2019 Dolce, Far Niente

“Liquid Gold at Dusk”

This is decadence, but with discipline. The 2019 Dolce opens with lifted aromas of orange zest, vanilla bean and dried apricot, wrapped in layers of butterscotch, pear compote and soft baking spice. There is richness from the very first swirl, but also something brighter and more poised beneath it, a fine thread of freshness that stops it ever feeling heavy.

On the palate, it is luscious, silky and beautifully alive. Flavours of candied orange, poached pear and apricot conserve glide across the tongue, joined by notes of caramel, honeyed citrus and a subtle mineral edge that gives the wine shape and tension. Nearly three years in French oak have added polish and quiet spice, while the botrytis brings that signature texture, unctuous yet mouthwatering, concentrated yet elegant. The finish is long, radiant and seemingly endless, lingering on citrus peel, caramel and golden fruit.

This is Napa’s great answer to Sauternes, luxurious, precise and entirely unforgettable.

For when dessert deserves its own spotlight.
Pairs with tarte tatin, blue cheese, apricot tart or simply a small glass and a moment of silence.
If this wine were a mood, it would be candlelight catching amber crystal, rich, glowing and impossible to ignore.

Dolce was founded in 1985 by the partners behind Far Niente and remains the only American winery devoted exclusively to a single late harvest wine. Inspired by the great wines of Sauternes, Dolce is crafted from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grown on its 20-acre estate in Coombsville, at the base of the Vaca Mountains. Here, volcanic soils, autumn fog and sheltered conditions encourage the rare development of Botrytis cinerea, allowing the grapes to shrivel, concentrate and develop extraordinary complexity. The result is one of Napa Valley’s most iconic sweet wines, a benchmark expression of late harvest winemaking in America.