Served with ribeyes at captain's dinner middle weekend. Read quotes from Dirk Hampson and "mink lined condom". Beautiful wine in a great place: balanced and harmonious. Magnums were excellent. Two bottles needed more careful decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured, and drank over one hour. Great bottle and stored well. Drinking just as well, if not better than that last drunk in 2019. Bumping this up two points. Sadly this was my last bottle of five, but a good one on which to finish the run.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Umm, let's just say it was really friggin good. Let open about 30 mins and then it was gone within the hour. I think it has seen it's better days though. I have 2 more bottles which will be gone in the next 6 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Was not expecting much here as my experience with this producer is limited to over oaked and heavy modernistic style cabs. However this proved that 90s vintages of top flight producers can really hold their own. This was aged and mature, however showed a nice velvety quality, with silky mature berry fruit, touches of spice and a perfumed oak. Very clean, and well integrated, clearly aged yet not over the hill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have only have a couple left and they are either amazing or past their prime. Thankful for this ONE! I purchased all that Far Niente had left in from their Cave Collection from 1997.
This wine is soft and supple with a plum and warm berry flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I was afraid it would be bad like the last two I’ve opened. However - it was beautiful, soft and smooth. I purchased this from Far Ninete as it was their cellar collection.
So Happy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely surprised at how this wine was tasting. At 25 years old, it was very well integrated with mature flavors but the fruit is still lingering. On the decline but really significant pleasure is still to be had here. If you have this wine, drink up!!!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured, and drank over two hours. Alive and kicking! These things can go the distance! Drinking well now, but ok to hold for another 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Near perfect balance between fruit and secondary elements. Really opened after about 30 min. So good. I tend to be stingy with scores, but this stepped up. Black and blue fruit, balanced, with some unresolved tannins so this can keep going for a bit. However, I think it is about as close to prime now as it will get with a short decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful, clear, deep purple, no bricking or rim variation, no real sign of age. Mineral, eucalyptus, some blue fruit on the nose, hint of vanilla. Palate showed more mineral, earth, great mouthfeel, medium to medium minus acid, with soft tannins and a long finish. 13.5 alcohol seemed nicely in balance. I say there is no real rush to drink this wine; it’s got some years left on it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I agree with the reviewer who declared this wine was past its peak. Drank in a vertical with the 2003. The latter was a vibrant purple and excellent. The 97 was brown tinged around the edges and had little fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What’s nice after 21 years is this wine’s continued age worthiness. Rich dark fruit blend rather impressively w prominent tannins. Chewy long well balanced finish. More than worth its appreciated value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped at Giada in Las Vegas. Black current nose. Very smooth tempered aged cab - drinking beautifully with great aged flavours of Cedar, sage, tempered dark fruit. If u got it, pop it
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pnp at home. Still a dark garnet with a translucent rim in the glass. Wonderful nose with some barnyard, sous bios and deep dark fruit, the palate cannot fully follow, dark fruit but without particular depth or complexity, medium tannins start to overshadow the fruit a bit with more air, medium finish. Nose 93-94, palate 91-92. While the nose is great, the palate seems to indicate that this is towards the end of its peak drinking window, and even wonder if this is a Cali Cab that could dry out given the tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful wine right now and exactly why I like drinking older Cabs. Very mature at 20 years, the fruit is subtle with black currant, black cherry, and cassis. Very seamless wine right now as the palate has a silky texture and notes of earth, tobacco, pencil shavings, cedar, and sage. Great balance, tannins are virtually gone but leaves a tremendous long succulent finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nearly dark purple opaque hues noticed in its youth have faded to a romantic ruby with only the slightest amber/brown tints around the edges: a common and tell-tale sign of a properly matured wine of quality. Tannins in the wine turn to sediment over time, which is why many older bottles kept on their side have a dark muddy streak along the gravity facing side of the bottle. Sometimes, with extremely well aged wines, the tannins turn to such a finite sediment, that a sand-like sediment may gather at the bottom of a glass (as opposed to often much larger chunks found in young, unfiltered wines, especially with those of France's Rhone valley).
In the mouth, the softness of silk and satin is immediately felt followed by the balanced commingling of fruit and earth into a subtle and sublime element only achievable with time. Faint mushrooms, dried earth, and cassis blend together to create the sensation one would feel when visiting one's grandfather as a child. Whatever oak or pencil shavings once present in youth are now completely gone and the result is a very mature wine of grace, elegance and refinement. A long lingering finish was timed at more than 45 seconds and it is recommended to decant about an hour before consumption.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
well stored bottle in great shape. I really really wanted to like this wine being a fan of these guys and N&N, toured the winery, and having met the owners during a wine dinner in Tokyo. It's not a bad wine at all just really simple and not bringing out the excitement I had hoped for from this winery and from the vintage. Comes across as too basic, fruit forward and very one dimensional. Extracted prune juice, with some tar, subtle black currant, just very simple tasting, not much going on at all. Maybe my tastes are changing and there was a time I would have enjoyed this more, but tonight it wasn't working. I expect a hell of a lot more out of these older Napa cabs if they want to compete in this price range, and a lot of them are worth it, but not this one. 89-90 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite young and shows very sweet tannins in a nicely rounded dark fruit profile. Enjoyable. Would like to see some other notes here - earth, cedar, mushrooms - something else. That said - still quite tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good solid napa cab in the classic style, though it never really wowed me. Nose is of oak (not yet totally integrated), blackberry, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate and graphite. The palate still shows a good whack of sweet yet also drying tannin. A good, but not great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Held a casual wine night with friends w/ the following quick notes on the wines:
2010 Failla Chardonnay - 88, yellowing in color and with fruit a bit faded but enjoyable.
1999 Nickel & Nickel Sullenger - spoiled
1995 Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 90, Very enjoyable w/ cigar box notes at the forefront.
1997 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon - 90, mature with much oak and earth.
1999 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon - 89, smooth and very integrated. I'd say past prime but still enjoyable.
2002 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 90, surprisingly youthful fruit w/ nicely integrated tanins. Easy drinking.
1996 Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 91, probably the biggest surprise of the night. Retains some nice tart berry notes along with a complex nose, fully integrated tannins, and a nice long finish. Fully mature but probably will hold for several more years.
2011 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon - 92, Youthful and juicy and at the same time has great balance. Yum!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unfortunately this bottle seemed past it's prime. Drank over several nights via Coravin with consistent notes each time. Mainly secondary flavors with fully resolved tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It was good. Not a blockbuster but a solid wine. Still drinking very young. I actually think this wine could use another five years which really surprises me. A lot of tannins. I let it open for nearly two hours and it still needed time. For a 1997, I am very surprised about how much time this wine still seems to have. After I wrote this, I went back after the wine had been in the decanter for four hours and it had opened nicely to be an impressive wine with a lot of balance. Notes of leather and spice evident with the testing after four hours but not so much after two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really wonderful. Dark fruits on the nose. Tannins fully integrated, plenty of fruit left, moderate complexity, long finish. Unlike others, felt like there is some life ahead although suspect it's at its peak and drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured from bottle, with about 30 mins+ air time in glass. Dark purple garnet, fairly opaque with some sediment. Very tight on the nose, seems very young. Showing some blueberry and tobacco, perhaps some cedar. On the palate blackberry, graphite, tobacco, fair amount of tannins which are drying. Medium finish, decent acidity. This wine felt like it had a lot of potential and was too young still - as long as the fruit sticks around for the tannins to resolve. It would be interesting to try this again in 5 years. #2 wine for me out of the vertical 93 to 97.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine is perfumy and woody in the words of the lovely Megan. The consensus pt score was 88. The fruit is faded and the wine is a bit tired. "i wish it was more shirazy!" - Dr. daniel schmaniel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sampled 12/16/11. This wine was harsh and tight for a decade. Then it finally softens up and a more elegant side starts to come through and then it starts to lose its fruit within a short time afterward. Although still a very good wine with soft and elegant elements to it, the drinking window on this wine is far short of ideal. I'd start drinking them up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sampled 10/15/11. Wonderful color still looks young. Fruit forward with black fruits, some casis, pencil lead, a little cedar, dried herb. It starts off like a 94 point wine but then gets thin at mid palate and near watery on the finish. After a couple of hours, the finish developed a bit, but was still quite thin. Perhaps it needs more decanting time, but I'm just not sold on it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a wonderful wine . Drank this from a Magnum. This decanted for about 60-75 minutes before we had this dinner at Press in St. Helena. Enjoyed this with the cowboy steak, Wild Boar Sausage and Filet Skewers. The Far Niente 97 had such a great softer tone, not remotely heavy on tannins...which was what I expected. I am a fan of Far Niente wines and it's no secret that they need to age, this was an atypical example of a great wine, that aged nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brought to Bob and M.E.'s dinner party. WOTN. Perfect with the grilled tenderloin filets. In balance, complex fruit, leather, lead pencil. Soft tannins on the finish. Good storage really makes a difference, 55 degrees since purchase at release.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
fully developed notes of black cherry, currant and plenty of glycerin, I am sad this is my last bottle. Not the most complex wine ever, but at 13 years old, this is a truly enjoyable cab with lots of fruit left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened about 30 minutes before dinner. This was medium to full bodied dry fruit with persistent tannins that faded somewhat over the 2 hour meal. I think this could get somewhat better over 3-5 years in the cellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Steely, classic structure. Unyielding with only slivers of cassis. Fair whack of acid as well. Sweet fruit kicks in late. A lot of class here and a long way to go
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
really shut down and in a dumb phase. Very muted nose and the fruit was just dormant on the palate. Very nice dark berry with mocha and some toasted oak, just not giving a lot off here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We had this bottle at a restuarant in NYC--Smith & Wollensky. Decanted for about 30 minuts. Great wine and tastes like an old Bordeaux. very smooth and balanced. I think it is at its peak and ready to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very surprised. Had this in 375ml format and it's been in and out of the cellar. In a word, resilient. After 30 minutes of decanting, a wonderful and perfectly balanced cab with nicely aged fruit and minimal tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
One of several high end California Cabs that I tasted with friends this past weekend. Unfortunately for this wine was we also tasted a 1997 Phelps Insignia and a 1992 Ridge Montebello, both of which were excellent. The Far Niente was very disappointing and just not in the same class as the others. The nose was weak and tired. The fruit was almost non existant and overpowered by the remaining tannins. This was probabaly a good wine, but never a great wine, some time ago. But no longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very well balanced bottle. Nose got better and better as time went on. A little more earthy than fruity, but nice structure. Blackberry, currants, minerals, even some leathery notes. The tannis softened to make this a very nice bottle. Underrated as far as the WS score, in my opinion. Not at all past it's prime!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
You have to love dry, dry cabs to love this one, and I DO! Enjoyed this evening with steak, grilled, seasoned tomatoes, and kernel corn. Decanted immediately and enjoyed. Try NOT decanting it...perhaps it will impress even more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of lead pencil, cigar box, and cedar. In the mouth this is well focused, giving up layers of red fruit with a silky texture. Elegance over power and drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Middle aged but vibrant red cabernet fruit nose. Rich and well balanced palate with really fine tannins. Tasty stuff that should improve over the next few years - one of the best Far Niente cabs I've had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank this for OTBN - a wonderful bottle of wine. Great bouquet. Heavy berries, some oak (vanilla) and rich, rich fruits. The taste is very smooth with a long and subtle finish. If I was rich, I would drink this every night. Had this with a simple grilled steak. Nothing better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/3/2024 - crewald wrote:
Wine is in a lovely place and still going strong. Not profound, but thoroughly enjoyable. Had with grilles steaks and grilled chicken in Telluride.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2023 - crewald wrote:
Served with ribeyes at captain's dinner middle weekend. Read quotes from Dirk Hampson and "mink lined condom". Beautiful wine in a great place: balanced and harmonious. Magnums were excellent. Two bottles needed more careful decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2023 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured, and drank over one hour. Great bottle and stored well. Drinking just as well, if not better than that last drunk in 2019. Bumping this up two points. Sadly this was my last bottle of five, but a good one on which to finish the run.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2023 - HighPeaksWino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Umm, let's just say it was really friggin good. Let open about 30 mins and then it was gone within the hour. I think it has seen it's better days though. I have 2 more bottles which will be gone in the next 6 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2022 - T.E.D. wrote: 93 Points
Was not expecting much here as my experience with this producer is limited to over oaked and heavy modernistic style cabs. However this proved that 90s vintages of top flight producers can really hold their own. This was aged and mature, however showed a nice velvety quality, with silky mature berry fruit, touches of spice and a perfumed oak. Very clean, and well integrated, clearly aged yet not over the hill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2022 - J.Nimmo wrote: 97 Points
I have only have a couple left and they are either amazing or past their prime. Thankful for this ONE! I purchased all that Far Niente had left in from their Cave Collection from 1997.
This wine is soft and supple with a plum and warm berry flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2022 - J.Nimmo wrote: 99 Points
I was afraid it would be bad like the last two I’ve opened. However - it was beautiful, soft and smooth. I purchased this from Far Ninete as it was their cellar collection.
So Happy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2021 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Definitely surprised at how this wine was tasting. At 25 years old, it was very well integrated with mature flavors but the fruit is still lingering. On the decline but really significant pleasure is still to be had here. If you have this wine, drink up!!!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2020 - Alemany wrote: 89 Points
Past it’s prime but still good!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2020 - Shooterjp Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank over 1 hour with steak dinner, amazing wine, mint notes and tannins still present.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2019 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured, and drank over two hours. Alive and kicking! These things can go the distance! Drinking well now, but ok to hold for another 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote: 94 Points
Near perfect balance between fruit and secondary elements. Really opened after about 30 min. So good. I tend to be stingy with scores, but this stepped up. Black and blue fruit, balanced, with some unresolved tannins so this can keep going for a bit. However, I think it is about as close to prime now as it will get with a short decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2019 - Alemany wrote: 90 Points
Amazing wine, holding up very well. Needs good meat to go with it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2018 - doctorw wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful, clear, deep purple, no bricking or rim variation, no real sign of age. Mineral, eucalyptus, some blue fruit on the nose, hint of vanilla. Palate showed more mineral, earth, great mouthfeel, medium to medium minus acid, with soft tannins and a long finish. 13.5 alcohol seemed nicely in balance. I say there is no real rush to drink this wine; it’s got some years left on it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2018 - Gladstone Lake wrote:
I agree with the reviewer who declared this wine was past its peak. Drank in a vertical with the 2003. The latter was a vibrant purple and excellent. The 97 was brown tinged around the edges and had little fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2018 - beej Likes this wine:
What’s nice after 21 years is this wine’s continued age worthiness. Rich dark fruit blend rather impressively w prominent tannins. Chewy long well balanced finish.
More than worth its appreciated value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2018 - awitz78 Likes this wine:
Good, but past its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2018 - NTR wrote: 93 Points
Popped at Giada in Las Vegas. Black current nose. Very smooth tempered aged cab - drinking beautifully with great aged flavours of Cedar, sage, tempered dark fruit. If u got it, pop it
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2018 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pnp at home. Still a dark garnet with a translucent rim in the glass. Wonderful nose with some barnyard, sous bios and deep dark fruit, the palate cannot fully follow, dark fruit but without particular depth or complexity, medium tannins start to overshadow the fruit a bit with more air, medium finish.
Nose 93-94, palate 91-92. While the nose is great, the palate seems to indicate that this is towards the end of its peak drinking window, and even wonder if this is a Cali Cab that could dry out given the tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2018 - lesz wrote:
very nice. against a 89 canon. initially showed better but after an hour or so the canon was clearly better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2017 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful wine right now and exactly why I like drinking older Cabs. Very mature at 20 years, the fruit is subtle with black currant, black cherry, and cassis. Very seamless wine right now as the palate has a silky texture and notes of earth, tobacco, pencil shavings, cedar, and sage. Great balance, tannins are virtually gone but leaves a tremendous long succulent finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2016 - Bon Vivant Gourmets Likes this wine: 96 Points
http://www.bonvivantgourmets.com/far-niente-cabernet-sauvignon-1997
The nearly dark purple opaque hues noticed in its youth have faded to a romantic ruby with only the slightest amber/brown tints around the edges: a common and tell-tale sign of a properly matured wine of quality. Tannins in the wine turn to sediment over time, which is why many older bottles kept on their side have a dark muddy streak along the gravity facing side of the bottle. Sometimes, with extremely well aged wines, the tannins turn to such a finite sediment, that a sand-like sediment may gather at the bottom of a glass (as opposed to often much larger chunks found in young, unfiltered wines, especially with those of France's Rhone valley).
In the mouth, the softness of silk and satin is immediately felt followed by the balanced commingling of fruit and earth into a subtle and sublime element only achievable with time. Faint mushrooms, dried earth, and cassis blend together to create the sensation one would feel when visiting one's grandfather as a child. Whatever oak or pencil shavings once present in youth are now completely gone and the result is a very mature wine of grace, elegance and refinement. A long lingering finish was timed at more than 45 seconds and it is recommended to decant about an hour before consumption.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2015 - SonnyChiba wrote: 90 Points
well stored bottle in great shape. I really really wanted to like this wine being a fan of these guys and N&N, toured the winery, and having met the owners during a wine dinner in Tokyo. It's not a bad wine at all just really simple and not bringing out the excitement I had hoped for from this winery and from the vintage. Comes across as too basic, fruit forward and very one dimensional. Extracted prune juice, with some tar, subtle black currant, just very simple tasting, not much going on at all. Maybe my tastes are changing and there was a time I would have enjoyed this more, but tonight it wasn't working. I expect a hell of a lot more out of these older Napa cabs if they want to compete in this price range, and a lot of them are worth it, but not this one. 89-90 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2015 - lolo66 wrote:
Quite young and shows very sweet tannins in a nicely rounded dark fruit profile. Enjoyable. Would like to see some other notes here - earth, cedar, mushrooms - something else. That said - still quite tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2015 - JKGarden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Open 4 bottles, all four times even though using different means, the corks all broke apart. Wine was decanted and drank very smoothly,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2015 - Dvogt wrote: 93 Points
Very soft blackberry, pencil lead, graphite, dark cherry, and well integrated tannin. Very nicely integrated and drinking really well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2014 - SeanFoley44 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine. Tannins have mellowed and fully integrated. Blackberry and graphite with some cherry on the finish. Glad I have a few more bottle left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2014 - ERx Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork was rather friable toward the interior; wine was still in great shape with good, dark, ruby color & pleasant nose-- substantial oak & slate
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 90 Points
Good solid napa cab in the classic style, though it never really wowed me. Nose is of oak (not yet totally integrated), blackberry, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate and graphite. The palate still shows a good whack of sweet yet also drying tannin. A good, but not great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2014 - redz wrote: 93 Points
rounded, smooth, drinking well now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2014 - Alemany wrote: 91 Points
Very good, high tannins but pleasant and good character. Better with Venturi Excellent with heavy meat. ;)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2014 - H*3 wrote: 90 Points
Held a casual wine night with friends w/ the following quick notes on the wines:
2010 Failla Chardonnay - 88, yellowing in color and with fruit a bit faded but enjoyable.
1999 Nickel & Nickel Sullenger - spoiled
1995 Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 90, Very enjoyable w/ cigar box notes at the forefront.
1997 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon - 90, mature with much oak and earth.
1999 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon - 89, smooth and very integrated. I'd say past prime but still enjoyable.
2002 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 90, surprisingly youthful fruit w/ nicely integrated tanins. Easy drinking.
1996 Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 91, probably the biggest surprise of the night. Retains some nice tart berry notes along with a complex nose, fully integrated tannins, and a nice long finish. Fully mature but probably will hold for several more years.
2011 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon - 92, Youthful and juicy and at the same time has great balance. Yum!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2014 - H*3 wrote: 88 Points
Unfortunately this bottle seemed past it's prime. Drank over several nights via Coravin with consistent notes each time. Mainly secondary flavors with fully resolved tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2013 - Volunteers76 wrote: 90 Points
It was good. Not a blockbuster but a solid wine. Still drinking very young. I actually think this wine could use another five years which really surprises me. A lot of tannins. I let it open for nearly two hours and it still needed time. For a 1997, I am very surprised about how much time this wine still seems to have. After I wrote this, I went back after the wine had been in the decanter for four hours and it had opened nicely to be an impressive wine with a lot of balance. Notes of leather and spice evident with the testing after four hours but not so much after two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2013 - jpwines Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was still drinking nicely. Enjoyable but I've never been a bid fan of Far Niente. No bricking, some finish--just not worth the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2013 - Agauthie Likes this wine:
opened up after oxygenation; tannins still present, rich/fresh taste; fine experience
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2013 - coredium wrote:
- Brick color and aromas of smokey and chocolate and has flavours of licorice anise.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2012 - mygrogro wrote: 94 Points
Rosey plum bouquet
smooth forward raisin jam
with complete lasting finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2012 - H*3 wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking nicely. Lot's of tobacco, earth, and leather tones with good fruit and very integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2012 - spv wrote: 93 Points
Really wonderful. Dark fruits on the nose. Tannins fully integrated, plenty of fruit left, moderate complexity, long finish. Unlike others, felt like there is some life ahead although suspect it's at its peak and drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2012 - redwiner wrote: 82 Points
This bottle was a little over the hill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2012 - ChipperDFW wrote: 89 Points
While still good, showing signs of "old" and on the way down. Cork totally disintegrated on opening. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2012 - kultcha wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured from bottle, with about 30 mins+ air time in glass. Dark purple garnet, fairly opaque with some sediment. Very tight on the nose, seems very young. Showing some blueberry and tobacco, perhaps some cedar. On the palate blackberry, graphite, tobacco, fair amount of tannins which are drying. Medium finish, decent acidity. This wine felt like it had a lot of potential and was too young still - as long as the fruit sticks around for the tannins to resolve. It would be interesting to try this again in 5 years. #2 wine for me out of the vertical 93 to 97.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2011 - bonedocnine wrote: 88 Points
The wine is perfumy and woody in the words of the lovely Megan. The consensus pt score was 88. The fruit is faded and the wine is a bit tired. "i wish it was more shirazy!" - Dr. daniel schmaniel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 92 Points
Sampled 12/16/11. This wine was harsh and tight for a decade. Then it finally softens up and a more elegant side starts to come through and then it starts to lose its fruit within a short time afterward. Although still a very good wine with soft and elegant elements to it, the drinking window on this wine is far short of ideal. I'd start drinking them up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2011 - mygrogro wrote: 94 Points
fabulous cabernet, wonderful plum oak, black cherry, smoke
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2011 - mygrogro wrote: 91 Points
nice bouquet, balanced tannins, smooth not big, light plum, forward fruit, decant for 1/2 hr min.
nice finish.. a keeper, few more years couldn't hurt
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 91 Points
Sampled 10/15/11. Wonderful color still looks young. Fruit forward with black fruits, some casis, pencil lead, a little cedar, dried herb. It starts off like a 94 point wine but then gets thin at mid palate and near watery on the finish. After a couple of hours, the finish developed a bit, but was still quite thin. Perhaps it needs more decanting time, but I'm just not sold on it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2011 - King of the Farm wrote: 95 Points
What a wonderful wine . Drank this from a Magnum. This decanted for about 60-75 minutes before we had this dinner at Press in St. Helena. Enjoyed this with the cowboy steak, Wild Boar Sausage and Filet Skewers. The Far Niente 97 had such a great softer tone, not remotely heavy on tannins...which was what I expected. I am a fan of Far Niente wines and it's no secret that they need to age, this was an atypical example of a great wine, that aged nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2011 - Jpomeranz wrote:
Marcel
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2010 - RR47 wrote: 93 Points
Brought to Bob and M.E.'s dinner party. WOTN. Perfect with the grilled tenderloin filets. In balance, complex fruit, leather, lead pencil. Soft tannins on the finish. Good storage really makes a difference, 55 degrees since purchase at release.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2010 - toomuchwine wrote: 94 Points
fully developed notes of black cherry, currant and plenty of glycerin, I am sad this is my last bottle. Not the most complex wine ever, but at 13 years old, this is a truly enjoyable cab with lots of fruit left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2010 - edjBoca wrote: 91 Points
Opened about 30 minutes before dinner. This was medium to full bodied dry fruit with persistent tannins that faded somewhat over the 2 hour meal. I think this could get somewhat better over 3-5 years in the cellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2010 - cvargas wrote: 91 Points
Great Bottle. Last one. Sadly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2009 - mgl wrote: 90 Points
Very, very smooth. Not as wonderful as I expected but excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2009 - StewartWent wrote: 91 Points
Steely, classic structure. Unyielding with only slivers of cassis. Fair whack of acid as well. Sweet fruit kicks in late. A lot of class here and a long way to go
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2009 - zimmy07 wrote:
really shut down and in a dumb phase. Very muted nose and the fruit was just dormant on the palate. Very nice dark berry with mocha and some toasted oak, just not giving a lot off here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2009 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, old world style Cab. Definitely peaking, drink it now. Excellent wine with just enough fruit left to go with the earthiness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2009 - RBurgundy wrote: 93 Points
We had this bottle at a restuarant in NYC--Smith & Wollensky. Decanted for about 30 minuts. Great wine and tastes like an old Bordeaux. very smooth and balanced. I think it is at its peak and ready to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2009 - zinslurpie wrote:
Very surprised. Had this in 375ml format and it's been in and out of the cellar. In a word, resilient. After 30 minutes of decanting, a wonderful and perfectly balanced cab with nicely aged fruit and minimal tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2009 - ejca wrote:
disappointing, no fruit and very tired.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2008 - gellie wrote: 93 Points
I was a little suspect given the inconsistant reviews. This bottle was great! Very Bordeaux like. I think this has 3-6 years of legs left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2008 - RedGrapes wrote: 80 Points
One of several high end California Cabs that I tasted with friends this past weekend. Unfortunately for this wine was we also tasted a 1997 Phelps Insignia and a 1992 Ridge Montebello, both of which were excellent. The Far Niente was very disappointing and just not in the same class as the others. The nose was weak and tired. The fruit was almost non existant and overpowered by the remaining tannins. This was probabaly a good wine, but never a great wine, some time ago. But no longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2008 - bonustime7 wrote: 95 Points
Really spectular and developed. Smooth, long finish delicious. Rudy red, velvet texture. Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2008 - bn999 wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was definitely past its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2008 - Brett wrote: 91 Points
Great bottle....last one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2008 - GPujia wrote: 90 Points
Very well balanced bottle. Nose got better and better as time went on. A little more earthy than fruity, but nice structure. Blackberry, currants, minerals, even some leathery notes. The tannis softened to make this a very nice bottle. Underrated as far as the WS score, in my opinion. Not at all past it's prime!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2007 - JOsgood wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely delicious wine that is at its peak right now. Great fruit and perfect balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2007 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 93 Points
good amount of fruit, smooth mouthfeel, supple tannins. well-balanced right now. Went well with The Godfather's tasty stuffed bell-pepper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2007 - the godfather wrote: 93 Points
I'm suprised by the tannins comments, they were very well integrated in this bottle, beatifully balanced, still lots of fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2007 - Brett wrote: 91 Points
Nice spice tones. This one drank better than the tasting in May. I found it at or near it's peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2007 - Longhorn Bob wrote: flawed
Decanted for 1 hour. Nothing on the nose or palate. Completely void of any fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2007 - mjayer wrote: flawed
Something wasn't right here. Completely muted on the nose and in the mouth. Perhaps just a touch of heat damage?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2007 - Texas R Aggie wrote: 89 Points
Very well balanced, this wine is now at it's peak for drinking. Full bodied.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2007 - Brett wrote: 90 Points
Nice bottle, ready to drink. Deep smoke and earth tones. I'm not sure how much longer this one will last.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 86 Points
Phoenix eRP Offline - California Cabernet Sauvignon (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Caramel and grapey character. Tannic and monolithic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 87 Points
Backstreet - California Cabernets (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Bland - nothing special.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2007 - TinMan wrote: 93 Points
You have to love dry, dry cabs to love this one, and I DO! Enjoyed this evening with steak, grilled, seasoned tomatoes, and kernel corn. Decanted immediately and enjoyed. Try NOT decanting it...perhaps it will impress even more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2006 - mjayer wrote: 93 Points
Nose of lead pencil, cigar box, and cedar. In the mouth this is well focused, giving up layers of red fruit with a silky texture. Elegance over power and drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2006 - psmith wrote:
Middle aged but vibrant red cabernet fruit nose. Rich and well balanced palate with really fine tannins. Tasty stuff that should improve over the next few years - one of the best Far Niente cabs I've had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2006 - ehard wrote: 90 Points
similiar to the Shafer HS 99...a tad more mature with full body...for the money I still love my Downing 02
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2006 - rsich wrote: 85 Points
too much tannin...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2006 - EyeDoc wrote: 93 Points
compared to the 95 this had a little more tannin and probably a little better finish accordingly. Still has some life in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2006 - MTC wrote: 87 Points
There was no pop to it. No nose and no strong fruit to speak of. However it was smooth and if it had a nose and finish it would be excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 89 Points
Superbowl afternoon cabernet tasting (Home in Boston): Delicious California cab, medium weight and body, not too much complexity, ready to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2005 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Red fruit with caramel notes. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2005 - Danny Joe wrote:
Drank this for OTBN - a wonderful bottle of wine. Great bouquet. Heavy berries, some oak (vanilla) and rich, rich fruits. The taste is very smooth with a long and subtle finish. If I was rich, I would drink this every night. Had this with a simple grilled steak. Nothing better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2005 - wcooper wrote:
Drank last night, did not decant. The wine simply got better as the night went on. Has chocolate overtones with medium nose. Simply delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2003 - brianofthevine wrote: 91 Points
Fruit forward with red cherry. Smooth tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment