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The March 2021 Auction: Part 1

Auction # 649 | View Auction Schedule and Details
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Auction Ends: 3/4/2021 6:00:00 PM PDT

Lot #405. Realm Cellars Proprietary Red Beckstoffer To Kalon 2017

Description: Consists of 3 Bottles, 0.75L
Score: 97+ WA.
"'We had half the fruit in at To Kalon when the fires hit in 2017,' winemaker Benoit Touquette informed me. 'That's all we used.' Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard prances out of the glass with classically opulent scents of crème de cassis, baked plums, Morello cherries and mulberries plus nuances of rose oil, spice cake, bouquet garni and dusty soil. Full-bodied, the palate is decadently showy with loads of exotic spice and floral accents lifting the rich, black fruit preserves flavors. It has a well-judged, solid frame of grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. It seems a more structured style of To Kalon than is typical, so give it another 3-4 years in bottle and enjoy it over the next 30+ years. 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
Provenance: The Alpha Cellar
Lot Location: Orange County
Estimate: $950

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