Realm Cellars, The Bard, Bordeaux Red Blend, Napa Valley, California, 2018

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About The Producer
"'This blessed plot, this earth, this realm...' Immortal lines from William Shakespeare’s King Richard II, the source of Realm’s – and this wine’s – name. We’ve made this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend since 2003, our tribute to the great wines of Bordeaux’s Left Bank. We consider The Bard to be the quintessential wine of Realm: a dense, weighty and concentrated wine that year in and year out showcases the very best Cabernet Sauvignon of Napa Valley. Beckstoffer To Kalon and Dr. Crane, Blair Vineyard, Weitz Vineyard, Fortuna Vineyard and Beckstoffer Orchard have all found a place in The Bard. While the composition of the wine varies from year to year, Cabernet Sauvignon typically comprises over 70% of the blend, joined by lesser percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and/or Petit Verdot.

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.

About The Wine
With vineyards spanning from Calistoga to Coombsville, from the Mayacamas Mountains to the Vaca Range, The Bard is the most complex and diverse blend Realm produces. The Bard is a dense, weighty, and concentrated wine that year in and year out showcases the most dynamic expression of Napa Valley. This cabernet sauvignon-based proprietary blend celebrates the art and precision required of meticulous blending, combining grapes from impeccable growing sites with the judicious oversight of the human hand and palate.

The complexity of 2018 The Bard is unparalleled, not only in its fruit sources but in the way it’s put together and how it sits in the glass and on the palate. With fruit, acid, and tannins woven together seamlessly, this is the most complete example of The Bard Realm has ever made. With so many different dimensions coming together in harmony, there is more than meets the eye with this wine along with something for everyone. Quite simply, this is the best The Bard Realm has produced.

Grape / Blend
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Petite Sirah

Origin
Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Note
“Red, blue and black fruit jumps out of the glass; the black fruit may be more dominant/hedonistic yet the wine shows brightness and finesse. This is a sexy, creamy, juicy The Bard, with spiciness and a savory umami quality that leaves you wanting more. The wine hits on all cylinders; it’s perfumed, layered and complex, ending with a note of licorice.” 

97 Points - James Suckling  Dec, 2020 – Intense and perfumed aromas of cassis, mulberry, lavender, nutmeg and cloves. Praline, walnuts and dark chocolate, too. It’s full-bodied, creamy and polished with a precise finish. Firm yet smoothly coating tannins. Very fine. Cabernet sauvignon 85% with merlot, petite verdot, cabernet and petite sirah. Drinkable now, but better from 2023.

Product size: 375 ml or 750ml