Realm Cellars, Hartwell XX, Napa Valley, California, 2019

About The Producer
Realm Cellars is a journey.  Just eight years ago, the winery was nearly bankrupt when owner Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette teamed up to revive it.  Fueled by a clear vision, an entrepreneurial spirit and relentless determination, they transformed Realm into one of the most electrifying domaines in Napa Valley today.  Now with its own hillside Estate in the Stags Leap District, 50 acres of vines and access to a number of the finest vineyards in the appellation, Realm makes some of the most sought-after wines in Napa Valley.  
 
Making wine at the very highest level is at the core of Realm Cellars.  Since 2012, the wines have been awarded more 100-point scores from internationally recognized wine critics than any other producer in Napa Valley.  The Realm portfolio includes both Single Vineyard wines and Proprietary Blends – collectively, the wines are equal parts an expression of the land and an articulation of the winemaking craft.  The house style of Realm can best be described as a creative tension between richness and precision, density and finesse, purity of fruit and nuance.   
 
The next chapter of Realm Cellars promises to be just as bold.  The vision for what Realm can be encompasses more than creating fine wines.  This passionate team is ready to push ahead in its relentless quest to secure an enduring place among the icons of the wine world.  The best is yet to come.

Grape / Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Stags Leap AVA, Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Note
Hartwell XX is an estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from blocks at the very top of our property on Wappo Hill. This 2-acre parcel was planted in 1986 by Bob Hartwell, who used cuttings of Grace Family Vineyard’s Bosche clone he had acquired from his friend, Dick Grace. 1990 was the first vintage from those vines, and the early wines of Hartwell Estate Vineyards were made at the Grace winery. Realm was given the opportunity to purchase these blocks in 2020, having acquired nearly 20 acres from the Hartwell family in 2015.

99 Points - Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hartwell XX emerges from two blocks on the original Hartwell property planted with the famous Grace clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. A dazzling wine, the XX may very well be the single most moving, expressive Cabernet I have ever tasted from Realm. In the glass, the XX is seamless, with layers of fruit that build effortlessly over time. The 2019 is not a big or opulent wine, but rather a Cabernet of total finesse. I loved it.

Product size: 750ml