leather, menthol and tobacco appear with air to round things out. The 2013 is not especially subtle, but it is racy, opulent and voluptuous, all qualities that will hold considerable appeal to readers looking for immediacy and near-term pleasure, all of which the 2013 has in abundance.
Wine Spectator: 92 Points
A refreshingly crisp and lively youngster, with snappy cherry, currant, plum and raspberry flavors at the core, showing shades of anise, crushed rock and oak. Impressively light-footed for Cabernet.
Quantity: |