Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley 2021 (750ml)

 

Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley 2021

 

Winemaker:  Nicole Marchesi

 

Vice President of Winemaking:  Andrew Delos

 

Appellation:  Napa Valley

 

Harvest Dates:  August 24th – September 27, 2021

 

Varietal:  100% Chardonnay

 

Fermentation:  89% Barrell, 11% Tank

 

Aging:  10 months sur lie in French oak (52% new, 48% once-used)

 

Release Date:  Fall 2022

 

Tasting Notes

 

Bright and lively, the 2021 vintage opens with aromas of lemon zest, kumquat, toasted almonds, hint of wet stone and flint, light fresh cut herbs.  This wine immediately enchants with a silky entry and vibrant flavors of grilled citrus, light green melon and toasted oak that expand across the mid palate all the way until the finish.

 

Vineyard Notes

 

Far Niente Chardonnay is a blend of superlative Napa Valley vineyards located in Coombsville, a cool growing region nestled in the rolling countryside and protected by the hills east of the city of Napa.  Coombsville offers the characteristic climate of Carneros, with less wind, along with deeper, well-drained gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils.  The combination of these spectacular vineyards results in the subtle, tropical flavors, complex aromas and uncommon richness that have long been associated with Far Niente Chardonnay.

 

Harvest Notes

 

The 2021 growing season began with very little rain for the second year in a row, and the dry and warm spring gave us early budbreak and bloom.  The summer months were mild with few heat spikes, allowing the vines to slowly ripen and yield small but intensely flavored grapes.  We began Chardonnay harvest at our earliest sites in late August and the continued moderate temperatures into the fall allowed us to slowly and steadily bring the balance of fruit in throughout the month of September, with our last pick just before the month’s end.  The intensity of flavor observed in the vineyard continued in the winery and is reflected in the finished wine.

 

 

Far Niente

 

Discover the timeless magic of Far Niente, the Napa Valley Wine Estate.

 

Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Ours is an unparalleled level of time-honored winemaking traditions.

 

There’s not one aspect of Far Niente that isn’t touched by our passion and precision.  From the moment we open our gates to your first sip of our wines, you are transported to a place and experience unrivaled in excellence.

 

The meaning behind the name

 

Far Niente comes from an Italian phrase that romantically translated means “without a care.”  The name has been carved in stone on the front of our building since 1885.  Far Niente is known as the pinnacle of timeless winemaking and luxury.  Far Niente’s decades-long history as a premiere Napa Valley winery allows you to transport yourself to those days you can truly relax and savor every sip.

 

We are in love with what we do, and it is why our winery is like it is and why no one leaves Far Niente unimpressed, uninspired, or unmoved by all that our winery and our wines are.  We are refined and sophisticated with a consistent house style; every Far Niente wine offers the highest expression of its vineyards and vintage, from our iconic Napa Valley Chardonnay to our legendary Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

Our Story

 

Our history was shaped by dreamers, doers, and craftsmen — all in pursuit of perfection in winemaking.  Far Niente was founded in Oakville, California in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer.  Benson hired architect Hamden McIntyre, and together they worked to create an exquisite oasis in western Oakville.

 

Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919.  The gates closed, but the magic never truly disappeared from the property.  Sixty years later, Gil Nickel bought and restored the winery and neighboring vineyard.  This three-year-long labor of love put the label back on the map — and on the National Register of Historic Places.  He preserved the Far Niente name — an Italian phrase which romantically translated means ‘without a care.’  Nickel hoped to recapture a bygone era when life was indeed without a care.

 

To this day, Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Ours is an unparalleled level of time-honored winemaking traditions.  This has helped establish Far Niente as one of the world’s great wine estates.

 

Our Enchanting Gardens

 

Considered by many as one of the most beautiful views in all of Napa Valley, our 13 acres of impeccably landscaped gardens are accentuated by thousands of southern azaleas that bloom through springtime.  Vibrant hues of red and pink peek through the greenery along our winding garden path.

 

The gardens were designed like a three-act play, building the drama with each sequence.  Acacia Drive, the road leading to the winery gates, sets the scene with a gently curved allée, bordered on either side with more than 100 Autumn Gold ginkgo trees.

 

Acacia Drive concludes at the Woodland Garden, with groves of towering redwoods, acacias, dogwoods, and century-old cork oak trees.   Drama builds along the shaded road as you pass through the winery gates.

 

Our stately and historic stone winery emerges at the end of the drive through the Woodland Garden, reaching the crescendo of the play.  The winery stands unguarded, its beauty appreciable from every angle.

 

Historic Wine Caves

 

A stone archway was constructed in the winery cellar in 1885, with plans to create extensive wine caves.  With the onset of Prohibition, these wine caves never came to fruition.  The cold rock sat neglected for 60 years until 1980, after the completion of the winery building restoration.  Many believed that wine caves existed beyond the rock wall since European winemakers aged their wines in those types of naturally cool environments.  So, Gil Nickel hired an engineer to find out.  After a daring dynamite blast, they learned that no caves existed.  But undaunted and true to his vision that “the best bottle of wine has yet to be made,” Gil pursued the first cave for Far Niente.

 

The Far Niente Napa Valley wine caves would become the first to be constructed in North America since the turn of the century, spawning a new industry in California wine country.  Over the next 20 years, the winery conducted four more expansions of the caves, bringing the total area to 40,000 square feet.  The stunning beauty of the caves, which hold the winery’s treasure trove of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay vintages gently aging in 100% French oak, is a testament to the excellence and never-ending attention to detail that Far Niente brings to its magnificent wines and winery.

 

The dimly lit walls of the wine caves spark a mystique that attracts visitors from around the world every year.