Haunting aromas of terracotta, blackberries, plums and sweet tobacco. Very complex nose. Full body, super silky tannins, spices and ripe fruit. Ripe and compressed tannins. A reserved finish. More precise. A sensational wine, it’s another majestic, profound wine from Realm Cellars.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard has a very deep garnet-purple color and opens with a wonderfully gregarious, outspoken blackcurrant, black cherries and red rose-laced core with underlying suggestions of Indian spices, mocha and cedar. Big, full-bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, the rich fruit is seductively draped in velvety tannins, texturing the long, spicy finish.
- James Suckling: Complex notes of blueberries, flowers, graphite, and incense. With a deep, full-bodied style on the palate, masses of tannin, yet not a hard edge to be found and perfect balance, it’s another majestic, profound wine from this team.
Producer Information
Realm Cellars is a Napa Valley producer with a winery and estate vineyards in Stags Leap District. The operation is known for its powerful Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from premium vineyards, and is quickly becoming one of Napa’s cult producers. There is a devoted mailing list following, and much of the wine is sold directly to members, or to restaurants.The business was founded in 2002 by Juan Mercado and Wendell Laidley as a virtual winery, using five tons of fruit from each of Beckstoffer To Kalon and Dominus Estate’s Napanook vineyards. Other vineyards such as Beckstoffer Dr Crane and Farella were added as sources in following years.The wines were initially made at Sherwin Family Vineyards on Spring Mountain. Vinification later moved to Chateau Boswell near St Helena.Realm now also owns its own vineyard, after acquiring Hartwell Estate Vineyards in Stags Leap District in late 2015. From the 2016 vintage, the wines have been made at the former Hartwell winery. Today, half the production is evenly split between single-vineyard wines and propietary blends from sites all over Napa.Then in 2020 Realm added a further two adjacent parcels to their estate holding. These extra 5 acres (2ha) had been part of the original Hartwell property, and are earmarked for a future “Hartwell Vineyard” bottling.
