2012 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(94+ Points) A great effort from Far Niente in this truly magnificent vintage, with its similarities to 2002, the Far Niente 2012 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon has a dense purple color, plenty of structure and aging potential, and an impressive inner core of sweet crème de cassis fruit, licorice and background vanilla. This wine is still very much an infant in its evolution, and should keep for 20-30 years. Many 2012s are excessively generous, open-knit and fleshy, but this is holding a lot back. And wow, it is “locked and loaded.” I wouldn’t be surprised to see this wine increase in score in about 5-10 years, and actually merit an even higher score. Bravo! eRobertParker.com #215 Oct 2014 Reviewer: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2012 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of mixed berry fruit, boysenberry, chocolate covered cherries, layered with hints of graphite and toasted oak. On the palate, a smooth entry is followed by intense, ripe berry notes. This wine is focused and silky through the midpalate, building to a finish with broad tannins and notes of cedar and toasted oak.

Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc

Wine Watch Review:  A very balanced style, this wine has a dab of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot in the blend, one of the Iconic wines of Napa Valley is 100% Oakville.  A very pretty bouquet of juicy currant berry fruit, mostly new oak so you get some toasty oak spice here as well as some fresh earth, nice complexity on the nose, even better on the second day.  A very rich and chewy wine on the tongue with ripe round tannin, a nice plushness and smoothness to the tannins that leave the tongue salivating for more, big but still balanced and has a long layered finish, drinking nicely right now but should age for a decade or more in your cellar easily.  Finish 50+  The 2013's are very dense, probably one of the most dense and rich, sweeter, some vintners tried to hide tannins with sugar            Most Excellent