Far Niente Chardonnay 2021
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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.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Mouth coating, ripe tasting and practically sweet with its abundant fruit flavors, this wine is a show stopper. Butter, toast and lemon zest aromas lead to baked apples, poached pears and marzipan flavors that are thankfully backed by persistent acidity that keeps the palate refreshed.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Far Niente Chardonnay is packed and alive on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of ripe apples, oaky notes, and hints of earth. Pair it with panko-crusted, pan-fried Petrale sole. (Tasted: August 22, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Precise and aromatic, with notes of fresh ginger, lemon thyme and lemongrass to complement the core of lemon curd, yuzu, Honeycrisp apple and lime sherbet, while hints of toast and green tea linger on the finish.
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One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.