Tasting Notes
Opulent and elegant, the 2021 release of our Brumaire Chardonnay is filled with rich, tropical fruit flavor and a crisp acidity that begs to be paired with all of this season’s adventures. An airy peach blossom and nectarine perfume leads to a palate layered with notes of fresh orchard peaches, lemon peel and cool minerality underscored by subtle baking spice and toasted oak accents. Vibrant natural acidity adds brightness and lift to the full, juicy finish.
About Far Niente Family of Wines
Our story was shaped by dreamers, doers, and craftsmen — all in pursuit of perfection in winemaking. Far Niente was founded in Oakville, California in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired architect Hamden McIntyre, and together they worked to create an exquisite oasis in western Oakville.
Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919. The gates closed, but the magic never truly disappeared from the property. Sixty years later, Gil Nickel bought and restored the winery and neighboring vineyard. This three-year-long labor of love put the label back on the map — and on the National Register of Historic Places. He preserved the Far Niente name — an Italian phrase which romantically translated means ‘without a care.’ Nickel hoped to recapture a bygone era when life was indeed without a care.
To this day, Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Ours is an unparalleled level of time-honored winemaking traditions. This has helped establish Far Niente as one of the world’s great wine estates.
About EnRoute Winery
EnRoute to a Finer Standard in Pinot Noir
The culmination of a decades-long quest to find the most preeminent locations in Northern California to produce outstanding, unparalleled Pinot Noir, EnRoute Winery was established in 2007 by the partners of Napa Valley’s Far Niente. Their mission brought them to the Russian River Valley, a short distance by car — but worlds away to the keen-sensed vintner.
This valley enveloped in fog, where wet winters and springs give way to moderate summers, feels almost divinely crafted for the singular purpose of growing amazing Pinot Noir. For winemakers with a passion as strong as ours, this idyllic American Viticultural Area (AVA) might as well be paradise: Year after year, the Russian River Valley’s slow, consistent growing conditions allow us to attentively shepherd every step of the vinification process — and that means perfectly crafted Pinots for wine lovers like you.
We fell in love with the Russian River Valley region and built a strong commitment to expanding our winemaking efforts. Since our founding, we have established our own vineyards and a winery so that we may capture the magical essence of Pinot Noir.
Single-Vineyard Pinot Noirs
When we began our pursuit of the pinnacle of Pinot Noir — embodied in our “Les Pommiers” blend — we chose to approach the varietal by combining the best fruit from vineyards across the Russian River Valley region. Over the years, we discovered that several vineyards consistently stood out for their beautiful expression of site. Hence, we were inspired to explore single-vineyard offerings.
We couldn’t be happier with that decision. Our single-vineyard offerings range from intensely structured wines with bold aromas to more delicate Pinot Noirs with silky tannins and subtle fruit and earth notes. These are the differences that make Pinot Noir such an intriguing and exciting varietal to work with, and we’re elated to share its diversity of tastes and textures.
We debuted our EnRoute Single-Vineyard Pinot Noirs with the 2013 vintage, featuring wines from our Amber Ridge and Northern Spy Vineyards. Our single-vineyard program showcases the pedigree of each site, while ultimately underscoring the greatness of our EnRoute Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, “Les Pommiers.”
