Far Niente Winery Estate Bottled Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

UNITED STATES : CALIFORNIA : NAPA VALLEY SUSTAINABLE : Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc FULL-BODIED, DARK MIXED BERRIES, BLACKBERRY PIE, ESPRESSO BEAN, BLACK OLIVE TAPENADE, NEW OAK Founded in 1885 in Oakville and revitalized in 1979 by Gil Nickel, Far Niente is among the Napa Valley’s most storied estates. The name comes from an Italian phrase inscribed in stone at the winery’s entrance — il dolce far niente, “the sweetness of doing nothing” — which belies the precision behind the wine. Winemaker Nicole Marchesi sources the Estate Bottled Cabernet from Stelling Vineyard in Oakville, an AVA defined by deep, well-drained alluvial soils and a long, even ripening season. The blend anchors on 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and a touch of Cabernet Franc rounding the structure. The 2021 vintage produced a wine of considerable depth without excess weight. Seventeen months in 62% new French oak builds integration rather than dominance — the wood registers as structure and spice. Cedar, star anise, and clove on the nose; baked blueberries and dark chocolate on the palate; a firm, fine-grained tannin frame that Wine Enthusiast called “sure to show more complexity with time.” Drink 2026–2036. Wine Enthusiast 93 pts · Wine Advocate 92 pts. PAIRINGS : Dry-aged ribeye with bone marrow butter full-bodied structure meets beef fat; dark fruit plays against the char Braised short ribs with roasted garlic long-braised depth matches the wine’s concentration; tannin cuts the fat Aged Comté or Époisses firm tannin holds against structured fat; savory earth echoes the wine’s olive tapenade note

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