Chardonnay (2024)

About this wine

Aromas open with lemon confit, white flowers, and ripe orchard and stone fruit including apple, nectarine, and honeydew melon. The palate is medium bodied with a creamy, polished texture that remains lifted by focused citrus acidity and a clean mineral thread. Fermentation was completed mostly in barrel with about 89 percent barrel and 11 percent tank, the wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation and it was aged sur lie in French oak, roughly 45 percent new. The finish is long and bright with notes of lime curd, orange blossom, toasted hazelnut and a subtle spicy oak presence. The 2023 blend comes from selected Napa Valley sites including Coombsville, a cooler area with well drained volcanic soils that contribute to the wine's freshness and structure. These production choices reflect Far Niente's long standing style of a ripe yet restrained Chardonnay that favors purity of fruit and ageability.

About the grape

Chardonnay originated in the Burgundy region of France and became a global workhorse grape because it adapts to many soils and climates, ripening with balanced acid and moderate sugar. For the 2023 Far Niente bottling the variety is grown in selected Napa Valley sites including Carneros and Coombsville, where cool maritime air, well drained clay loams and volcanic influenced gravels are used to preserve acidity and concentrate fruit character. In the winery the Chardonnay is handled with gentle sorting, a high percentage of barrel fermentation in French oak, blocked malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging to build texture and integrate oak without masking the varietal expression.

Quick facts

• 🍃 The name Far Niente comes from the Italian phrase dolce far niente, meaning the sweetness of doing nothing, and that relaxed mantra is on the winery crest.
• ⚖️ The 2023 Chardonnay keeps malolactic fermentation blocked to preserve bright acidity, a style choice that sets Far Niente apart from many creamy California Chardonnays.
• 🌋 Grapes for this wine are blended from cooler Napa pockets like Coombsville and Carneros, giving tropical fruit with refreshing minerality in the same bottle.
• 🏺 Much of the 2023 was aged in French oak barrels in the winery stone caves, a cellar restored from the 1880s that still contains cork trees planted by the original owner.
• 🏆 The 2023 release earned high scores from top critics, which helped make this vintage one of the most sought after Far Niente Chardonnays since the winery was revived in 1979.

Palate profile

Producer

Far Niente Winery, established in 1885 by John Benson in Oakville, California, is one of Napa Valley's oldest wineries. The name, meaning "without a care" in Italian, reflects Benson's vision of creating a serene winemaking estate. The winery ceased operations during Prohibition in 1919 and remained dormant until 1979, when Gil Nickel purchased and meticulously restored the property, including its historic stone building and wine caves. Today, Far Niente is renowned for producing exceptional Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, maintaining a legacy of quality and elegance.