FAR NIENTE
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 2021
WHY BUY: Far Niente is not just one of the oldest estates in all of Napa, but, for us, a scandalously undersung one, year after year turning out opulent, detailed wines (aged, as always, in their famed caverns) that speak with an Old World soul — like the two beauties we bring you today, their inaugural 98-point Benson Vale Cabernet Sauvignon, made in conjunction with the great Thomas Rivers Brown from an exceptional 2021 vintage ("a true wow wine," in the words of Jeb Dunnuck), and their Bella Union Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, a charmer, full of perfume and polish.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Jeb Dunnuck fell hard for the Benson Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, not just awarding it a rare 98 points, but pronouncing it "a true wow wine that readers will love," with "a gorgeous nose" and a "deep, rich, incredibly concentrated style on the palate." Dunnuck also weighed in on the Bella Union Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, a wine of “ savory red and black fruits intermixed with darker chocolate, leafy tobacco, and loamy earth. It's concentrated, medium to full-bodied, has a layered, elegant mid-palate, and ripe tannins.”
OUR TASTING NOTES: Crafted in collaboration between Far Niente winemaker Nicole Marchesi and esteemed consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, the Benson Vale 2021is a wine of terroir and tradition. Sweet, toasty oak integrates seamlessly (and opulently) with melting tannins, culminating in a finish of suppleness and grandeur that just goes on and on and on. This is what Dunnuck meant when he wrote “wow” — it's a big and charismatic wine that bursts onto the stage and imposes itself upon you, heart and mind and soul. The Bella Union Rutherford 2022 aims for elegance and finesse, and more than hits its mark, from the evocative and developed aromatics (including cassis, cedar, and crushed violets) to the rich, layered, and integrated palate, with its notes of ripe plum, blackberry liqueur, dark chocolate, and sandalwood. For as big as it is, it’s got charm to spare, and compels you back, again and again, for another sip, another pour.
THE STORY: Napa might have stormed onto the stage with the Judgment of Paris in 1976, but some producers can lay claim to an older history, and a privileged few, like Far Niente, can claim roots in the 19th century. The estate's founding begins with a miner from the great Gold Rush of 1849: a man named John Benson, who purchased more than 300 acres in Oakville in 1871. (His greater claim to fame is that he was an uncle to the artist Winslow Homer.) A decade later, a winery was erected on the property, and the estate began producing wine, something it did right up until Prohibition arrived in 1919. Nearly half a century passed before Oklahomans Gil Nickel and his wife, Beth Nickel, showed up to revive the dormant winery, inaugurating the winery's modern era and taking the estate to heights unseen to that point. Nickel was an Oklahoma entrepreneur who fell hard for wine. He studied Europe's finest estates, filling notebooks with observations, and continually asked himself the question, "how can we make this even better?" His boldness lives on in these big, spirited wines. Today, there are two vineyards devoted exclusively to Cabernet, and they share borders with such longtime Napa luminaries as To-Kalon and Opus One. It's this exceptional terroir (particularly Oakville, Napa Valley's most coveted) that is the building block of every bottle that Far Niente produces. The sloping terrain and rocky soils provide just the right amount of stress on the grapes, producing fruit that is small, tight, and concentrated with flavor and tannins … precisely what a winemaker needs to produce world-class wines of elegance, density, and length.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH: Cabernets of this robustness and refinement call for big, bold flavors: a juicy, char-grilled tomahawk steak, an herb-crusted rack of lamb, a rich and creamy red-wine risotto.
FUN FACT: Among the items unearthed during the period when the estate underwent a restoration of its main building was a bottle of Far Niente Sweet Muscat. The vintage? 1886.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate to ensure pristine provenance. Secure your bottles and cases today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in CT, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MD, MN, MO, NE, NM, NY, OK, TN, or WA. This offer will expire on Sunday, December 7th, 2025.