Winery - Far Niente
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Before you spend this much, you should know this isn’t a wine to enjoy now or even soon. It’s too tannic, too closed in. But chew on it and discover a rich core of blackberry, blueberry and cherry fruit. I don’t think it’s a classic Oakville Cab, but it should reward cellaring. Drink 2008 and beyond.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Very rich in oak, with massive buttered toast, caramel and crème brûlée flavors. The underlying fruit is good, suggesting pineapples and ripe peaches, but misses a beat for all that winemaker intervention. Drink now.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
In the wine’s youth, the aroma of new oak dominates, with that smoky, minty, spicy-char note. But in the mouth the fruit explodes in intensely ripe black currants and milk chocolate. The tannins are rich and softly complex. A complete Cabernet that is luscious now, but has the balance to develop, if you can keep your hands off it.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Napa Valley aristocrat sheds its normally understated demeanor and shows lively, pear, apple and melon fruit plus a vanilla-custard richness. There’s toasty oak and a lively acid backbone that will help it evolve over the next few years. It’s well-balanced, with a toasty, poised finish that’s long and has bright lime overtones.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is one of the most tannic Cabs Far Niente has produced in quite a while. It’s really not drinkable now, despite very complex flavors of blackberries, cherries, licorice, tobacco and plums, along with plenty of smoky new oak. Made with a few drops of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, which add perfume and flowers, it’s a wine that won’t come into its own for quite a while. Hold until 2013, at least, and it should provide interesting drinking for years after, in a proper cellar.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Has clean, sharp aromas of pear, peach and melon, veering into tropical fruit; also lots of smoky, toasty oak. Tastes rich, ripe, round and complex. Big fruit, plus all the complexities new oak and lees add to the package. Fancy and stylish. Still tightly wound; you’d be best off to let it settle for a while.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The winemaker notes that this wine has undergone no malolactic fermentation, which is rare in an expensive Chard because you don’t get that big, fat, rich buttery softness. What you do get is pure pear and tropical fruit that is elaborately oaked in really good barrels. It is fancy and detailed but not blowsy.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Very oaky. Opens with a blast of smoke-accented butter and vanilla overlaying citrus fruits and green apples. Strong, intense flavors, oaky and spicy, with tiers of citrus and tropical fruits. Young and vibrant, with a rich finish. Well made.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Expectations for this wine are always high. But this year brings some disappointment. The winemaker has concentrated the spicy peach and pear flavors and framed them generously in oak. Yet it lacks the subtlety and complexity to justify the price. —S.H.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Well made and classic, a wine that combines potency of fruit and firm tannins with a graceful harmony that makes it easy to drink tonight. Oak adds smoky vanillins as an additional theme. As fine as it is now, the wonderful balance ensures longterm aging through the next decade.
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