2018 Realm Cellars ‘The Bard’ Red Blend Napa Valley

VIN98 The 2018 The Bard is fabulous and also one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Realm. Vertical structure, power and explosive energy infuse the 2018 with tremendous character. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, leather, licorice and lavender are some of the many notes that run through the 2018. This is the first vintage that includes a dollop of Petite Sirah from Bourn. It is also the first vintage in which a portion of the wine was aged in concrete eggs, which seems to add tension and a palpable sense of vibrancy. The Bard is a blend of 40 different lots, everything from Calistoga to Coombsville, a marriage of elements that works so well. Although none of these wines could be referred to as inexpensive, The Bard is a tremendous relative value within the context of high-end Napa Valley. I loved it. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah.
JD98 The 2018 The Bard is beautiful and certainly in the same realm as the 2015 and 2016, both magical wines. This cuvée reveals a deep purple color followed by a beautiful perfume of crème de cassis, blackberries, roasted coffee, spring flowers, and violets. With incredible richness, no hard edges, and a blockbuster finish, this incredible wine offers serious opulence with no sensation of heaviness or weight. It’s beautifully done and already complex and nuanced. It will evolve for at least 15+ years. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 2% each of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah.
Estate Notes: 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.
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.
A wine that punches far above its weight. Beckstoffer To Kalon and Dr. Crane, Houyi Vineyard, Blair Vineyard, Weitz Vineyard, Fortuna Vineyard, Beckstoffer Orchard, and Realm’s Stags Leap Estate Vineyard have all found a place in various vintages of The Bard. 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. Napa Valley AVA. Blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Petite Sirah.