It ended up coming in even sweeter than we thought, he continues. The 2013 is 90% Smilllon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, and shows decadent honeyed fruit, complexity from botrytis, yet retains acidity. We run the press for an exceedingly long time, since there's so little juice and it's so valuable. Delivery Available. But since we pick only berries or parts of clusters or clusters, it's all done on a case-by-case basis. I think it results in higher quality if we get botytris earlier -- if the fruit is really ripe. So I think a large percentage of it will make the blend." As our wine grapes hang on the vine longer than most, something spectacular happens: They become afflicted with botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. "We're going to finish picking Sauvignon Blanc today and do a little more Smillion today. While most wine grape yields can be harvested in a matter of days, the peculiar nature of late harvest wine and the perfectionist nature of Dolces stewards and winemakers mean harvesting our single Semillon vineyard can last as long as six weeks or more. I'm hoping for fog for a week, to see the mold double every two to three days, Hampson adds. How is Hampson going about balancing the high sugars to get the right level for Dolce? Add to Cart. "But they seem to be progressing very well. He notes, In certain areas of the vineyard, where we have different rootstocks planted, on one type of rootstock, the botrytis infection is extremely heavy -- about 60 percent of the clusters show botrytis. It's pretty exciting!" Normally they feel as if they've got more juice in them. Some of our Chardonnay vineyards, which are more susceptible to spring frost, were affected by [the April] frosts, but none of the vines in the Dolce vineyard got frosted. Made with late harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon in very small quantities, the Dolce is decadent and sultry, with plenty of sugar and acidity to allow to age in a good cellar for decades. It's pretty exciting!" When we were pouring the grapes onto the sorting belt yesterday, there were just clouds of spores coming off the fruit. Of course, no one ever sees it but us winemakers because it goes into the blend. What previous vintage does this year most resemble? How often does Hampson check the vineyards nowadays? . The picking stirs up the spores that are out there. So it varies widely in microclimates within the 17 acres of vineyards. We're trying to get the sugar balanced just right on the tank we started. We're going to finish up earlier this year than on many occasions," he predicts. This ended up giving some free moisture to all the botrytis that had already started, and we've just seen a remarkable explosion of botrytis out there. If you had 45 guys picking Chardonnay all day, you'd probably have 60 tons. It also has the potential to reduce temperatures in the vineyard a little; there's not as much heat absorption by the soil. Standard 750 ml (4) Half Bottle 375 ml (1) . We're looking at something that's going to be outstanding! What's going on in the winery at this time of year? The Dolce grapes -- the Smillion and Sauvignon Blanc -- were all at about 22 Brix or more, essentially ripe, so these are ideal conditions for starting to develop botrytis. "The only thing you can complain about while picking is when it warms up in the morning, the honeybees and yellow jackets, which like the fruit as much as we do, buzz around and you have to be careful not to get stung. It was predicted to be very light, but it ended up that some northern cold air came in and mixed with wet tropical air, and we had the biggest lightning storm I'd seen in my 20 years in Napa Valley. Our first press was 34 Brix. Dolce devotes itself exclusively to the production of a single late-harvest wine blended from botrytised Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Even though Hampson has already been through a regular harvest this year with Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel, he's all revved up for this one. We're trying to get that perfect blend. We've had a stunning week of picking: The weather was ideal, briefly up to 75 degrees in the afternoons, cool and lightly foggy in the mornings. We use a number of different yeasts; [the fermentations] have been starting somewhat slowly, then the earlier ones have been going very fast for a little ways. Beyond that, in order to create a wine with the qualities of Dolce, it takes land that seemingly was designed for this very purpose. Tuesday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m. We had about 45 guys out picking yesterday, and they picked all day and got about 7 tons. "We've been done for a little while now," reports Dirk Hampson. "This is one of the two best years I've ever seen in my 15 years of doing Dolce, which I don't say lightly. "Botrytis is where the flavor comes from, but you need the right sugar level [to maintain proper fermentation]. So far, it's all working well, he says. "But they seem to be progressing very well. We're going to finish up earlier this year than on many occasions," he predicts. I want to see the grapes ripen nicely until about 23 Brix and then I'm hoping we'll see enough fog or a small rain to get the botrytis to start. This is one of the two or three best vintages of Cabernet Franc I've ever tried. Dolce was founded in 1989 by the three partners of Far Niente as they started pursuing the goal of creating world-class late-harvest wine in the Napa Valley. That's about 8 tons a day, which is kind of small compared to, say, Sutter Home, which could end up doing a couple thousand tons in a day," he comments. So I like to see the first pick happen earlier rather than later. In comparison, you normally see Chardonnay and Cabernet coming in at 24 Brix. "Well, not a single barrel has started fermenting yet, but I'm optimistic about the quality of the juice from how it tastes and the analytical results. "We're going to finish picking Sauvignon Blanc today and do a little more Smillion today. It's another year in which we haven't been shut out. "We've picked through all of the vineyard at least twice. But even though we're busy with harvest, we've all been thinking of you guys out there in New York. Our first press was 34 Brix. The last stuff out of the press was over 40 Brix. You could end up with too low alcohol and too high residual sugar. He started working with us as an intern in 1996 and has been here for two years training to be Dolce's winemaker. "This is one of the two best years I've ever seen in my 15 years of doing Dolce, which I don't say lightly. He chuckles about the differences between making dessert wine and dry wines. Rather, our highly trained crew must take on the delicate task of combing through our vineyard many times over the course of weeks. There is quite a bit of preparation. In comparison, you normally see Chardonnay and Cabernet coming in at 24 Brix. Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, 9:30 a.m. See for yourself why Dolce is one of a kind. Dirk Hampson says. The picking stirs up the spores that are out there. if (document.getElementById("mapimgswap")) { document.getElementById("mapimgswap").remove(); }, Tuesday, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. "This is one of the two best years I've ever seen in my 15 years of doing Dolce, which I don't say lightly. For well over a week after I last reported in, we had heavy fog every morning, and it stayed around until 11 a.m. or noon, reports Dirk Hampson. Hampson explains, Normally you'll see [botrytis start with] a pink color where the grape meets the stem, then the pink spreads, then the grape turns purple and then it gets fuzzy. How much does Hampson expect to bring in today? That'll do it. We're looking at something that's going to be outstanding! Then due to the resistance yeasts have to the level of alcohol and sugar in wines, they have been starting to peter out and go dormant when the wine is close to 13.5 percent or 14 percent alcohol and 11 percent residual sugar. We're in the thick of it, picking and pressing. So today we'll probably pick between 8 and 9 tons. In the fall, we hope that will help us with the tractors going through the rows, and during the growing season, it should help moderate the growth of the vines and provide a source of humidity. We've being doing a few other things out in the vineyards. says Dirk Hamspon, enthusiastically. Far Niente Dolce | Total Wine & More Dirk Hampson says. 2019 Far Niente Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville. I don't have another year to compare it to right now, Hamspon says. When conditions are right for botrytis, they're right for penicillin to grow and for other molds that don't give the right flavors for Dolce. It's cooled down, fog is supposed to come back in as of tonight, and there's no rain forecast for the next 15 days. That's something they never put in the job description!" The weather had been perfect, and this weekend, we got extremely warm weather. Then due to the resistance yeasts have to the level of alcohol and sugar in wines, they have been starting to peter out and go dormant when the wine is close to 13.5 percent or 14 percent alcohol and 11 percent residual sugar. "The winemaker and I are absolutely thrilled. He chuckles about the differences between making dessert wine and dry wines. "But a lot of things will take care of themselves with how good the grapes are. The weather had been perfect, and this weekend, we got extremely warm weather. "It also fell in a week when we were done picking reds for Far Niente but not ready to press any off, so that was wonderful also. "This is one of the two best years I've ever seen in my 15 years of doing Dolce, which I don't say lightly. Now we see if Greg Allen, our winemaker, can work his magic on it and if it'll end up as good as I think it's going to.". It was actually quite gorgeous! If the grapes have botrytis, depending on how you run the press program, you can get very different amounts. The winter rainfall was well below normal, and we had a pretty dry spring, so we had an early budbreak. When we're done, we're only going to have a handful of acres to pick through a third time. We are still working on Chardonnay at Far Niente. We're dealing with something close to honey!" He laughs, "Actually I don't know what the sugar level of honey is, but it sounds good. The yeast reach a certain level of balance between sugar and alcohol where they just keel over and they're too tired to do too much work. We could use both of the big presses for Dolce and not have to turn them back from red to white and back again." We are as concerned about managing pests -- whether it is yellow jackets or the wrong mold -- as we are about managing the vineyard to maximize botrytis. There's a lot of botrytis out there that started earlier. "We had one of the best harvests Dolce ever enjoyed in terms of the quality and the quantity of fruit and getting it picked at just the right time -- all those factors came together beautifully this year. Friday, Oct. 19, noon With that cooler weather, there's been fog hanging around until 11 o'clock or even noon every day. We're expecting a chance of showers next Monday or Tuesday, and that could be ideal for the vineyards. Both Smillon and Sauvignon Blanc are later-budding varieties than Chardonnay. When you see the stuff on the sorting table, you can't believe anyone would have picked it, much less try to make wine out of it, he says, amused. Far Niente Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest Wine - Drizly Dessert - Lush and Balanced. It was predicted to be very light, but it ended up that some northern cold air came in and mixed with wet tropical air, and we had the biggest lightning storm I'd seen in my 20 years in Napa Valley. Rich with caramel, honeysuckle, and sweet lemon flavors, it set a benchmark for California dessert wines at the time and still does today. Wonderfully food-friendly, this will pair well with foie gras, poached figs, cheeses, chocolate or creme brule. Far Niente "Dolce" Napa Valley Dessert Wine (375ml) The Chicago Wine Co. IL: Chicago . I believe the fog will be hanging on even though it's warming up, so I'm hopeful that we'll have the right conditions for the next week or so. As far as the crop goes, I think we are looking at a normal size. "We've been picking every day this week -- about two press-loads, which is what we can comfortably do in a day. "It's the amount of berries you do or don't put in the press. "What we need is between 33 and 38 Brix. We typically press six to nine hours; for Chardonnay, it's about one hour and 40 minutes. So how do the wines look so far? "It's the amount of berries you do or don't put in the press. When we check the most advanced grapes, those with fuzz, the sugar levels are as high as 45 Brix. The partners introduced Dolce with the 1989 vintage. That's about 8 tons a day, which is kind of small compared to, say, Sutter Home, which could end up doing a couple thousand tons in a day," he comments. But it's too soon to know for sure. Were patient. That's a place where they naturally run out of steam. It's been going extremely well. Oakville (2) Top Rated. Dolce is a hard wine to filter; given that it has all that residual sugar, we feel strongly about sterile filtration so that the wine can't undergo a second fermentation in the bottle. For Dolce, that's not a problem the way it is for vineyards with Chardonnay and Merlot that are almost ripe. "Botrytis is where the flavor comes from, but you need the right sugar level [to maintain proper fermentation]. How is Hampson going about balancing the high sugars to get the right level for Dolce? But I think it was early enough in the season and the peak temperatures weren't dreadful. The quality looks excellent, the botrytis looks excellent, the sugars look excellent, he says, speaking as rapidly as if he were still in the winery, coordinating everything. Tiny, shriveled Botrytis affected Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are fermented . We're dealing with something close to honey!" As always in this business -- and making wine is really glorified agriculture -- it's all about what Mother Nature is going to do. For Merlot, I'm not as optimistic, because of how hot it was back in May or June; it was harder on the Merlot than the Cabernet and Cab Franc. I'm not sure of the exact number, but I assume we must now have 120 barrels fermenting -- enough to notice anyway. It's another year in which we haven't been shut out. That'll do it. Essentially, we're growing a second crop in the vineyards, so we've got a lot to learn on that. Dolce | Wine Spectator But the weather looks good. Some grapes will probably be between 5 to 25 percent botrytis and the rest 50 to 100 percent. By the time we pick, we will probably have brought in almost all of our Cabernet, since there's been a lot of Cab coming in this week in Napa, Hampson predicts. When we check the most advanced grapes, those with fuzz, the sugar levels are as high as 45 Brix. 2013 Far Niente "Dolce" (375ml) Dessert Wine Il Dolce Far Niente | Far Niente Winery The moment we start getting fog again we'll see botrytis spread again very quickly. "We had one of the best harvests Dolce ever enjoyed in terms of the quality and the quantity of fruit and getting it picked at just the right time -- all those factors came together beautifully this year. That's good when it comes to harvesting our other vineyards, but with late-harvest wines, I'm not sure that matters as much. We've had a stunning week of picking: The weather was ideal, briefly up to 75 degrees in the afternoons, cool and lightly foggy in the mornings. he concludes. Of course, no one ever sees it but us winemakers because it goes into the blend. "We've been picking every day this week -- about two press-loads, which is what we can comfortably do in a day. So I think a large percentage of it will make the blend." We're trying to get the sugar balanced just right on the tank we started. Our final challenge before beginning the vinification process is harvesting the fruits after tending them during their extended growing period. For Merlot, I'm not as optimistic, because of how hot it was back in May or June; it was harder on the Merlot than the Cabernet and Cab Franc. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. "It's just been perfect!" Right now, I'm seeing clusters with all shades of pink and purple, with some fuzz started. "As far as knowing which lots will be good for the blend, we're a long ways from that," says Hampson. When we were pouring the grapes onto the sorting belt yesterday, there were just clouds of spores coming off the fruit. Botrytized grapes don't crush down the same way regular fruit does, he explains. "While I knew we were going to get a certain amount this week, I didn't realize that all the things that happened before would allow us to have so much flexibility in blending the juices from the different press lots. "But a lot of things will take care of themselves with how good the grapes are. Yesterday we were picking grapes that had 50 percent to 100 percent botrytis. We run the press for an exceedingly long time, since there's so little juice and it's so valuable. When we spoke earlier, I expected to begin picking about October 15, but it may be sooner. After spending today and tomorrow picking, we're hoping that more fog comes in, and then we expect to wait another couple weeks for another pick. That's something they never put in the job description!" 4.2 out of 5 stars. When does Hampson anticipate picking? It's a risk when you only make a botrytis dessert wine, you may have a year when nothing can save the harvest. Wine Enthusiast (1) Far Niente Dolce 375ml. Far Niente finished on Saturday, and Nickel & Nickel is finishing one very old-vine vineyard in Oakville today. So I like to see the first pick happen earlier rather than later. It's really pretty cool to see! In the fall, we hope that will help us with the tractors going through the rows, and during the growing season, it should help moderate the growth of the vines and provide a source of humidity. "This is one of the two best years I've ever seen in my 15 years of doing Dolce, which I don't say lightly. "The next day, we wanted a press of all botrytis, but also a load of 50 percent botrytis and 50 percent green," he continues. 4.8 out of 5 stars. He concludes, For this stage of harvest, this is the most optimistic I've been since 1997 -- which is saying a lot. Far Niente Dolce Price & Reviews | Drizly Although it doesn't always follow, certainly for Bordeaux, some of the greatest years for Sauternes have been some of the greatest years for red wines. I'm not sure of the exact number, but I assume we must now have 120 barrels fermenting -- enough to notice anyway. Yesterday we were picking grapes that had 50 percent to 100 percent botrytis. $82.99. We could use both of the big presses for Dolce and not have to turn them back from red to white and back again." So how do the wines look so far? "As far as knowing which lots will be good for the blend, we're a long ways from that," says Hampson. But in this warm and dry weather, we're not going to get botrytis. That's a place where they naturally run out of steam. Go. 2013 FAR NIENTE "DOLCE" (375ML) DESSERT WINE $ 85.00 $ 75.00 Stunning qualities that near omnipotence beginning with a show-stopping bouquet infused with honeyed peach, almond and butterscotch An otherworldly, silken texture caresses your palate, as beautifully defined flavors unfold literally giving you goose bumps. For Merlot, I'm not as optimistic, because of how hot it was back in May or June; it was harder on the Merlot than the Cabernet and Cab Franc. When we check the most advanced grapes, those with fuzz, the sugar levels are as high as 45 Brix. We've being doing a few other things out in the vineyards. So it varies widely in microclimates within the 17 acres of vineyards. So how do the wines look so far? It was predicted to be very light, but it ended up that some northern cold air came in and mixed with wet tropical air, and we had the biggest lightning storm I'd seen in my 20 years in Napa Valley. "We've been done for a little while now," reports Dirk Hampson. For us, the first day of harvest means that, no matter what, we got something. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. "It's the amount of berries you do or don't put in the press. Although it doesn't always follow, certainly for Bordeaux, some of the greatest years for Sauternes have been some of the greatest years for red wines. You all have a tremendous amount of support out here in California wine country. Named from the Italian phrase Dolce Far Niente - sweet to do nothing - Dolce (pronounced dol' chay) is the brainchild of Dirk Hampson, director of winemaking and partner in Oakville's Far Niente winery. The increased concern about minimizing erosion is having many more viticulturalists looking at cover crop than ever before.