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Realm The Bard Red Napa Valley 2018  - First Bottle

Reviews

98 Vinous -
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.
98 Jeb Dunnuck -
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.
97 James Suckling -
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.
96+ Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah, the 2018 The Bard comes from 12 different vineyard sources and is composed from 40 separate lots. Deep garnet-purple colored, it soars from the glass with notions of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and plum preserves, giving way to a a wave of clove oil, chocolate box, exotic spices and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich and plush in the mouth, it has loads of spice-spiked black fruit layers, lifted by just enough freshness, going long and mineral-laced on the finish.

Technical Details

  • Blend85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah
  • WinemakerBenoit Touquette
  • CountryUS
  • RegionCalifornia North Coast
  • AppellationNapa Valley
  • Alcohol14.6%

Realm The Bard Red Napa Valley 2018

Cabernet Blends  |  US
VN98, JD98, JS97, WA96+

Too late, we are SOLD OUT!
We don’t need to tell you guys that Realm is one of the cultiest, rockstar-ish producers in all of Napa. Benoit Touquette makes wines in the classic, rich, plush, uber-concentrated and intense “modern” Napa Cab style. Shiny little diamonds, oh yes. The 2018 Bard from Realm is a real showstopper, a gorgeously proportioned blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah. Double 98 pointer, and 97, 96 to boot, this is one for lovers of hedonistic, deep and complex Napa cab. While it lasts!

About the Producer

Realm is an established winery in the Stags Leap District, with vineyards stretching from the Silverado Trail to the top of Wappo Hill. Realm is run by two partners: Scott Becker and Benoit Touquette.