Bounty Hunter Wine
For the Bounty Hunter Rare Red we are now pouring… 2008 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville ____________________A p p e l l a t i o nOakville, Napa Valley______________________Ha r v e s t  Da t e sOctober 3 - 25, 2008______________________Va r i e t a l s90% Cabernet Sauvignon6% Petit Verdot4% Cabernet Franc______________________S k i n  Co n t a c t29 days, average______________________Ag i n g16 - 17 months in French oak (70% new, 30% once-used)______________________Re l e a s e  Da t eFebruary 2011______________________Di re c t o r   o f  Wi n ema k i n gDirk Hampson V I N E YA R D   N O T E S The 100-acre Martin Stelling Vineyard, located behind the winery in Oakville, is the cornerstone of the Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon program. Planted on some of the most beautiful, gravelly loam soil in the Napa Valley, the vineyard is composed of two distinct areas. The lower portion uniformly produces wines with supple, sweet tannins and bright, forward fruit. Halter Valley, which is the extension of the vineyard that starts into the foothills of the Mayacamas, is composed of gently rolling knolls. This section of the vineyard includes more diverse individual blocks that provide wines of great tannin and structure. This vineyard, together with a small contribution from the Sullenger Vineyard at Nickel & Nickel, produces Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon. H A R V E S T   N O T E S The 2008 season started out with low winter rainfall, followed by a very dry and cold spring. Napa Valley’s worst frost in 30 years resulted in reduced yields and delayed ripening in the coldest pockets of our vineyards. However, our precision farming enabled us to identify and isolate these sections. Summer and early fall brought a few heat spikes, but it was a relatively mild ripening season for Cabernet; its development was slow and steady, ensuring ideally evolved flavors and tannins. A cool and fairly dry October allowed us to pick each block slowly, sometimes with multiple passes, to harvest at optimum ripeness. The frostaffected sections were picked separately and declassified; only wines of optimal ripeness and beautifully textured tannins were included in our blend. P R O D U C T I O N   N O T E S We were able to achieve the concentrated flavors of juicy, black and purple fruit along with the lush, velvety tannins of this vintage through a combination of early pressing and extended maceration. Fifty percent of the lots stayed on their skins for up to 63 days, allowing for slow and gentle tannin extraction while the other half was pressed early to capture the bright fruit flavors. TA S T I N G   N O T E S This wine offers intense aromas of ripe blackberry and boysenberry layered with baking spices and licorice. The entry is full and juicy with a velvety middle palate. Dark, mocha flavors emerge on the long finish with chewy, coating tannins.

For the Bounty Hunter Rare Red we are now pouring…

2008 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

____________________
A p p e l l a t i o n
Oakville, Napa Valley
______________________
Ha r v e s t  Da t e s
October 3 - 25, 2008
______________________
Va r i e t a l s
90% Cabernet Sauvignon
6% Petit Verdot
4% Cabernet Franc
______________________
S k i n  Co n t a c t
29 days, average
______________________
Ag i n g
16 - 17 months in French oak
(70% new, 30% once-used)
______________________
Re l e a s e  Da t e
February 2011
______________________
Di re c t o r   o f  Wi n ema k i n g
Dirk Hampson

V I N E YA R D   N O T E S

The 100-acre Martin Stelling Vineyard, located behind the winery in Oakville,

is the cornerstone of the Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon program. Planted on

some of the most beautiful, gravelly loam soil in the Napa Valley, the vineyard

is composed of two distinct areas. The lower portion uniformly produces

wines with supple, sweet tannins and bright, forward fruit. Halter Valley,

which is the extension of the vineyard that starts into the foothills of the

Mayacamas, is composed of gently rolling knolls. This section of the vineyard

includes more diverse individual blocks that provide wines of great tannin and

structure. This vineyard, together with a small contribution from the Sullenger

Vineyard at Nickel & Nickel, produces Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon.

H A R V E S T   N O T E S

The 2008 season started out with low winter rainfall, followed by a very dry and

cold spring. Napa Valley’s worst frost in 30 years resulted in reduced yields and

delayed ripening in the coldest pockets of our vineyards. However, our precision

farming enabled us to identify and isolate these sections. Summer and early

fall brought a few heat spikes, but it was a relatively mild ripening season for

Cabernet; its development was slow and steady, ensuring ideally evolved flavors

and tannins. A cool and fairly dry October allowed us to pick each block slowly,

sometimes with multiple passes, to harvest at optimum ripeness. The frostaffected sections were picked separately and declassified; only wines of optimal

ripeness and beautifully textured tannins were included in our blend.

P R O D U C T I O N   N O T E S

We were able to achieve the concentrated flavors of juicy, black and purple fruit

along with the lush, velvety tannins of this vintage through a combination

of early pressing and extended maceration. Fifty percent of the lots stayed

on their skins for up to 63 days, allowing for slow and gentle tannin extraction

while the other half was pressed early to capture the bright fruit flavors.

TA S T I N G   N O T E S

This wine offers intense aromas of ripe blackberry and boysenberry layered

with baking spices and licorice. The entry is full and juicy with a velvety

middle palate. Dark, mocha flavors emerge on the long finish with chewy,

coating tannins.

Posted 3 months ago