Far Niente Chardonnay 2024

Far Niente’s 2024 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Carneros and Coombsville vineyards — bright, creamy, made without malolactic fermentation.

Taste
Melon, ripe peach, pear, and citrus blossom, with grilled citrus, wet stone, and a light touch of vanilla and toasted hazelnut. Creamy texture, lively acidity, a gently spiced finish.

Region
From Napa Valley, California, blended from cool Carneros and Coombsville vineyards. Gil Nickel revived Far Niente’s 1885 Oakville stone winery in 1979; the 1979 Chardonnay was Far Niente’s first wine since Prohibition.

About This Wine
Body: Full body · Acidity: Bright, lively · Texture: Creamy, rounded

Taste Profile

Source: Vivino community taste data (435 member taste ratings, all vintages).

Best For
Seafood and roast-chicken dinners, a Napa name for gifting, holiday tables, hosts who want a rich white that stays fresh

For Who
Napa Chardonnay loyalists, drinkers who want a creamy texture without the buttery style, gift buyers who want a name people recognize, dinner-party hosts

Similar To
If you like Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills, or Cakebread Chardonnay, this is the same polished Napa register — richness carried by fresh acidity rather than butter.

Pairing
Butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, herb-roasted chicken, halibut with beurre blanc, mushroom risotto, Korean haemul-pajeon (seafood scallion pancake), saengseon-jeon (pan-fried fish fillets)

Drink Window
Drink now or hold. James Suckling says drink or hold; Wine Spectator says drink now.

Collector Note
James Suckling scored the 2024 at 93 points and Wine Spectator at 90. The winery calls 2024 a classic vintage — summer heat, an August cooldown, harvest from late August into early October. Ninety percent barrel-fermented, aged on the lees in French oak, 43% new. Buy 2–3: open one now, hold the rest.

Mood
Polished, generous, celebratory, Napa

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Far Niente Chardonnay buttery?
A: Not in the classic sense. Far Niente has made its Napa Valley Chardonnay without malolactic fermentation since its first wines in 1979, and the 2024 follows suit. Expect a creamy texture with fresh acidity rather than the buttery notes malolactic fermentation can add.

Q: Is this the Coombsville Chardonnay?
A: No. This is the Napa Valley bottling — Far Niente’s original Chardonnay, first made in 1979 — blended in 2024 from Carneros and Coombsville vineyards. The winery also releases a separate Coombsville-only Chardonnay at a higher price.

Q: Should I drink it now or cellar it?
A: Both work. It is ready on release and has the acidity to hold. Serve at 53–55°F, not ice-cold, so the barrel spice and hazelnut show.