FAR NIENTE, CABERNET SAUVIGNON COLLECTION
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
Why Buy: For us, Far Niente is not just one of Napa's oldest estates, but also – and, remarkably, even after all the critical acclaim it’s garnered over the years – one of its most undersung. That just makes this 6-bottle vertical Cave Collection (two bottles each of the 95-point 2018,the 96-point 2019, and the as-yet-unrated 2020 vintages, all of them afforded long-cellaring in Far Niente's famed wine caves and then housed in a handsome handmade wooden box), a steal of a deal.
What They're Saying: Weighing in on both the 2018 and 2019 vintages (it has yet to pass judgment on the 2020), Wine Enthusiast deemed them to be "great achievements." More specifically, the 96-point 2019 vintage, it wrote, is a Cabernet of "elegance [with a] classic structure of understated power, finishing in notes of tobacco and clove, while the 95-point 2018 vintage showed itself to be a "memorable" Cabernet that "unfurls flavors of red fruit, dried herb and clove over a core of youthful tannin and spicy oak."
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. 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 that is the building block of every bottle that Far Niente produces. In particular, the sloping terrain and the 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 is looking for to produce world-class wines of elegance, density, and length.
Our Tasting Notes: The director of winemaking, Andrew Delos, and winemaker Nicole Marchesi know that their chief task is to let the terroir talk. That they do in these three gorgeous, fully-realized Cabernets, which bring all the boldness, size, and power we love from Napa Cabernet, but also a vivacity that, in our tastings, expressed itself from the jump and never let up, all the way to the long, supple finish – a Far Niente signature. We would be remiss if we did not say a few words, as well, about the marvelous balance on display in these, not just between fruit-forwardness and structure, but also between heft and finesse.
Fun Fact: In 1998, a bottle of Far Niente from 1886 was unearthed in a private cellar. A Muscat, it is believed to be California's oldest, still-intact bottle of wine.
Our Guarantee: We always buy and source direct, so rest assured: your wines will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2024. 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 IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, NM, NY, TN, or WA. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Monday, January 1st, 2024.
