Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Bard Napa Valley 2021

Beckstoffer To Kalon, Dr. Crane, Blair Vineyard, Weitz Vineyard, Fortuna Vineyard, and Beckstoffer Orchard are all here in Realm’s always masterful The Bard. 97 points is the only stellar review out there so far, but you can rest assured that more will follow! We have just a handful of cases...

After the 2020 vintage took off, the anticipation building behind this latest release from Realm is simply palpable! Made by the irrepressible Benoit Touquette, the French-born genius winemaker extraordinaire behind dozens of “culty” Napa Valley wines – The Bard is the rare blend of Realm’s second-to-none fruit sourcing. Did you see that line-up?

The Bard’s unique blend of the best barrels from all of their sources for 2021 clocks in at some 83% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot, and 1% petite sirah. Truly a masterpiece of wine blending, it’s one of those Napa cabernets that grabs you and does not let go for minutes – it’s also worth mentioning that at $169.95, for a 97-pointer, from REALM, this is VERY well priced.

The perfumed, and elegant nose leads with lilacs, and minty coolness, with pencil shavings and dark, black berry fruits. The flavors align and deepen from the first sip, with concentrated yet deft sensations of black currants, blackberries, raspberries, kirsch, and blueberries, plus accents of graphite, crushed rock, and softly integrated oak whispers. The finish is never-ending, and for such a young and powerful Napa cabernet sauvignon – this opens and finishes brilliantly!

We can never get as much as we’d like, so our suggestion is to grab what you can from our small allocation without delay! More big scores are sure to come, but by then, the wine will most likely be long gone...

PAIRING IDEAS: Huge, sexy, very young cabernet needs power and simplicity – this is, of course, going to be either a killer grilled/seared piece of meat (we like Brazilian picanha cuts) or a burger. The burger should be minimalist (no chilis, bacon jam, or any of that stuff), and meaty. Enjoy!