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98 WA.
"Winemaker Benoit Touquette, owner Scott Becker and consultant Michel Rolland had a debate about whether to make a 2017 The Absurd—the estate's über-blend of the best elements from that vintage. In the end, they made just two barrels. As per usual, they do not declare what the grape varieties or vineyards are that compose this blend. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little swirling to coax out notions of ripe, juicy blackcurrants, black plums and warm blueberries, plus hints of licorice, unsmoked cigars and tilled black soil. Full-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of firm, finely-grained tannins and compelling freshness supporting the tightly wound, earthy layers, finishing long with loads of persistent, soft-spoken nuances. A little restrained and still incredibly youthful, it will need a good 3-5 years in bottle to begin to unfurl and should cellar for at least 30 years after that. The team at Realm seemed to have played it ultra-cautious in 2017. In spite of all the challenges caused by the Labor Day heat wave followed by the October fires that year, they have produced a strong lineup of very impressive wines. Fans should note that no Falstaff, Farella Vineyard or Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Franc labels were produced in 2017, due to the situation that fruit was still hanging in these key vineyards during the fires. "In 2018, we had a lot of time to pick. We had a lot of time to make the wines," winemaker Benoit Touquette informed me. "Not to get greedy with Mother Nature was the challenge. We didn’t have the huge crops that some people had. We could pick at our leisure. If you did the right viticulture, it was an easy vintage." Indeed, the Realm 2018s have an effortless, carefree purity about them, with all the bright, energetic, crunchy fruit that is a characteristic of this cooler vintage. This is not to say that that these wines do not possess that decadent personality fans have come to love. On the contrary, there is a lot of impactful intensity with these 2018s. Yet they seem to bear a cheery skip in their step, which is going to make you fall in love with this winery all over again." Wine Advocate Interim, Oct 2020 |