Realm Cellars, Moonracer, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California, 2021

About The Producer
Moonracer. Realm Cellars’ first estate wine from our vineyard on Wappo Hill in the Stags Leap District. It is said this elevated site was important to the Wappo Native Americans as it provided the tribe with a central lookout from which to identify intruders and such. The Wappos, though small in number, were known for their bravery, strength and athleticism. Jack London, who wrote about the curious inter-tribal races that took place during full moons, noted that the Wappos often won. Thus Moonracer, an oblique reference to the earliest inhabitants of the place Realm calls home.

The Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine is composed of the finest lots from the vineyard. Winemaker Benoit Touquette has a lot to choose from, as the site, with its multiple blocks, elevations, facings and diverse soils, has character in spades. Moonracer bears the unmistakable mark of this stimulating vineyard, as well as the Stags Leap District. Strong, powerful, yet elegant, with refined tannins and plenty of depth. What Benoit calls “intellectual.” “It’s a wine that will appeal to both international and American palates. It walks the line, combining characteristics typical of northern and southern Napa Valley. It’s got plenty of fruit but also layered flavors, depth and complexity.”

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
100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Stags Leap AVA, Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Note
Once again a kaleidoscope of flavors, packed with layers of blue fruits, fresh pine forest, graphite and notes of cassis. Tightly packed, full of tension and delivers on the palate with precision, slowly revealing itself layer after layer. The tannins on the 2021 are somewhat more persistent than in previous years, which is indicative of this vintage as a whole.For the first time, Moonracer is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon due to the replanting of Cabernet Franc and Merlot blocks currently underway. This will continue for the next few years as we wait for the new vines to mature. As usual, this wine will reward those with patience as the nuances unfold with time.

96 Points - Vinous
From the Realm Estate in Stags Leap, the Cabernet Sauvignon Moonracer is an elegant, sophisticated Cabernet that shows the nuanced side of Stags Leap in its red-toned fruit profile, floral aromatics and mid-weight structure. I would give the 2019 at least a few years in the bottle. There is a certain approachability to the 2019, but ultimately I think that might be a bit deceptive relative to the wine's ultimate potential.

96 Points - The Wine Insider
The 2021 Moonracer is a single vineyard wine from Realm’s vineyard in Stags Leap District. “The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon this year because the vineyard is being replanted,” said winemaker Benoit Touquette. “The Merlot and Cabernet Franc were pulled, and the new plantings aren’t in production yet. By the time we’re done, we will have replanted all this vineyard. Then a true footprint of the place will be in this wine.” Deep garnet-purple colored, gregarious notes of blackberry pie, black cherries, and black currant pastilles prance out of the glass, leading to fragrant wafts of lavender, chocolate mint, and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, the palate is taut with ripe, crunchy black fruits, supported by a solid frame of grainy tannins and compelling tension, finishing long with loads of mineral and baking spice sparks. 720 cases were made.

Product size: 750ml