2005 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Cave Collection
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Tasting notes
Bright, dark ruby. Blackberry, dark cherry, licorice, menthol, mocha, tobacco and bitter chocolate on the nose; riper than the 2004 but still with an herbal high note. Plush, ripe and smooth but with harmonious acidity giving lift to the dark berry flavors. This Cabernet avoids the pungent greenness of the 2004 edition but is still a bit herbal, even tart, on the back end, giving a faint dry edge to the tongue-dusting tannins.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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This well-established winery from the Nickel family has built a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot (14.5% alcohol) from their impressive holdings in Oakville. The winery has considerable history, having been founded in 1885 and then abandoned in 1919 with the beginning of Prohibition. Far Niente possesses one of the great labels in Napa Valley and the wine clearly lives up to the aesthetic beauty of the packaging. Dense purple, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Cave Collection offers beautifully pure crème de cassis fruit, licorice, graphite and subtle spice box. Oakville is, for me, the Pauillac of Napa Valley, and this is first-growth quality without a doubt. It full body, beautiful texture, seamless integration of all its component parts, and stunning ripeness make for a profound Far Niente that is aging magnificently and seems far superior to what I remember in its youthfulness. (Shame on me.) This full-bodied beauty seems to have entered its plateau of maturity, but should continue to drink well for another two decades.