Scott Becker and Benoit Touquette took over Napa’s Realm Cellars a dozen years ago and are now making extraordinary wines. The 2019 Tempest is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly coming from Becker and Touquette’s recent vineyard purchases (after years of buying grapes from these sites) – Hartwell in Stags Leap District, and Farella in Coombsville, with the portion of Cabernet Sauvignon all coming from Houyi vineyard on Pritchard Hill (formerly Nine Suns). The color is dark and impenetrable, and the aromas are vast, with black raspberry, black plum, and blueberry unfolding in rich layers on the palate. There are hints of dusty earth, licorice, cacao nibs, and a violet note on the finish, which is long and incredibly smooth, defining Napa elegance. Luscious and just about perfect, this gets better and better as it breathes in the glass.
Realm Cellars, Napa Valley (California) 2019
By Miranda Franco