Ratings & Tasting Notes:

97 points Tasting Panel

Made with grapes sourced from Rutherford, Calistoga, St. Helena, and the winery’s home in Oakville that aged 17 months in French oak, this impeccably balanced and complex red is as elegant as it is emotive. Blackberry and clove-spiced cedar line the mouth, erupting with graphite and espresso. Finely grained tannins adhere to dusty plum and lavender, offering a presentation that “is as elegant as it is emotive.” Anthony Dias Blue, November 2024

96 points James Suckling

Refined and pure aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrants, violets and cedar. The palate is full-bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins and focused acidity, giving notes of Damson plums, graphite, mocha, dried herbs and potpourri. Very well balanced and polished. This bottle shows a wonderful sense of clarity, delivering a profile that is “very well balanced and polished. Drink or hold.” James Suckling, November 2024

94 points Decanter

A blend of 92.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1.7% Petite Sirah, and 1% Petit Verdot, this wine was aged for 17 months in French oak. On the nose, mineral-saline notes and pretty herbal aromas shine seamlessly into a smooth and sweet entry with a bright, herbal Cabernet lift. The ripe tannins and fresh fruit flesh provide balance and structure, producing a dry, satisfying finish. This bottle manages excellent regional expression, maintaining “a bright, herbal Cabernet lift.” Jonathan Cristaldi, October 2024

Cult Wines International Notes:

Far Niente stands as one of Napa Valley’s most historic and breathtaking viticultural monuments, originally founded in Oakville in 1885 by John Benson. The estate’s lyrical name, borrowed from the Italian phrase “dolce far niente”—the sweetness of doing nothing—perfectly mirrors its majestic, stone-carved gravity-flow winery and spectacular tri-level wine caves. After falling into abandonment during Prohibition, the property was masterfully resurrected in 1979 by Gil Nickel, who established a strict, world-class house style focused entirely on house-forward luxury. While Far Niente is globally renowned for its legendary Oakville estate grounds, their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée represents a brilliantly orchestrated symphony of the valley’s premier AVAs. The 2022 release meticulously weaves fruit from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga, combining 92.3% Cabernet Sauvignon with precise increments of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah, all aged flawlessly for 17 months in 65% new French oak.

The 2022 growing season across Napa Valley was a high-stakes narrative of extreme weather, rewarding only the most disciplined and experienced vineyard teams. The cycle began with a cold, dry spring punctuated by sharp late frosts that naturally limited crop levels and cluster sizes. A beautifully steady, warm summer followed, allowing the grapes to build deep flavor phenolics and pristine structural acidity. The definitive test of the vintage hit over Labor Day weekend with an unprecedented, multi-day heat wave that accelerated sugar levels across the valley. Far Niente’s elite viticultural team deployed advanced canopy shading and precise, selective irrigation to protect the clusters from sunburn, preserving a remarkable aromatic freshness. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon emerged from this intense harvest as an absolute triumph of polish and poise, seamlessly marrying an expressive bouquet of dusty plum, lavender, and clove-spiced cedar with chalky, ultra-fine tannins that guarantee an effortless cellar aging.