Community Tasting Note
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Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 points
November 12, 2018 - Escaped fires in my area and decided to have some fun. No formal notes and will just summarize my thoughts and conclusions from having the 2015 Realm Absurd, 2016 Myriad Elysian, 2016 Carter La Verdad and 2016 Quivet LPV all back to back.
My order: Carter La Verdad barely over Myriad Elysian, followed by Realm Absurd and then Quivet LPV. The Verdad showed even better than when I had it a few months ago, and is easily 99-100 all day long. It's a bit more tightly coiled and structured than the 2015 version, with tons of depth and earthy mineral driven layers that continue to change and unfold in your mouth over time. It's got epic purity, no hard edges and finishes super long. In comparison, the Quivet LPV (obviously same vineyard and winemaker as Verdad) had a lot more upfront fruit, was really great but lacked the structure and complexity of the Verdad. I'd say 95-96. The Absurd was super unresolved, showed boat loads of oak and dense pure fruit, but really needs time to come together. All the stuffing is there, but it was the least ready to drink - 96-97. And finally, the Myriad Elysian showed by far the most scorched earth and crazy black tar mineral driven notes, with insane levels of power and concentration that really showcased just how incredible that site can be. For me 98-100.3 people found this helpful 4,706 views
3 Comments
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JustBreathe680 commented:
6/26/23, 6:49 AM - Cristal--I should be receiving my 1st offer of the 2021 Absurd on 7/2/23. I'm on the fence of purchasing. In your opinion, how does this size up with other Napa cab/bordeaux blends of similar value (ie Scarecrow, Abreu, etc)? Is it worth the tariff?
Thanks for any advise and I truly enjoy following your reviews! -
Cristal2000 commented:
6/26/23, 10:35 PM - The Absurd is truly a conundrum. The price is super high, but the aftermarket is higher, so it retains value. I don’t think it’s any better than the Scarecrow’s of the world, perhaps a notch lower, but that’s mostly because it has so much oak influence. It can be overbearing. So it’s more of a stylistic thing for us as consumers. Some love it, I am hit and miss depending on how much vanilla and oak is showing.
Hope that helps a little! -
JustBreathe680 commented:
6/27/23, 5:02 AM - Cristal-this was very helpful. After your responses and some guidance from LIOF, i'm strating to lean towards passing on the Absurd and possibly diverting those funds to an extra 3-pack of Kinsman. Now I just have to deal with my own FOMO with Realm if I go down this road.