Winemaker Notes
Farella Vineyard is a fantastically complex site in the foothills of the Vaca Mountain range in the cool, southeastern corner of Napa Valley. The vineyard is divided into numerous blocks with elevations ranging between 300 and 500 feet. Varying slopes create distinct microclimates and soil compositions, and the vineyard’s diversity is suitable to growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Thirty acres of untouched oak woodland adds to the biodiversity and breathtaking beauty of this special site.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dark berries, sliced mushrooms wet earth and fascinating intensity. Iodine undertones. Full-bodied, velvety and layered. Incredible depth and length. Truly fantastic. Shows the Coombsville magic. Pure cabernet. Napa's answer to 1975 La Mission? Beautiful now but better in 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard (425 cases), is made from a vineyard planted in red volcanic tufa soils. The irony is that just about everybody that buys fruit from this vineyard makes better wine than the owner. This is a terrific, almost Bordeaux-inspired wine with loads of minerality and structure, but intense chocolaty, charcoal notes intermixed with blackcurrant, licorice and forest floor. It is dense, full-bodied, stunningly rich and can be drunk now or cellared for another two decades.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Situated in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley in the Vaca range, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy a long growing season mitigated by cool, San Pablo Bay fog.
MRW192422_2014 Item# 192422