2019 Realm The Bard Blair Edition
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The 2019 The Bard Blair Edition is a one-off bottling created as a partial compensation for the total lack of reds in the 2020 vintage. Blair, a site in Calistoga, has long been a core component of The Bard, especially in the 2012/2013 era. In 2019, the Realm team took half of the wine and used it for blending in The Bard, and then bottled the other half as The Blair Edition, Realm's first single-vineyard Calistoga Cabernet. An absolutely stunning wine, the Blair Edition races across palate with captivating richness and energy. Gravel, plum, crème de cassis, chocolate, licorice and cloves give this statuesque red a real feeling of weight and substance. The Blair Edition will be offered in 2022. I won't be surprised if it becomes part of the lineup, as the 2019 is fabulous.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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A selection from the Bard release, which comes from a 30-acre site on the north side of Larkmead Lane, outside of Calistoga, the 2019 The Bard Blair Edition is based on 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It shows the sexier, more opulent side to the vintage and is straight-up loaded with red and black fruits, candied violets, spice, and floral nuances. It reminds me a little of the 2012 vintage and boasts a full-bodied, round, just sexy style, especially when compared to the more elegant, focused straight Bard cuvée. Both wines are brilliant, and which you prefer will be due more to stylistic preference than any real quality differences in the wines.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon The Bard Blair Edition is a new wine, perhaps a one-off, to be released as a special offer in the fall of 2022, in part to help bridge the gap created by the nonexistent 2020 vintage for Realm. It is made entirely from fruit from the Blair vineyard in Calistoga and so comes close to the early vintages of The Bard, which mainly came from this vineyard. It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple, the nose is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal notes of warm cassis, blackberry pie, spice cake, cardamom, cedar and Sichuan pepper with touches of eucalyptus and pencil lead. Full-bodied, the taut, tightly knit palate is very structured, featuring a lively backbone and firm, ripe, grainy tannins, finishing very long and earthy. It will need time to show what it’s really made of, and then I suspect it’s going to be mind-blowing.
About the producer
Realm Cellars has become one of Napa Valley’s most compelling modern estates, known for site-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. Drawing from some of the valley’s most sought-after vineyards, Realm’s wines consistently earn top critical acclaim while remaining firmly rooted in place.