2007 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted this blind at a recent Cabernet tasting, along with the Araujo. This looked almost Euro. There was a certain sexiness to it that you don’t usually see in Californian wines. It opened a little weedy but shook this off pretty quickly in the glass. Evolved nicely. Blackcurrant dominating the nose. Palate had a bit of tannin action, although it had lovely texture and came alive with each sip. Plummy and raspberry, midweight and a little restrained – again, something not normally associated with this region.

Vibe
I liked this more and more in the glass. Nice evolution over a few hours, but I don’t usually want to sit on a glass for that long to find out. A very good wine from a very good vintage.

Tasted: November 2010
Value: US$115 – ridiculous really, but if you want it, you’ll pay for it.
Closure: Cork

Tech-head
Producer: Far Niente - www.farniente.com – founded in 1885
Region: Oakville, Napa Valley, California. The base for this wine is sourced from the winery’s Oakville Estate – a 100 acre planting known as the Martin Stelling Vineyard. Soils are gravelly loam.
Vintage: The winter leading into the 2007 vintage was a dry one. A mild spring followed providing ideal growing conditions. Summer was also mild, no heat spikes. A great Napa vintage.