Far Mountain
Fission Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Moon Mountain District
Fission is a dry-farmed, pure mountain wine, showcasing dark, intense fruit shaped by the cool elevation of the Alta Vista vineyard. With deep texture and sappy concentration from the old, 50-year-old vines, it builds into powerful tannins that remain refined, almost cloaked by the seductive fruit and gently evolving structure. The unique volcanic soils impart textural and mineral complexity, contributing to the wine’s earthy and savory tones. The terraced vineyard, nestled in the Mayacamas mountains, gives Fission a precise, saline minerality and remarkable depth that define its greatness.
VINEYARD
The base of Fission is sourced from Alta Vista Vineyard, located above the town of Sonoma at the southern end of the Mayacamas Range. Situated at 1,650 feet, this 17-acre site is one of the highest elevations in the region. The vineyard, planted in 1972, follows the natural contours of the hillside, with varied exposure depending on terrace length. The soils are rocky, with highly fractured stones in an advanced stage of decomposition. The vineyard is dry-farmed, St. George rootstock and an old field selection of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is surrounded by native trees and vegetation, offering breathtaking views from Sonoma to San Francisco Bay.
WINEMAKING
Hand-harvesting, with gentle destemming. Gravity fed into open-top fermenters; 4-5 day cold soak maceration
VINTAGE
The 2022 Moon Mountain vintage was shaped by limited rainfall, leading to a slightly earlier harvest and lower yields. This resulted in intensely concentrated flavors and deep color. Consistent summer weather preserved acidity, ensuring freshness and balance in the wines. The combination of ripe fruit, structure, and vibrancy suggests wines with both immediate appeal and strong aging potential. Overall, 2022 delivered a powerful yet well-balanced vintage with great depth.
TASTING NOTE
Cherry, spiced plum, and tobacco mingling with herbs and earth.
FOOD PAIRING
BBQ brisket, Coq au Vin, mushroom risotto
Color
Red
Blend %
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Moon Mountain District
Farming
Organic
Alcohol
14%
Suggested Retail Price
$55.99
Reviews
James Suckling - December 10, 2025 "If you have any doubts about the freshness and viability of the hot 2022 vintage in California, taste this. The nose is so perfumed and delicate, with aromas of dark cherries, graphite, violets, soft blue fruit and a lovely mineral touch. The palate is taut yet lush, with fine-grained tannins and a mouthwatering finish. This is excellent today and will keep aging gracefully."
Wine Enthusiast - February 26, 2026 "The nose of this Cabernet is intense, with aromas of focused cherry, spiced plum, flowers, and tobacco mingling with herbs and earth. The palate is high-toned, with loads of supple tannin and bright acidity bolstered by flavors of fresh raspberry, plum tart, cut flowers, and dusty cherries that linger for over a minute. Best from 2030-2045."
Jeb Dunnuck - July 2, 2025 "Tasted alongside the 2021 vintage, the 2022 Fission is another mountainous expression but has a bit more suppleness and immediate feel in this vintage. It boasts notes of baked plums, crushed herbs, turned, rocky earth, and leather. The savory herbs of the 2021 are also present in this version, though they offer more immediacy in terms of structure and have a plusher texture, with good evenness through the finish."
Vinous - February 1, 2025 "The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Fission is a big, rich wine that shows all the natural intensity of this extreme vintage. Super-ripe red plum fruit, cedar, tobacco, spice and mocha are pushed forward. Soft and open-knit, this racy Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alta Vista vineyard will drink well right out of the gate."
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Monte Rosso Vineyard
Moon District and Sonoma County
From the historic Monte Rosso vineyard planted in the 1880s and defined by its deep red volcanic soils, this Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted with a gentle and precise approach in the cellar to express the site’s structure, depth, and enduring sense of place.
The Nunnery Vineyard
Moon District and Sonoma County
The Nunnery is a striking mountain vineyard perched high in Nunn’s Canyon on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas. The site reflects a deep understanding of mountain viticulture, where volcanic soils, elevation, and steady mountain air shape wines of clarity, structure, and vibrant energy. As a result, The Nunnery blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is as exotic, intense and complex as its mountain soils, with remarkable depth and layered flavors.
Amotus Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California
Fission is a wine of texture, with the intensity and concentration we associate with old vines. It builds into powerful tannins that remain refined, almost cloaked by the seductiveness of the fruit and the gently building structure. The name Fission was ultimately chosen to reference the textural and mineral characteristics that the unique volcanic soil brings to this wine.
Bresa Chardonnay
Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California
Bresa Chardonnay is a wine of substance, grown from the oldest block of Bald Mountain Vineyard, planted in 1972 with Wente clones on fractured volcanic rock. This single-parcel, dry-farmed site yields just one barrel, producing a wine of depth, tension, and dazzling clarity. Far Mountain is rooted in the belief that the most profound wines come from remote mountain sites in Sonoma. Their growers have taken decades of risk, and the winery channels that drama into wines of energy, texture, and endless fascination.
Montecillo Cabernet Sauvignon
Moon Mountain, Sonoma County, California
The Montecillo vineyard is one of California’s most historic sites, first planted in 1860. This Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the vineyard’s high elevation, volcanic soils, dry-farming, organic viticulture, and pioneering spirit. Refined and complex, it honors over a century of resilience and innovation at Montecillo, embodying the enduring legacy of California winemaking.
Myrna Chardonnay
Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California
Myrna combines Bald Mountain’s surprisingly delicate floral notes that move quickly to ripe yellow and more exotic fruits with salty, lime and green fruit-inflected notes from Thornton Vineyard. The sappy texture of the wine makes its presence felt, and this grows into a more defined and powerful structure with layers of spice persisting through the finish.
