The Far Niente staff at our 2014 Blessing of the Grapes in August.
Overall, we had a remarkable growing season. Our team started picking early at the end of August, enjoying great weather while steadily bringing in fruit over the course of two months. Winemaker Nicole Marchesi noted that 2014 was an “ideal season” with great weather conditions that produced average-to-high yields. There was one heat wave as our team moved into picking Cabernet, which ripened the fruit nicely. Currently, we’re working on getting the 2014 wines into barrel, which should be completed this week.
Expect another stunning expression of the Far Niente’s house style with the 2014 Chardonnay. All of the Chardonnay has finished fermentation and been sulfured for aging. The wine is showing bright fruit, hints of minerality, full bodied texture balanced with refreshing acidity – classic Far Niente. We will begin stirring lees in selected lots next month and over the next eight to nine months, the French oak containing our Chardonnay will continue to enhance the wines’ structure and aromatics.
In the world of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 vintage is now completely pressed out and all the lots will be in barrel by the end of this week. Nicole sees striking similarities to the newly released 2012 Far Niente Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon. Right now, the 2014 is offering juicy, pure berry fruit with balanced tannins and gorgeous, rich color.
So, what’s next for Far Niente’s winemaking team? Planning for holiday vacation, of course!
