Harvest 2012 was a beautiful harvest indeed. Director of Winemaking, Dirk Hampson, closely followed operations. “This year brought exceptional flavors and structure that broke the rules by delivering strong tonnage,” he says. “I believe this is a year that may develop a mystical aura in Napa Valley wine lore.”
Conditions throughout the year were nearly textbook for Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Our Chardonnay harvest concluded on October 15, and we brought in more fruit than we have in recent memory. Nicole says, “The mild season allowed us to steadily pick as each [Chardonnay] block was ready. I’m anticipating excellent aromatics with integrated oak from the slow and steady barrel fermentations.”
And regarding the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Nicole reports, “As with the Chardonnay, we were able to steadily pick as each block was ready, but we had a little flurry of picking activity at the end of October with the threat of rain. In tank, there’s great extraction early with dark color, chewy tannins and ripe berry flavors.”
Larry Maguire tasted frequently with Nicole throughout harvest and adds, “While I expect this harvest to be among the finest in quality, it is also lining up to be one of the largest in quantity in quite some time. We recently suffered through three consecutive short-crop vintages, the first such event in my 30 years at Far Niente. Yet, with a touch of luck, we are going to have a lot of extraordinary wine from 2012.”
Great wine can’t be rushed, but we are so looking forward to sharing the 2012 Far Niente Cabernet and Chardonnay with you!
