This wine seems to be improving, from very good to great! This was very enjoyable, with ripe red and black fruit, soft tannins, and well balanced. Very good QPR for a top-end Napa Cab / Bourdeaux blend.
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This is everything I could ask for from a Bordeaux blend from Napa fruit. Complexity, nice mix of dark and red fruit. Very subtle oak. Not overly tannic or big in any way. For what it is, I'd pay the release price on this all day from Realm.
Takes about an hour to open up and from there on this is fantastic. All the yumminess in the reviews, no need to repeat them here, this has got it all and in an explosive spot right now.
Christmas Eve. Didn't take great notes. Decanted for about 3 hours. Dark in the glass. Grippy yet round tannin. Blackberry. Really enjoyed this and could seeing it age very well.
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Drank alongside a bottle from 2009. Fruit and acid bomb upon PnP and tasted along with way to a 4hr decant. Balsalmic cherry and blueberries on the nose. Blueberry dominates the palte. Love the acidity in this. Drinks a little one dimensional and slightly rough around the edges. Light oak and spice. Very dry finish. Needs a few more years IMO
After 24hrs in the fridge the acidity has calmed down and smoothed out the rough egdes
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta color. Blackberry, cassis, pumpernickel, bay leaf, peony, and tangerine rind. Dry, dusty palate, with vivacious acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
This is somewhat dark and brooding. It would have benefited from a 3+ hour decant, because it kept improving over an hour of drinking. I’ll try to wait a year before drinking the next bottle.
Thick dark colors with increable full fruit that overwhelms at first. Bright cassis and ripe berries on the nose. Evidence of waining tannins that still hold incredible structure and make me wish I waited another year. Spice and fresh leather on the pallet which lasts. A bit too acidic in my opinion otherwise unstoppable. maybe give it 6-12 months.
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I have drunk quite a few bottles of the Bard. In fact I have more bottles of the Bard in my cellar than any other wine. This was my first bottle of the 2018 and I was surprised by the sheer power of this wine. I drank this after a 2019 Memento Mori which is no shrinking violet and The Bard was much bigger. I decanted this for 4 hours and it could have used the 6 hours that a lot of other CT'rs gave it. This version of the Bard had more structure and was more serious than other vintages. This was dark purple as most Realm's are with cassis, blueberry, and mocha. I didn't get any secondary flavors as this wine is still a brute. I typically score The Bard in the 94-95 range but I think with a couple of years this could get to a 96. Today this was a 94+ that I gave the benefit of the doubt for future development. I have found for my palate the Bard is best in the 7-8 year range. Looking forward to see how this wine develops in the coming years.
5/5 - deep purple ruby and still showing well 13/15- taking a point or two off as it was wonderful to smell with dark fruit, chocolate leading but never evolved much. 17/20 - Carries the aromas and shows much better than last bottle I had a couple years ago. This will get better with a few more years. 8/10- drinking well with a lot of air but should improve more with a few more bottle years
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Been 6 months since my last taste. Opened and decanted for 4 hours by our hosts Mr/Mrs HMC tonight.
Dark purple in the glass. Nose of dark, exquisite Napa cab fruit, but ever so slightly muted as the night wore on. Palate has weight, depth, length and tastes oh, so good! Easily the leader in the clubhouse and kept drinking very well even through 6-8 hours of air. I really appreciated the softness of this fruit and the wine in general. Really settling in now at 5+ years of age. Time to start drinking my stash, too. Thanks, Jimbo!
youthful nose shows black berry fruit, black currant, graphite, light cedar notes, sage, and other herbal notes that will become more prominent with more patience than I had.... palate shows powdery tannins, a similar profile., but eith a pleasant mocha note, and a long finish. this is shaping up well and will get better with time. I will definitely continue to buy what they offer me....
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An interesting young wine with fragrant notes of fresh cut grass, cedar, and honeysuckle. Loads of red fruit, raspberry, tart cherry, and subtle dark cacao finish. Decanted for 6 hours and it was still opening up. Robust, complex and complete from start to finish. 94 points.
Dark red fruited tones on the nose with a savory earth undertow. The mouthfeel is lush and full with long legs in the glass and a characteristic chalky finish that lasts for ages. The wine has come togeher over a year and is drinking nicely now.
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In recent years the Bard has been consistently one of my favorite wines. While the 2018 does not have the stunning intensity and complexity of flavors as the 2013, or the delicious flavors of the 2016 and some other vintages, it is still a very nice Napa Cabernet based wine with plenty of dark fruit and a smooth finish. Had this as a pop and pour, and it didn’t last long enough in the glass to find out what it does with some air; maybe next time!
Black cherry and dark red fruits with some hints of dark coffee and pencil shavings on the nose. Quite intriguing this time. This bottle drank closed a bit but plenty of dusty earth and chalkiness on the palette with fruit quite in the rear.
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Two and a half hour decant. Nearly opaque electric ruby magenta color. Black cherry, plum, dark chocolate, cinnamon roll, lavender, lemon bar, nutmeg, and rum cake. Smooth, dry, full bodied palate. Voluptuous, mouth filling acidity. Firm, full modestly grippy tannins on the longish finish.
Not all of the bakery notes were there simultaneously. This is very complex for its youth and price. Only going to get better. Just barely in it’s drinking window.
Dark red fruited on the nose with an earthy vibrant flair. On the palette its bright, acidic, with a long densely chalky finish. Really stellar wine that is flourishing right now.
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Micro ox'd this in a cooler for 18 hours prior to serving out of a decanter for a prime rib dinner for Marknpt1 and spouse. Big and juicy, full of lush black fruit. Notes of fruit and French oak dominate. Super well-structured, just a bit tannic at first but opens well and drinks great after a few hours. Still hasn't reached its prime IMO 95 HMC
My last bottle of this. Tasted over 2 days, it remains quite youthful and exuberant. Black cherry liqueur and toasted vanilla seem to dominate for me. It’s rich and plush, a very good rendition of the bard.
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Brought by JAronson to the table. He remarked about opening the bottle 2 weeks ago, then putting the cork back in and adding argon via the coravin to displace the O2. Pnp'd tonight and it was immediately delectable. Very rich on the nose and the palate with dark fruit and tons of class. Fully resolved in structure. Had that feeling it was as smoothed out as it could be. No harsh edges, and I feel this bottle had no further upside to it, (not that it needed it, it was quite good!). Was going to give it a 95, as I have previous bottles both 1 and 3 years ago, but the fruit just felt a slight bit of power loss, or maybe lack of energy (?), given the bottle treatment. Still, very nice. Would like to do a study with this exact bottle treatment vs a Repour stopper to see if my suspicions would be realized that the Repour bottle would retain that energy or fruit power in a bigger way......and I also suspect that maybe the wine wouldn't have been able to smooth out as much, either. Will be interesting to experiment with bottles going forward.
Even this young, The Bard is showing every sign of being an excellent wine. Full of strong fruit flavor and mild tanins, it opened up after about an hour. I'll enjoy seeing how it develops over the next several years as I drink the other 7 bottles I have.
Coravin a glass for the super bowl. Wine was immediately open and it gained weight over the first hour. Best from hour 2 to 3 and then just coasted. I would like to have seen more upfront fruit as the tannins are strong and will carry the red and black fruit for many years. I believe a couple more years will help the fruit integrate and expand. There is no question that this wine is dringing great now, but I think it will get better and perhaps receive a score up to 97 in three years. Thoroughly enjoyable now and a great QPR.
I think Drinknick31 summed this wine up very well, and I concur, although I give it a score 97.
Explosive and good from the moment I pulled the cork and took a first taste. Decanted for 3-1/2 hours, and the wine was smooth, but very flavorful. Super enjoyable!
It is not inexpensive, but it’s certainly at reasonable price point as compared to the top tier wines (which I cannot afford - unless I cut way back on my drinking - not going to happen), but the PQR is excellent. Highly recommended.
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Well first attempt was a total failure although to be clear we’re not giving up and preparing for a 2nd attempt now. Any advice would be welcome.
We prepared this wine for dinner pairing by opening it at 1pm, briefly decanting and cleaning the bottle of sediment and then poured back into the bottle to let rest with no cork for 5+ hrs. Clearly this was the wrong move because by dinner time the wine remained totally closed with no nose and no palate. Not even primary. When we realize it (too late) we placed into a large decanter for another hour and still nothing. I then poured back into the bottle put a cork in it and left it in the fridge over night.
Now it’s the following day (morning) here in Asia and I have the wine back in the large decanter. I don’t know if this will be for lunch? Dinner? Today? Tomorrow? Either way I’m relaxed about it and looking forward to seeing how this turns out. More to come.
Really surprised with this. Expected it to not be ready but its drinking fine. Really smooth with a lasting finish. Not overly tanic for a young napa. Well made. Curious how the new wine maker will do with this label in the future. Bard is a lower end price point for Realm and better than I expected. Kind of makes me wonder if my other pricier bottles will disappoint on a value basis or knock my socks off. I felt this was ready and it is. The rest will have to wait from what I have read.
Ultra smooth Napa cab served with a ribeye at the RH Rooftop. Nice combination. Deep red. A little bigger and bolder in both aroma and taste than the Mondavi To-Kalon earlier. Blackberry and ash dominate the palate. Full bodied goodness.
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Denver wine tasting Cab night the Bard kept trucking through the evening. Strong baked blueberry pie aromas, "like a fresh out of the oven pie with crispy, caramelized crust". On the palate not as over the top as the aromas but big, dark fruits, strong tannins to start but these mellowed out after a few hours. This has a long life of good drinking ahead.
Decanted for an hour and drank over 2 hours. This was more approachable than I expected. The nose was spectacular and open with creme de cassis, black fruits, oak, and spice. There was structure and strong tannins but did not feel overpowering. Overall was very enjoyable and would be interesting to see how it evolves in future.
This wine felt weak at the price point. 2018 was a good vintage for Napa, yet the fruit and licorice aromas in this wine were very light. For me it was too sweet with not enough acidity , even after letting it decant, it didn’t improve and it actually lost some characteristics .
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This was fun and showing well. Deep purple pitch and darkly completed, medium viscosity. The oak is restrained initially, then moves to the forefront on day 2 after a night in the fridge. Rich fruit flavors are all harmonic. This is holding up well so far.
Still very young and tight. Not as closed as when I first tried in earlier 2020.
Took about 3.5-4 hours of air for the best elements to come out. Nice licorice and staining dark red fruits and a bit of mocha. Good length. Nice mouth that’s got great structure but not too heavy. The alcohol seems quite high on this wine and it comes through the nose a bit. I can see this getting to a 97 by 2030, if some of those more intense elements mellow out. I’ve got 3 left.
I had two so decided to check in with this and I did enjoy it. However, if you only have one, do not open now as you will be rewarded for waiting. Needed 2+ hours of air to start coming around. Pours a very dark color, opaque even at the rim. Smooth with notes of licorice and dark fruit flavors. The most notable feature at this stage is the puckering tannins which make it less enjoyable today then I believe it will be in a few years. And once those tannins soften this should be a mid to high 90 pointer for me. So, again, if you have one, hold it for a few years and if you need to make space in your cellar today, give it 2+ hours of air and have at it.
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Opaque purple juice. Densely packed. Deep dark fruits. Graphite. Blackberry pie, black cherries, leather and licorice. But it slowly mellowed out with a long decant during the dinner. This could get better, Booker fracture and Skipstone Faultline upped this bottle tonight. 94-95 for now.
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Manursing Memorial; 5/27/2022-5/29/2022: I'll admit: I've been a bit whiny of late about the high price and disappointing quality of Napa's second wines. Realm's 2018 Bard ranks among the rare exceptions that prove the rule. It has so much more going on than most bottlings in its range. A powerful nose with floral top notes, dark black fruits, chocolate, and spice. Notable energy on the palate. Voluminous yet already softening tannins, which could see this wine through at least another decade-and-a-half. An insanely long finish. Put simply, this is multi-site blending at its best. I should have bought more at list price when I had the chance!
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Pours dark Garnett purple in color. On the nose its black cherries and graphite. On the palette it’s a balanced structure of delicate soft tannin and lush fruit. The finish is notably miles long. Tons of graphite and earth notes on the finish. At this point the wine is singing.
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Decanted for an hour. Pours a deep inky red. Dark fruits, blackberry, blueberry along with cedar, spice and dark chocolate. The elements are there on the palate, already working well together. Smooth, luxurious finish, finely grated tannins. So open and smooth for a 2018. Great bottle.
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Mother’s Day delight! Decanted for 2.5 hours. Needed more. Cotton candy nose. Followed by berries. After 3 hours decant it was ready to drink. Brought a nice brown sugar balance to the lamb chops. Nice complimentary tannins for a long finish. After 4 hours it peaked and was on its ways down. Cheers!
This is the workhorse of the Realm lineup, increasingly an amalgam of vineyard sources in more recent vintages. A floral and hard candy parade on the nose with medium+ richness and concentration. Scored well with others at the table and deservedly so.
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Two hour decant. Very deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry syrup, black currant, lilac, terra cotta dust, cinnamon, and subtle sour cream old fashioned donut on the nose. Smooth, dry, plush palate, with chalky, velvety, tongue coating acidity. Full, voluptuous tannins on the longish finish.
Amazing wine for this price point. There is room for improvement in the coming year or two, but this is already quite enjoyable.
Opened by Jimbo for the evening of chillin'........the wine sat decanting for 90+ min in my glass and had THE best florals, maybe a 96 based on the florals, alone. The wine, while softened a bit was just a tad more raw in the mouth and had slightly less depth than the '16 Trespass franc, tonight. I was torn between a 94 and 95 but this one is such a good buy on release with great qpr. Smooth black/dark red fruit, nicely integrating tannins and acidity. This got smoother the further into my glass I drank and has some room to grow, and improve 1-2 points further, IMO. This bottle very different than my last 13 months ago. It is now moving into that very drinkable window where it gets better the longer it's open. 13 months ago, it did the reverse and would shut down the longer it was open. Thanks for opening, Jimbo! Glad I have a few bottles for sharing down the road, too.
Followed over a weekend. In a bit of a closed phase, or perhaps this bottle was a little dumb. Never really gave the exuberance I look for in a bard. I'll wait a few years on the next one.
This wine and I have quite a history. I will never forget the 2012 being just absolutely amazing followed up by perhaps the best wine for the price I can ever remember, the 2013 @ $95. Of course, back then these wines were relatively small production ~400 cases with a lot of Dr Crane and To Kalon in the mix. Nowadays, it's something like 7000 cases and the vineyards are too numerous to name. I'm not sure even in 12/13 this was a 99-100pt wine, but without a doubt it's not now. That being said, it's still a very compelling wine for the price in Napa terms.
This is very representative of the vintage. Tight and fresh, age worthy while needing quite a bit of air to come around. Nose of creme de cassis, dark chocolate, forest floor, violets and spice box. Super fine grained yet powerful tannins keep this very tight knit on the palate. Taut, with good acidity, excellent freshness and lots of mineral driven notes, it hides a lot of the fruit while delivering earth and spice in spades. The entire time, I was hoping the tannin would release some of the packed in flavor, but for the most part it stayed hidden. I think in 3-5 years, things will have loosened up. Nice long finish.
Thought I would try this given a couple nice scores recently. Since my experience with 2018s so far has been, too early, needs time, or needs air, I wanted to try this over many hours to see how it evolved. Took it to a lovely dinner at Mark1npt's after an initial 2.5 hour splash decant. As always, Mark had some other nice wines waiting which allowed us to sample this over the next 3 or so hours. First tastes were of a big blend red that was just a bit too tannic to be in balance. Nice nose, big fruit present. Over the next 3 hours I did see some improvement as it moved into a more drinkable phase. Still a little primary, shy but you could tell there was quality in there. In the end we only drank about 1/2 a bottle out of the decanter. I rebottlled and corked and gave it another day to see where it would go.
On day 3, I can report, to my amazement, little change, Still a bit primary and tannic, about where it finished on the night of day 1. I think the nose has muted but the fruit has deepened, its darker, lets say dark red verging on black. I notice the acid more but that could be that I have had no other wines today (its only 2:30 for goodness sake).
So on balance I think this is a very good wine with its best days ahead. I'd say 92-93 as it drinks now with at least 2 points improvement anticipated if gracefully aged.
Brought to Boca for New Years with friends. Had with beef tenderloin for dinner and was the hit of the dinner. Well done wine. No formal notes but should have bought more upon release!
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2hr decant and then enjoyed over the course of the evening. At two hours in the wine was still tight, but the structure and fruit quality were there. Around four hours in it was smooth and the tannins had integrated well. Dark ruby, nose of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, a touch of graphite and oak. Full bodied, a stiff backbone. Finish was a little shorter than I expected. 5+ more years and this will be stunning. Wine kinda reminded me of Continuum.
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Tasted alongside 5 Napa Cabs (all but 1 2018s). Pop and pour. Initially, the wine came off as fairly soft and quite primary/fruity and was the group's unanimous worst wine of the tasting (it was also the 2nd least expensive). Maybe I would've scored it about 92 points.
On days 2 and 4, however, the wine certainly evolved, showing a bit of elegance and a bit more complexity. This came off like a Napa take on a Left Bank blend, rather than a blockbuster Napa Cab/red. Really great wine, but I think it needs some time.
I'll hold my next bottle until at least 2023, if not 2025.
Gave to Alok during Wisconsin visit. We drank it there. Decanted for 4 hours. Dark in color, full bodied, fruity but not jammy, rounded soft tannins, but didn’t have a long finish.
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I have no idea how anyone can rate this wine with an actual number. It is dark grape juice with no balance, no mid palate, and a tannic finish. I was able to try a bottle, and will let my stash rest for a long time after this tasting and hope it comes around. But, for now? I found this to be one of my least enjoyable wine experiences in a long while. And I love Napa cabs and I love Realm, so this left me scratching my head.
6 hr decant. Taking sips starting @ 3.5 hr mark in 30 min increments. Opaque, dark as night purple. Notes of bruised black fruits shrouded in graphite, new leather, nutttiness and pencil lead. Young & Smooth on palate, adding some hints of flowers and vanilla. Great example of power with elegance. There is this Controlled aggression with Incredible balance. Loving it
Vibrant acidity and powdery tannins on long finish. Tremendous and pure expression of fruit from sourced vineyards by Realm! I will for sure hold rest of my bottles for a while.
The wine shows dark ruby colour. The wine shows pure black fruit, ripe to overripe prunes, chocolate and toast. The palate is big, plush and smooth, velvety tannins, medium to high acidity, broad and almost sweet, full body with long finish
Thinking this might be closing up as it was different from my last bottle. It was good, but it was really nothing special. I agree with @jenmermaidia's most recent note completely.
I knew this was too young to enjoy, and that I probably would not like it, but curiosity got the best of me. I deliberately tasted at different points over 6 hours, and it was at its best by the end. Put the last half bottle in a 375 for tonight—I would be shocked if it has fallen apart as it seemed to still be opening up and changing at the end of the night last night. On PnP dark inky and purple. Very little aroma, maybe some reticent fruit and hints of something chalky. Bigger on the palate, some darker fruit, minerals, mouth filling, but a slight metal note on the palate that was not pleasant. After 60 min decant much more drinkable. The metal note is gone. More aroma—floral, berries, hints of green herbs, hints of tobacco. Lingering finish and mouth coating tannins. Fast forward to the last glass of the night—Now very open, dark berries, cassis, tobacco, graphite, plenty of tannin and acid. This was drinkable and good, but unmistakeable a ‘too young’ 2018. I believe and I hope this will evolve over the years, open up and integrate more. For now there is something still missing, perhaps it is what other reviewers have referred to as the plush velvetiness. When I drink this wine I am still thinking about the components and trying to figure it out, it is missing that integrated plushness to make me think ‘wow.’
My first Realm wine. I had high expectations, and it definitely delivered. After a one-hour decant, it started to open up with intense black fruits and herbaceousness that invite you to take a sip. On the palate, additional flavors of chocolate and tobacco emerged with yummy, chewy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, ending with a 20s+ finish. It got noticeably more complex over time, which shows potential to get even better in a couple of years. A seriously good wine.
Coravin pour to celebrate the 3 month long refi finally going through. Aerated but still took about an hour to open up. Almost no aroma to start but eventually some Italian herbs started to poke through. Interesting progression from a rather standard Bordeaux blend, initially I thought there were blends from Washington State that could stand up to this for about 1/2 the price. After an hour plus this started to strut it's stuff with brooding dark fruits, lively acidity and big tannic structure. Drinking well now with air but as others have said, this is still young, I can see it living up to it's upper 90s review scores in a few years.
Drank after decanting for 2.5-3 hours. Very good wine with potential to be better. I knew it was too early to open, but I really wanted to try one of my bottles. I will wait several years before revisiting.
After a 9 your slow ox tasted tart and astringent. Then decanted for 3 more hours and opened up, still lacking a plush component but evolving from the last tasting.
I had a problem with the high ABV here, it still needs to integrate. It was really in the way, in fact it was conspicuous. But on the second day this is big, bold, and beautiful and more integrated, with some mineral running down the mid-palate. Glass staining, teeth staining, inky dark, ripe, but dry. Very primary right now as you'd expect, but the wow factor is there! Let it rest for a while if you can.
Deep ruby,medium(+) rose,red cherry,blackcurrant,black cherry,green bell pepper,tomato leaf,eucalyptus,ripe fruit,vanilla,cloves,hazelnut,chocolate,dry,high acidity,unripe high tannin,high alcohol,medium(+) body,medium(+) finish,very good wine,suitable for bottle ageing. Still need time
Extremely youthful but still performing very nicely. It really needs a lot of hours of decanting to really come together despite that it is good to go right out of the bottle. Extended decanting brings out the fruit and overall balance a bit more. A joy to drink and enjoy. Despite the lush dark fruit, the wine has a lot of freshness and general balance. Loved it!
(5/5) - similar to other 2018's the color is stunning. Deep purple ruby to the rim right now. (14/15) - The nose is where this one shines for me right now. Continues to evolve and change for hours. Black and blue fruits, floral, oak spices, tobacco. (16/20) - While immediately approachable this changed as it got air time as others have noted. The palate just seemed a bit muted and disjointed still. Green, almost bitter at points. I think this will evolve to be a very good wine. But right now I'll give these plenty of bottle time. (8/10) - First Bard I've had. Very good and worth every penny at the allocation price but I'd find myself maybe buying others at retail prices at it's current stage.
Popped and poured into a decanter for 45 mins prior to tasting. The nose is fragrant and floral with green tones to it. The fruit is present on the nose, black currant and dried cherries but it’s closed off in the rear. I suspect more air time or more time on its side would help open it up. Will see day two as we reserved some for tomorrow. Enjoyed this as a balanced, well crafted, medium/long finishing Napa red. Equal to 2017 perhaps slightly more upside for aging potential. From what I recall 2017 was more approachable with similar limited bottle aging.
My first note was maybe too optimistic. Yes this is too young but surprisingly inspires no joy at this stage regardless of time open. Muted flavors, harsh tannins and high acid. Not what I want in an under $100 Napa blend. The nose however remains potent and delivers. Hoping time helps.
Tasted over two days alongside a 2018 DiCostanzo DiCo.
Day 1 - Decanted for five hours. Much more open nose than the DiCo. Aromas of summer hedgerows, puréed strawberries and raspberry jam. Light tannins but lots of fruit close to the surface with beautiful red berries and in particular a compote finish. Clearly very young but rounder and more accessible than other 2018s right now. That said, my other bottles will be tucked away for a while to see where this goes in the future.
Day 2 - Soft and supple on the nose. It’s lost some of the fruit but has a nice integrated, slightly meaty note. Equally well integrated on the palate, not as heavy on the tannins as the previous day. Violets and leather. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Nose: waves of ripe fruit right from the outset with black cherry, blueberry, plum and cassis. Supported by graphite, vanilla, spice and wood. Palate: mouth filling and dense, but so many details popping in the mouth here. Pencil, rocks, raspberry sauce, graphite and baking spice.
Consumed the first bottle over about a month via Coravin. Have to say I really liked being able to check on this over several weeks and let it open in glass a few times.
There’s no doubt the nose on the 18 Realm Bard is attention-grabbing, ripe but straddling cool fruit and ripe warmth with a profile dominated by blackberry compote, blueberry, pencil, and licorice with a tiny floral twist. Everything about the palate is big - big fruit, massive tannin, commensurate acidity, but perhaps the most conspicuous constituent is the alcohol. For my palate, this is just on the wrong side of the ripeness line. A degree lower and this would be big but beautifully balanced - and I bet you wouldn’t accuse it of under-ripeness, either.
Very young and austere but so much depth and complexity tightly coiled waiting to unleash.There is something very special here. A long decant advised at the stage. Hold or double or triple decant.
Just wanted to see how the wine was in its very youthful stages. Dark red color, cassis and dark fruits on the front end. Medium body with 25 second finish. Wine was well balanced and opened nicely after 60 minutes of being opened. Should age beautifully
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High End Napa Valley Tasting hosted by TCWC (Virtual): I can only recall having tasted one or two bottles of Realm since we visited with Juan on our honeymoon in Napa in 2008, so I was looking forward to trying something recent from the brand. What's left of my initial 2oz pour has been in the glass for nearly three hours now and it's really beginning to open and show some complexity. Quite nice, showing vanilla, barrel spice, brown sugar and ripe brambly fruit. On the palate this is full and lush, with hedonistic and sweet, ripe fruit, and I mean that to be a compliment. As I commented during the tasting, this is unapologetically Napa and there's nothing wrong with that at all- it's well made for this style. Flavors of vanilla, black fruit and blueberry milkshake with chocolate and spice qualities as well. Big and lush, definitely "modern," but balanced.
Clearly young, this will certainly benefit from some time in the cellar, but can certainly be enjoyed now under the right circumstances...decant for six+ hours and pair with a thick, rare ribeye with a slight char...that would be a sublime match.
High End Napa Valley Tasting hosted by TCWC (Virtual): Blind. Aromas of cassis, black cherry and cedar. Full-bodied. Flavors of cassis liqueur and black cabernet fruits, with a slight austerity in the finish. With a bit more air this shows sweeter, riper fruit. Abundant fruit on the palate, along with chocolate and oak spice elements. Finishes with good length. Given the bit of austerity to start, I guessed this might be the Dominus. 93-94 pts.
Nose: Cassis, peppermint candy, lavender and violet, light thread of sassafras in the background.
Mouth: Beautifully rendered creme de cassis, kirsch, and macerated blackberry notes are undergirded by buried bolts of sassafras, roasted alder and white pepper. Fruit swells on a wave again into the midpalate ahead of the incredibly long finish, with the alderwood and charred earth simply refusing to quit for what feel like minutes as the fruit keeps driving on. Tannins are super polished, but show huge tug from the edges of the palate, clipping the fruit for now.
Overall: Shows good purity and beautiful palate action as the fruit comes in slow waves. I was told that this is the first vintage partially aged in concrete, if that's true it would explain the light elements of terroir that shine through in the herb and woods notes. I hope this is continued into the future, as it has more of a 'sense of place' than any other Bard thus far. Hands off for now, as this is pretty wound up, will be insane when the seams come away. Drink 2024 - 2037.
I typically refrain from tasting bottles that have just arrived as I think packages have been treated like the opening scene of Ace Ventura Pet detective. So bottle shock might be in play. Just note that I might have butchered this bottle but it was a fun break from the "norm".
Day 1 Coravin pull. Tannins pronounced. Fruit muted and hidden. Medium volume on the nose of dark fruits and graphite. Acid medium and finish short. Quickly realized that bottle shock might be in play. 92
Day 2. Pulled cork and poured one healthy glass in vitamix (mentioned I was going to do this on another thread.) 30 sec blend on 3. (In the name of science) Fruit came forward and tannins subsided. Nose became slightly muted. I actually enjoyed this glass more than the coravin pull. I could actually taste the depth of the fruit but at the cost on the nose. Medium finish. 93+
Day 3. TBD... I'll revisit tonight and update the team. A little less than half the bottle with cork replaced at cellar temp. 54
Update. No real improvement with the extra 24. I agree with Mark the best drink window was the first drinking window. Without the bottle shock. double or triple decant.
Bottle shock territory on my shipped bottles, so bought one locally to try. From the pnp, this wine is readily accessible and during the first hour it's silky cab fruit and beautiful mouth glide is quite nice. High quality winemaking apparent. The acidity is riveting. As 2 hours pass some mouth puckering tannins arrive....in spades and the red/blue fruit gets a little blacker. 3 hours in and a dark iron pan component emerges on the back end. This is at its best in the first hour or so for you Cali fruit bomb people. A 92-93 at the end of the evening. It will be a very good wine once it all integrates and the tannin structure calms. Easy 2-3 point upgrade from here in a few years, IMO.
Consumed over 3 days - Broodier than previous iterations, dark berry, some earth on the back end of it, long dark finish with some tar. Really big and structured, tannins definitely there. Blueberry and black cherry. On day 3 this seems to get a bit into its groove from a fruit standpoint with darker berry coming in with good poise but tannins more prominent - I think this is a hint of an excellent wine to be. Not to be the dissenting vote, but I have not enjoyed this as much as previous releases (at least early on) - it has structure but lacks that feel of specialness that I think was present on previous vintages. The fruit is more subdued and lacks the punch. Still represents a relative bargain with Realm but not quite the QPR maven it used to be. This deserves a really long decant or a hold for a few years - sending the rest of mine to slumber for a bit. 92 now - I do see a big upside however, maybe 95-96 in a few years.
Loved it. 2 hour decant before first sip. Silky smooth picked up some vanilla. Not sure how I’ll be able to let my other two sit for long. May have to pick up a couple more. This community is dangerous for my pocket book. The recommendations are great as I start to figure out how to build my collection.
Drank over the course of two days. A little disappointed given the hype and pro reviews. Almost no fruit here with the entire body coming off watered down. Texturally it has some promise with chalky cassis lingering on the tannins. I’ve been buying The Bard since 2012 and this has been the poorest performing bottle. Overall it just seems less luxurious and dense. Hoping this one is an off/awkward bottle or just too young. My 93 is being very generous and the assumption of an off bottle.
This is the best The Bard that I have had since the 2013 vintage. The color is a show stopper, as it was translucent purple -- I could see the bottom of my glass. The smell and taste were just great. Medium in weight but big on flavor; this can be an early drinker while the other 2018s rest. I didn't know what to expect since the wine comes from a multitude of vineyard sources and have 5 types of grapes. Somehow, "The House of Realm" and Benoit have pulled this off flawlessly!
Decanted five hours and then drank over two days. Still very young but absolutely delicious palate of wet earth, espresso, chewy tannins, blackberry liqueur. My first Bard. Delicious now if you want to drink cookie dough, otherwise hold it for a few years.
Opened a pair of 2018s as part of birthday weekend celebrations. Still have half a bottle of each to check in on tonight and will update my notes as needed.
2018 Realm The Bard - started to open up towards the end of the night. Tightly coiled, tannic after a 4 hour decant. Mouth stanning purple that softened up as the hours went on. Definitely some blueberry and mocha. I was worried this would be all over the place with no sense of terroir or place, given the number of vineyard sources. However, it's not supposed to be a SVD, and I think overall a good QPR given the sources and Benoit's touch. MSU is right - there is plenty of structure and density that bodes well for its future. It will be hard to keep my hands off my other 2 bottles. 93 for now with plenty of upside (96?)
2018 Myriad Beckstoffer GIII - similar 4 hour decant next to the Bard. Rutherford all over it, had more of a sense of place than the Bard, as I would expect. Surprisingly, I have not had a SVD GIII (just some wines like Roy Piper that have a component of it), so it was good to test this one out. This one didn't open up as much as the Bard, but still had the fruit upfront and a strong tannic backbone. Do I have the patience to wait this one out, with only one more bottle? We'll see. 92 for now. I can see this getting to 95 with more time.
Very young. Day 1 straight out the cellar shows far too tannic and a short finish. Day 2 after sitting under cork overnight much more plush on the palate but finish still left me a bit disappointed. I’d give this a few months before trying again.
The Bard is back! I’ve opened every vintage of this wine at the two-year mark since the 2013, and the 2018 is the best - at this point of time - since the 2013 (which was one of the greatest wines, at its moment, that I had ever tasted). To run the litany: the 2014 was less concentrated and more grainy at this point, but almost as good; the 2015 was green and astringent, not nearly as full; the 2016 was juicy and undefined, not nearly as structured; and the 2017 was, well, a defensible effort, but nothing to write home about. The 2018, in contrast, is.
Dark purple in color and medium in body, the wine offers incredible, raw aromas of blackberry, cherry liqueur, mocha, and blueberry pie. The flavors are plush but with a welcome structure and tension, with notes of black cherry, boysenberry, cocoa powder, leather, bay leaf, and black licorice, with a fire hose of a finish of tannin, acidity, and fruit (all good, just young). Blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Petite Sirah. 14.6% alcohol. Decant about two hours. Still going strong on second day, with more of a mocha flavor and mouthfeel.
Maybe this is just an early drinking wine, but it seems to offer something more: there is a density and structure that bode well for the future, with incredible fruit that is ripe and fresh and delicious. And $110? This is a steal - great winemaker, real track record, solid vintage. I don’t want to raise anyone’s expectations, but mine were exceeded (and then some). 94-95 for now. This is a fantastic wine: drink it, and enjoy.
Gorgeous. Upon opening, oaky vanilla sweetness was a little overwhelming, but a 3 hour decant revealed blueberry jam and ripe blackberries along with dried tobacco, leather, and earthy spices. Palate is dense and vibrant, juicy black cherries with cocoa powder, tobacco, and light menthol notes along with a cedary finish. Lovely silky texture. When I want a big Napa wine, this is it. It’s dense and powerful, but balanced. It shines after a decant and I think it might need 2+ years to come together, even though it’s excellent now.
I would consider this an improvement over the 2017. It’s already more coherent and better textured.
4/14/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine seems to be improving, from very good to great! This was very enjoyable, with ripe red and black fruit, soft tannins, and well balanced. Very good QPR for a top-end Napa Cab / Bourdeaux blend.
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4/5/2024 - jonfrutkin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Complex long finish cab. Great at price point. Needs a solid decant and drank better for me on day 2 and then perfectly 3 after frig.
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3/18/2024 - azogas Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is everything I could ask for from a Bordeaux blend from Napa fruit. Complexity, nice mix of dark and red fruit. Very subtle oak. Not overly tannic or big in any way. For what it is, I'd pay the release price on this all day from Realm.
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3/7/2024 - Rune Schwartz wrote: 95 Points
Precise Napa Cabernet with well balanced acid and tannins. Dense fruit. Powerfull but seems feminine in it’s style. Long lenght.
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2/17/2024 - DrBad Likes this wine: 97 Points
Takes about an hour to open up and from there on this is fantastic. All the yumminess in the reviews, no need to repeat them here, this has got it all and in an explosive spot right now.
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2/14/2024 - Kericks Likes this wine: 96 Points
1 hour decant: Plum, blackberry, hazelnut, baking spices, potting soil, great acidity, pepper on the finish
2 hours: cocoa, chocolate fudge
3 hours: nutty almond heaven
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1/27/2024 - Sean Tay wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Fruits of the Vine 2024 at Edition Hotel Singapore. Not able to write down tasting notes, only rating score.
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12/27/2023 - novicemike Likes this wine: 92 Points
Christmas Eve. Didn't take great notes. Decanted for about 3 hours. Dark in the glass. Grippy yet round tannin. Blackberry. Really enjoyed this and could seeing it age very well.
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12/24/2023 - Jkuryak Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth a delicious. Enjoyed with beef Wellington on Xmas eve.
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12/22/2023 - GalenP Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still early. Could not decant but gave it four hours aeration. Tasty!
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11/23/2023 - CaptainBert Likes this wine:
Drank alongside a bottle from 2009. Fruit and acid bomb upon PnP and tasted along with way to a 4hr decant. Balsalmic cherry and blueberries on the nose. Blueberry dominates the palte. Love the acidity in this. Drinks a little one dimensional and slightly rough around the edges. Light oak and spice. Very dry finish. Needs a few more years IMO
After 24hrs in the fridge the acidity has calmed down and smoothed out the rough egdes
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11/23/2023 - MelroseCellars Likes this wine:
Thanksgiving competition.
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11/15/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta color. Blackberry, cassis, pumpernickel, bay leaf, peony, and tangerine rind. Dry, dusty palate, with vivacious acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
This is somewhat dark and brooding. It would have benefited from a 3+ hour decant, because it kept improving over an hour of drinking. I’ll try to wait a year before drinking the next bottle.
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10/13/2023 - boreddoughboy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thick dark colors with increable full fruit that overwhelms at first. Bright cassis and ripe berries on the nose. Evidence of waining tannins that still hold incredible structure and make me wish I waited another year. Spice and fresh leather on the pallet which lasts. A bit too acidic in my opinion otherwise unstoppable. maybe give it 6-12 months.
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10/8/2023 - RayT Likes this wine: 95 Points
I have drunk quite a few bottles of the Bard. In fact I have more bottles of the Bard in my cellar than any other wine. This was my first bottle of the 2018 and I was surprised by the sheer power of this wine. I drank this after a 2019 Memento Mori which is no shrinking violet and The Bard was much bigger. I decanted this for 4 hours and it could have used the 6 hours that a lot of other CT'rs gave it. This version of the Bard had more structure and was more serious than other vintages. This was dark purple as most Realm's are with cassis, blueberry, and mocha. I didn't get any secondary flavors as this wine is still a brute. I typically score The Bard in the 94-95 range but I think with a couple of years this could get to a 96. Today this was a 94+ that I gave the benefit of the doubt for future development. I have found for my palate the Bard is best in the 7-8 year range. Looking forward to see how this wine develops in the coming years.
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9/10/2023 - TMOVino2 wrote: 93 Points
5/5 - deep purple ruby and still showing well
13/15- taking a point or two off as it was wonderful to smell with dark fruit, chocolate leading but never evolved much.
17/20 - Carries the aromas and shows much better than last bottle I had a couple years ago. This will get better with a few more years.
8/10- drinking well with a lot of air but should improve more with a few more bottle years
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9/6/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Been 6 months since my last taste. Opened and decanted for 4 hours by our hosts Mr/Mrs HMC tonight.
Dark purple in the glass. Nose of dark, exquisite Napa cab fruit, but ever so slightly muted as the night wore on. Palate has weight, depth, length and tastes oh, so good! Easily the leader in the clubhouse and kept drinking very well even through 6-8 hours of air. I really appreciated the softness of this fruit and the wine in general. Really settling in now at 5+ years of age. Time to start drinking my stash, too. Thanks, Jimbo!
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9/4/2023 - ews3 Likes this wine: 95 Points
youthful nose shows black berry fruit, black currant, graphite, light cedar notes, sage, and other herbal notes that will become more prominent with more patience than I had.... palate shows powdery tannins, a similar profile., but eith a pleasant mocha note, and a long finish. this is shaping up well and will get better with time. I will definitely continue to buy what they offer me....
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8/31/2023 - CoryDean44 Likes this wine: 94 Points
An interesting young wine with fragrant notes of fresh cut grass, cedar, and honeysuckle. Loads of red fruit, raspberry, tart cherry, and subtle dark cacao finish. Decanted for 6 hours and it was still opening up. Robust, complex and complete from start to finish. 94 points.
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8/26/2023 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 96 Points
See prior notes and enjoy
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8/26/2023 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red fruited tones on the nose with a savory earth undertow. The mouthfeel is lush and full with long legs in the glass and a characteristic chalky finish that lasts for ages. The wine has come togeher over a year and is drinking nicely now.
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8/11/2023 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
In recent years the Bard has been consistently one of my favorite wines. While the 2018 does not have the stunning intensity and complexity of flavors as the 2013, or the delicious flavors of the 2016 and some other vintages, it is still a very nice Napa Cabernet based wine with plenty of dark fruit and a smooth finish. Had this as a pop and pour, and it didn’t last long enough in the glass to find out what it does with some air; maybe next time!
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8/4/2023 - atilathehun wrote: 92 Points
Great mouthfeel but the cab franc gets a bit too much in the way, drying, and a bit hot
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7/3/2023 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black cherry and dark red fruits with some hints of dark coffee and pencil shavings on the nose. Quite intriguing this time. This bottle drank closed a bit but plenty of dusty earth and chalkiness on the palette with fruit quite in the rear.
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6/14/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Two and a half hour decant. Nearly opaque electric ruby magenta color. Black cherry, plum, dark chocolate, cinnamon roll, lavender, lemon bar, nutmeg, and rum cake. Smooth, dry, full bodied palate. Voluptuous, mouth filling acidity. Firm, full modestly grippy tannins on the longish finish.
Not all of the bakery notes were there simultaneously. This is very complex for its youth and price. Only going to get better. Just barely in it’s drinking window.
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5/26/2023 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark red fruited on the nose with an earthy vibrant flair. On the palette its bright, acidic, with a long densely chalky finish. Really stellar wine that is flourishing right now.
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4/11/2023 - HowellMountainCru Likes this wine: 95 Points
Micro ox'd this in a cooler for 18 hours prior to serving out of a decanter for a prime rib dinner for Marknpt1 and spouse. Big and juicy, full of lush black fruit. Notes of fruit and French oak dominate. Super well-structured, just a bit tannic at first but opens well and drinks great after a few hours. Still hasn't reached its prime IMO 95 HMC
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4/3/2023 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle of this. Tasted over 2 days, it remains quite youthful and exuberant. Black cherry liqueur and toasted vanilla seem to dominate for me. It’s rich and plush, a very good rendition of the bard.
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3/10/2023 - bigdogsteve Likes this wine: 96 Points
Exceptional.
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3/1/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brought by JAronson to the table. He remarked about opening the bottle 2 weeks ago, then putting the cork back in and adding argon via the coravin to displace the O2. Pnp'd tonight and it was immediately delectable. Very rich on the nose and the palate with dark fruit and tons of class. Fully resolved in structure. Had that feeling it was as smoothed out as it could be. No harsh edges, and I feel this bottle had no further upside to it, (not that it needed it, it was quite good!). Was going to give it a 95, as I have previous bottles both 1 and 3 years ago, but the fruit just felt a slight bit of power loss, or maybe lack of energy (?), given the bottle treatment. Still, very nice. Would like to do a study with this exact bottle treatment vs a Repour stopper to see if my suspicions would be realized that the Repour bottle would retain that energy or fruit power in a bigger way......and I also suspect that maybe the wine wouldn't have been able to smooth out as much, either. Will be interesting to experiment with bottles going forward.
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2/25/2023 - NPBWineGuy wrote: 94 Points
Even this young, The Bard is showing every sign of being an excellent wine. Full of strong fruit flavor and mild tanins, it opened up after about an hour. I'll enjoy seeing how it develops over the next several years as I drink the other 7 bottles I have.
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2/17/2023 - tjpiggott Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful aromas and taste, primarily blackberry. Went great with filet mignon and short rib.
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2/13/2023 - Jimaronson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Coravin a glass for the super bowl. Wine was immediately open and it gained weight over the first hour. Best from hour 2 to 3 and then just coasted. I would like to have seen more upfront fruit as the tannins are strong and will carry the red and black fruit for many years. I believe a couple more years will help the fruit integrate and expand. There is no question that this wine is dringing great now, but I think it will get better and perhaps receive a score up to 97 in three years. Thoroughly enjoyable now and a great QPR.
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2/5/2023 - 2MLW wrote: 97 Points
I think Drinknick31 summed this wine up very well, and I concur, although I give it a score 97.
Explosive and good from the moment I pulled the cork and took a first taste. Decanted for 3-1/2 hours, and the wine was smooth, but very flavorful. Super enjoyable!
It is not inexpensive, but it’s certainly at reasonable price point as compared to the top tier wines (which I cannot afford - unless I cut way back on my drinking - not going to happen), but the PQR is excellent. Highly recommended.
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1/22/2023 - El_Dougo wrote:
Well first attempt was a total failure although to be clear we’re not giving up and preparing for a 2nd attempt now. Any advice would be welcome.
We prepared this wine for dinner pairing by opening it at 1pm, briefly decanting and cleaning the bottle of sediment and then poured back into the bottle to let rest with no cork for 5+ hrs. Clearly this was the wrong move because by dinner time the wine remained totally closed with no nose and no palate. Not even primary. When we realize it (too late) we placed into a large decanter for another hour and still nothing. I then poured back into the bottle put a cork in it and left it in the fridge over night.
Now it’s the following day (morning) here in Asia and I have the wine back in the large decanter. I don’t know if this will be for lunch? Dinner? Today? Tomorrow? Either way I’m relaxed about it and looking forward to seeing how this turns out. More to come.
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1/16/2023 - drinknick31 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really surprised with this. Expected it to not be ready but its drinking fine. Really smooth with a lasting finish. Not overly tanic for a young napa. Well made. Curious how the new wine maker will do with this label in the future. Bard is a lower end price point for Realm and better than I expected. Kind of makes me wonder if my other pricier bottles will disappoint on a value basis or knock my socks off. I felt this was ready and it is. The rest will have to wait from what I have read.
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12/10/2022 - RockyII Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ultra smooth Napa cab served with a ribeye at the RH Rooftop. Nice combination. Deep red. A little bigger and bolder in both aroma and taste than the Mondavi To-Kalon earlier. Blackberry and ash dominate the palate. Full bodied goodness.
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12/5/2022 - DrBad Likes this wine: 95 Points
Denver wine tasting Cab night the Bard kept trucking through the evening. Strong baked blueberry pie aromas, "like a fresh out of the oven pie with crispy, caramelized crust". On the palate not as over the top as the aromas but big, dark fruits, strong tannins to start but these mellowed out after a few hours. This has a long life of good drinking ahead.
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11/23/2022 - blarmston Likes this wine: 97 Points
With a three hour decant, this was singing.
Benoit strikes again.
Easy 96-97 now with upside.
Mental note- stop sleeping on this bottling and just focusing on the SVD's in their portfolio- for the price point, this wine delivers...
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11/23/2022 - bigdogsteve Likes this wine: 96 Points
Exceptional bottle.
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11/12/2022 - Happytoro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour and drank over 2 hours. This was more approachable than I expected. The nose was spectacular and open with creme de cassis, black fruits, oak, and spice. There was structure and strong tannins but did not feel overpowering. Overall was very enjoyable and would be interesting to see how it evolves in future.
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9/28/2022 - nacperez Does not like this wine: 87 Points
This wine felt weak at the price point. 2018 was a good vintage for Napa, yet the fruit and licorice aromas in this wine were very light. For me it was too sweet with not enough acidity , even after letting it decant, it didn’t improve and it actually lost some characteristics .
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9/4/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
See prior notes. Drank this from a magnum. I’m note sure if this vintage will ever come around but hoping it’s just young.
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8/28/2022 - jviz wrote: 94 Points
This was fun and showing well. Deep purple pitch and darkly completed, medium viscosity. The oak is restrained initially, then moves to the forefront on day 2 after a night in the fridge. Rich fruit flavors are all harmonic. This is holding up well so far.
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8/19/2022 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still very young and tight. Not as closed as when I first tried in earlier 2020.
Took about 3.5-4 hours of air for the best elements to come out. Nice licorice and staining dark red fruits and a bit of mocha. Good length. Nice mouth that’s got great structure but not too heavy. The alcohol seems quite high on this wine and it comes through the nose a bit. I can see this getting to a 97 by 2030, if some of those more intense elements mellow out. I’ve got 3 left.
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7/7/2022 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 92 Points
I had two so decided to check in with this and I did enjoy it. However, if you only have one, do not open now as you will be rewarded for waiting.
Needed 2+ hours of air to start coming around. Pours a very dark color, opaque even at the rim.
Smooth with notes of licorice and dark fruit flavors.
The most notable feature at this stage is the puckering tannins which make it less enjoyable today then I believe it will be in a few years. And once those tannins soften this should be a mid to high 90 pointer for me.
So, again, if you have one, hold it for a few years and if you need to make space in your cellar today, give it 2+ hours of air and have at it.
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6/19/2022 - Ticker tape guy wrote: 91 Points
big bold Napa cab..lots of dark fruit hint of chocolate paired well with grilled beef tenderloin
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6/11/2022 - HodgieMJ Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stunning. Deep red. Cola and black cherry. Allspice. Moderately tannic. Very well balanced.
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6/11/2022 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opaque purple juice. Densely packed. Deep dark fruits. Graphite. Blackberry pie, black cherries, leather and licorice. But it slowly mellowed out with a long decant during the dinner. This could get better, Booker fracture and Skipstone Faultline upped this bottle tonight. 94-95 for now.
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5/29/2022 - rkww Likes this wine: 95 Points
Manursing Memorial; 5/27/2022-5/29/2022: I'll admit: I've been a bit whiny of late about the high price and disappointing quality of Napa's second wines. Realm's 2018 Bard ranks among the rare exceptions that prove the rule. It has so much more going on than most bottlings in its range. A powerful nose with floral top notes, dark black fruits, chocolate, and spice. Notable energy on the palate. Voluminous yet already softening tannins, which could see this wine through at least another decade-and-a-half. An insanely long finish. Put simply, this is multi-site blending at its best. I should have bought more at list price when I had the chance!
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5/26/2022 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pours dark Garnett purple in color. On the nose its black cherries and graphite. On the palette it’s a balanced structure of delicate soft tannin and lush fruit. The finish is notably miles long. Tons of graphite and earth notes on the finish. At this point the wine is singing.
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5/15/2022 - cmartinelli wrote:
Decanted for an hour. Pours a deep inky red. Dark fruits, blackberry, blueberry along with cedar, spice and dark chocolate. The elements are there on the palate, already working well together. Smooth, luxurious finish, finely grated tannins. So open and smooth for a 2018. Great bottle.
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5/8/2022 - TheDKALife Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mother’s Day delight! Decanted for 2.5 hours. Needed more. Cotton candy nose. Followed by berries. After 3 hours decant it was ready to drink. Brought a nice brown sugar balance to the lamb chops. Nice complimentary tannins for a long finish. After 4 hours it peaked and was on its ways down. Cheers!
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4/23/2022 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 95 Points
See prior notes and enjoy
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4/4/2022 - Rktekt3 wrote: 95 Points
Solid wine.
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4/3/2022 - Kopfy Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of my favorite wines ever. Super smooth - top shelf for sure. Bold and smooth
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4/2/2022 - Ecbatana Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is the workhorse of the Realm lineup, increasingly an amalgam of vineyard sources in more recent vintages. A floral and hard candy parade on the nose with medium+ richness and concentration. Scored well with others at the table and deservedly so.
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4/2/2022 - Joelene wrote: 91 Points
Disappointing, muted, closed, not worth the money. I have to assume that it’s just too young…. Hold.
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3/27/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
Two hour decant. Very deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry syrup, black currant, lilac, terra cotta dust, cinnamon, and subtle sour cream old fashioned donut on the nose. Smooth, dry, plush palate, with chalky, velvety, tongue coating acidity. Full, voluptuous tannins on the longish finish.
Amazing wine for this price point. There is room for improvement in the coming year or two, but this is already quite enjoyable.
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3/24/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened by Jimbo for the evening of chillin'........the wine sat decanting for 90+ min in my glass and had THE best florals, maybe a 96 based on the florals, alone. The wine, while softened a bit was just a tad more raw in the mouth and had slightly less depth than the '16 Trespass franc, tonight. I was torn between a 94 and 95 but this one is such a good buy on release with great qpr. Smooth black/dark red fruit, nicely integrating tannins and acidity. This got smoother the further into my glass I drank and has some room to grow, and improve 1-2 points further, IMO. This bottle very different than my last 13 months ago. It is now moving into that very drinkable window where it gets better the longer it's open. 13 months ago, it did the reverse and would shut down the longer it was open. Thanks for opening, Jimbo! Glad I have a few bottles for sharing down the road, too.
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3/24/2022 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
Followed over a weekend. In a bit of a closed phase, or perhaps this bottle was a little dumb. Never really gave the exuberance I look for in a bard. I'll wait a few years on the next one.
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2/11/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine and I have quite a history. I will never forget the 2012 being just absolutely amazing followed up by perhaps the best wine for the price I can ever remember, the 2013 @ $95. Of course, back then these wines were relatively small production ~400 cases with a lot of Dr Crane and To Kalon in the mix. Nowadays, it's something like 7000 cases and the vineyards are too numerous to name. I'm not sure even in 12/13 this was a 99-100pt wine, but without a doubt it's not now. That being said, it's still a very compelling wine for the price in Napa terms.
This is very representative of the vintage. Tight and fresh, age worthy while needing quite a bit of air to come around. Nose of creme de cassis, dark chocolate, forest floor, violets and spice box. Super fine grained yet powerful tannins keep this very tight knit on the palate. Taut, with good acidity, excellent freshness and lots of mineral driven notes, it hides a lot of the fruit while delivering earth and spice in spades. The entire time, I was hoping the tannin would release some of the packed in flavor, but for the most part it stayed hidden. I think in 3-5 years, things will have loosened up. Nice long finish.
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1/29/2022 - Orange Tsian wrote: 93 Points
香气从一开瓶就很开放，起头是一阵椰丝和奶油味，绵密浓郁，随后出现黑樱桃、黑莓和黑醋栗等各种黑果，果味干净成熟，还带着些紫色花香，浓郁且享乐，加之肉桂、豆蔻粉、薄荷碎和一些黑巧克力，有着丝滑的质地。入口整体比较宽阔，略显肥，集中度没有很好驾驭住宽度。单宁多且细致，在舌面上表现平滑，酸度不错。黑樱桃，黑莓，桑葚，黑巧克力，肉桂，薄荷干，香料微微辛辣，浓郁饱满享乐。92-93/100
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1/3/2022 - HowellMountainCru Likes this wine: 92 Points
Thought I would try this given a couple nice scores recently. Since my experience with 2018s so far has been, too early, needs time, or needs air, I wanted to try this over many hours to see how it evolved. Took it to a lovely dinner at Mark1npt's after an initial 2.5 hour splash decant. As always, Mark had some other nice wines waiting which allowed us to sample this over the next 3 or so hours. First tastes were of a big blend red that was just a bit too tannic to be in balance. Nice nose, big fruit present. Over the next 3 hours I did see some improvement as it moved into a more drinkable phase. Still a little primary, shy but you could tell there was quality in there. In the end we only drank about 1/2 a bottle out of the decanter. I rebottlled and corked and gave it another day to see where it would go.
On day 3, I can report, to my amazement, little change, Still a bit primary and tannic, about where it finished on the night of day 1. I think the nose has muted but the fruit has deepened, its darker, lets say dark red verging on black. I notice the acid more but that could be that I have had no other wines today (its only 2:30 for goodness sake).
So on balance I think this is a very good wine with its best days ahead. I'd say 92-93 as it drinks now with at least 2 points improvement anticipated if gracefully aged.
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12/31/2021 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brought to Boca for New Years with friends. Had with beef tenderloin for dinner and was the hit of the dinner. Well done wine. No formal notes but should have bought more upon release!
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12/13/2021 - wdcwineguys Likes this wine: 94 Points
2hr decant and then enjoyed over the course of the evening. At two hours in the wine was still tight, but the structure and fruit quality were there. Around four hours in it was smooth and the tannins had integrated well. Dark ruby, nose of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, a touch of graphite and oak. Full bodied, a stiff backbone. Finish was a little shorter than I expected. 5+ more years and this will be stunning. Wine kinda reminded me of Continuum.
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12/2/2021 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 95 Points
See prior notes and enjoy
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11/9/2021 - acleary wrote:
Merlot, Cabernet Franc and/or Petit Verdo
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10/17/2021 - JRockEsq Likes this wine:
No formal notes taken.
Tasted alongside 5 Napa Cabs (all but 1 2018s). Pop and pour. Initially, the wine came off as fairly soft and quite primary/fruity and was the group's unanimous worst wine of the tasting (it was also the 2nd least expensive). Maybe I would've scored it about 92 points.
On days 2 and 4, however, the wine certainly evolved, showing a bit of elegance and a bit more complexity. This came off like a Napa take on a Left Bank blend, rather than a blockbuster Napa Cab/red. Really great wine, but I think it needs some time.
I'll hold my next bottle until at least 2023, if not 2025.
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9/10/2021 - Tonythefish wrote: 95 Points
See prior notes - a honey bunny favorite
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9/3/2021 - il_diavolo wrote:
Tough to taste now, a bit disjointed. Not impressed personally, but wont rate as just might be too young.
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8/29/2021 - Mgupta2000 wrote: 95 Points
Gave to Alok during Wisconsin visit. We drank it there. Decanted for 4 hours. Dark in color, full bodied, fruity but not jammy, rounded soft tannins, but didn’t have a long finish.
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8/20/2021 - Cow Town wrote:
I have no idea how anyone can rate this wine with an actual number. It is dark grape juice with no balance, no mid palate, and a tannic finish. I was able to try a bottle, and will let my stash rest for a long time after this tasting and hope it comes around. But, for now? I found this to be one of my least enjoyable wine experiences in a long while. And I love Napa cabs and I love Realm, so this left me scratching my head.
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8/20/2021 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 94 Points
6 hr decant. Taking sips starting @ 3.5 hr mark in 30 min increments. Opaque, dark as night purple. Notes of bruised black fruits shrouded in graphite, new leather, nutttiness and pencil lead. Young & Smooth on palate, adding some hints of flowers and vanilla. Great example of power with elegance. There is this Controlled aggression with Incredible balance. Loving it
Vibrant acidity and powdery tannins on long finish.
Tremendous and pure expression of fruit from sourced vineyards by Realm!
I will for sure hold rest of my bottles for a while.
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7/27/2021 - Vineyard Boy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs to sit a few years
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7/24/2021 - eschuldt wrote: 95 Points
12 hr decant, nice but as noted previously nice, smooth but not very plush. Hope this developes more depth in the future.
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7/23/2021 - bradhens1 wrote: 94 Points
Smooth. Needs time to integrate but will be exceptional
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7/23/2021 - happy712 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decant 5 hours. Wonderfully complex with long finish. Elegant and silky. Great with a nice steak, especially if it has bordelaise sauce.
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7/14/2021 - kostaslonis wrote:
Random wines tried before service (Oinoscent): The wine was sampled at Oinoscent, via Coravin, bottle brought by importer.
The wine shows dark ruby colour.
The wine shows pure black fruit, ripe to overripe prunes, chocolate and toast.
The palate is big, plush and smooth, velvety tannins, medium to high acidity, broad and almost sweet, full body with long finish
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6/20/2021 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 93 Points
Thinking this might be closing up as it was different from my last bottle. It was good, but it was really nothing special. I agree with @jenmermaidia's most recent note completely.
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6/5/2021 - Decanting Queen wrote: 93 Points
I knew this was too young to enjoy, and that I probably would not like it, but curiosity got the best of me.
I deliberately tasted at different points over 6 hours, and it was at its best by the end. Put the last half bottle in a 375 for tonight—I would be shocked if it has fallen apart as it seemed to still be opening up and changing at the end of the night last night.
On PnP dark inky and purple. Very little aroma, maybe some reticent fruit and hints of something chalky. Bigger on the palate, some darker fruit, minerals, mouth filling, but a slight metal note on the palate that was not pleasant.
After 60 min decant much more drinkable. The metal note is gone. More aroma—floral, berries, hints of green herbs, hints of tobacco. Lingering finish and mouth coating tannins.
Fast forward to the last glass of the night—Now very open, dark berries, cassis, tobacco, graphite, plenty of tannin and acid. This was drinkable and good, but unmistakeable a ‘too young’ 2018. I believe and I hope this will evolve over the years, open up and integrate more. For now there is something still missing, perhaps it is what other reviewers have referred to as the plush velvetiness. When I drink this wine I am still thinking about the components and trying to figure it out, it is missing that integrated plushness to make me think ‘wow.’
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5/28/2021 - billyloveswine Likes this wine: 95 Points
My first Realm wine. I had high expectations, and it definitely delivered. After a one-hour decant, it started to open up with intense black fruits and herbaceousness that invite you to take a sip. On the palate, additional flavors of chocolate and tobacco emerged with yummy, chewy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, ending with a 20s+ finish. It got noticeably more complex over time, which shows potential to get even better in a couple of years. A seriously good wine.
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5/25/2021 - DrBad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Coravin pour to celebrate the 3 month long refi finally going through. Aerated but still took about an hour to open up. Almost no aroma to start but eventually some Italian herbs started to poke through. Interesting progression from a rather standard Bordeaux blend, initially I thought there were blends from Washington State that could stand up to this for about 1/2 the price. After an hour plus this started to strut it's stuff with brooding dark fruits, lively acidity and big tannic structure. Drinking well now with air but as others have said, this is still young, I can see it living up to it's upper 90s review scores in a few years.
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5/19/2021 - Tonythefish wrote: 94 Points
See prior notes- fantastic stuff
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5/18/2021 - Gkautry Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow. Give this a couple of years.
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5/9/2021 - Indywinefan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank after decanting for 2.5-3 hours. Very good wine with potential to be better. I knew it was too early to open, but I really wanted to try one of my bottles. I will wait several years before revisiting.
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4/29/2021 - eschuldt wrote: 95 Points
After a 9 your slow ox tasted tart and astringent. Then decanted for 3 more hours and opened up, still lacking a plush component but evolving from the last tasting.
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4/12/2021 - wineotim wrote: 95 Points
I had a problem with the high ABV here, it still needs to integrate. It was really in the way, in fact it was conspicuous. But on the second day this is big, bold, and beautiful and more integrated, with some mineral running down the mid-palate. Glass staining, teeth staining, inky dark, ripe, but dry. Very primary right now as you'd expect, but the wow factor is there! Let it rest for a while if you can.
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3/23/2021 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby,medium(+) rose,red cherry,blackcurrant,black cherry,green bell pepper,tomato leaf,eucalyptus,ripe fruit,vanilla,cloves,hazelnut,chocolate,dry,high acidity,unripe high tannin,high alcohol,medium(+) body,medium(+) finish,very good wine,suitable for bottle ageing. Still need time
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3/22/2021 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium deep ruby. Reticent aromatic nose, almost Burgundy-esque. Dry, low acidity, grippy tannins, closed on palate. Needs to rest for many years.
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3/11/2021 - canan wrote: 95 Points
Extremely youthful but still performing very nicely. It really needs a lot of hours of decanting to really come together despite that it is good to go right out of the bottle.
Extended decanting brings out the fruit and overall balance a bit more. A joy to drink and enjoy. Despite the lush dark fruit, the wine has a lot of freshness and general balance.
Loved it!
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3/6/2021 - hanasowner wrote: 93 Points
Splash decant and pour...dark and rich...expressive nose...smooth, medium finish.
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2/26/2021 - TMOVino2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
(5/5) - similar to other 2018's the color is stunning. Deep purple ruby to the rim right now.
(14/15) - The nose is where this one shines for me right now. Continues to evolve and change for hours. Black and blue fruits, floral, oak spices, tobacco.
(16/20) - While immediately approachable this changed as it got air time as others have noted. The palate just seemed a bit muted and disjointed still. Green, almost bitter at points. I think this will evolve to be a very good wine. But right now I'll give these plenty of bottle time.
(8/10) - First Bard I've had. Very good and worth every penny at the allocation price but I'd find myself maybe buying others at retail prices at it's current stage.
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2/14/2021 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped and poured into a decanter for 45 mins prior to tasting. The nose is fragrant and floral with green tones to it. The fruit is present on the nose, black currant and dried cherries but it’s closed off in the rear. I suspect more air time or more time on its side would help open it up. Will see day two as we reserved some for tomorrow. Enjoyed this as a balanced, well crafted, medium/long finishing Napa red. Equal to 2017 perhaps slightly more upside for aging potential. From what I recall 2017 was more approachable with similar limited bottle aging.
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2/11/2021 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
My first note was maybe too optimistic. Yes this is too young but surprisingly inspires no joy at this stage regardless of time open. Muted flavors, harsh tannins and high acid. Not what I want in an under $100 Napa blend. The nose however remains potent and delivers. Hoping time helps.
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2/10/2021 - bavaur wrote: 92 Points
Tasted over two days alongside a 2018 DiCostanzo DiCo.
Day 1 - Decanted for five hours. Much more open nose than the DiCo. Aromas of summer hedgerows, puréed strawberries and raspberry jam. Light tannins but lots of fruit close to the surface with beautiful red berries and in particular a compote finish. Clearly very young but rounder and more accessible than other 2018s right now. That said, my other bottles will be tucked away for a while to see where this goes in the future.
Day 2 - Soft and supple on the nose. It’s lost some of the fruit but has a nice integrated, slightly meaty note. Equally well integrated on the palate, not as heavy on the tannins as the previous day. Violets and leather. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
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2/1/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Nose: waves of ripe fruit right from the outset with black cherry, blueberry, plum and cassis. Supported by graphite, vanilla, spice and wood. Palate: mouth filling and dense, but so many details popping in the mouth here. Pencil, rocks, raspberry sauce, graphite and baking spice.
Consumed the first bottle over about a month via Coravin. Have to say I really liked being able to check on this over several weeks and let it open in glass a few times.
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1/31/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:
There’s no doubt the nose on the 18 Realm Bard is attention-grabbing, ripe but straddling cool fruit and ripe warmth with a profile dominated by blackberry compote, blueberry, pencil, and licorice with a tiny floral twist. Everything about the palate is big - big fruit, massive tannin, commensurate acidity, but perhaps the most conspicuous constituent is the alcohol. For my palate, this is just on the wrong side of the ripeness line. A degree lower and this would be big but beautifully balanced - and I bet you wouldn’t accuse it of under-ripeness, either.
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1/30/2021 - HFLED Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted an hour and this was a lot, very strong blueberry flavor, a lot of vanilla, was hot and not much acid.
Mellowed out and was quite pleasant on day two and better still on day 3. This needs a bunch of time to unwind and integrate the oak.
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1/28/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very young and austere but so much depth and complexity tightly coiled waiting to unleash.There is something very special here. A long decant advised at the stage. Hold or double or triple decant.
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1/24/2021 - eschuldt wrote: 95 Points
Better Day 2 but like how this is coming together.
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1/22/2021 - va10230 Likes this wine: 95 Points
5+ hour triple decant. (1/21/21). 95
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1/21/2021 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just wanted to see how the wine was in its very youthful stages. Dark red color, cassis and dark fruits on the front end. Medium body with 25 second finish. Wine was well balanced and opened nicely after 60 minutes of being opened. Should age beautifully
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1/14/2021 - Bruce 1er wrote: 98 Points
Dark, touch of toasted nuts in bouquet, balanced, good structure, sophisticated, beautiful fruit especially blueberries, very soft tannins.
(TCWC Tasting)
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1/14/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
High End Napa Valley Tasting hosted by TCWC (Virtual): I can only recall having tasted one or two bottles of Realm since we visited with Juan on our honeymoon in Napa in 2008, so I was looking forward to trying something recent from the brand. What's left of my initial 2oz pour has been in the glass for nearly three hours now and it's really beginning to open and show some complexity. Quite nice, showing vanilla, barrel spice, brown sugar and ripe brambly fruit. On the palate this is full and lush, with hedonistic and sweet, ripe fruit, and I mean that to be a compliment. As I commented during the tasting, this is unapologetically Napa and there's nothing wrong with that at all- it's well made for this style. Flavors of vanilla, black fruit and blueberry milkshake with chocolate and spice qualities as well. Big and lush, definitely "modern," but balanced.
Clearly young, this will certainly benefit from some time in the cellar, but can certainly be enjoyed now under the right circumstances...decant for six+ hours and pair with a thick, rare ribeye with a slight char...that would be a sublime match.
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1/14/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
High End Napa Valley Tasting hosted by TCWC (Virtual): Blind. Aromas of cassis, black cherry and cedar. Full-bodied. Flavors of cassis liqueur and black cabernet fruits, with a slight austerity in the finish. With a bit more air this shows sweeter, riper fruit. Abundant fruit on the palate, along with chocolate and oak spice elements. Finishes with good length. Given the bit of austerity to start, I guessed this might be the Dominus. 93-94 pts.
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12/22/2020 - cab blends wrote: 95 Points
Pnp
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12/17/2020 - RoyaltyCoins wrote: 96 Points
Very deep ruby. Opaque.
Nose: Cassis, peppermint candy, lavender and violet, light thread of sassafras in the background.
Mouth: Beautifully rendered creme de cassis, kirsch, and macerated blackberry notes are undergirded by buried bolts of sassafras, roasted alder and white pepper. Fruit swells on a wave again into the midpalate ahead of the incredibly long finish, with the alderwood and charred earth simply refusing to quit for what feel like minutes as the fruit keeps driving on. Tannins are super polished, but show huge tug from the edges of the palate, clipping the fruit for now.
Overall: Shows good purity and beautiful palate action as the fruit comes in slow waves. I was told that this is the first vintage partially aged in concrete, if that's true it would explain the light elements of terroir that shine through in the herb and woods notes. I hope this is continued into the future, as it has more of a 'sense of place' than any other Bard thus far. Hands off for now, as this is pretty wound up, will be insane when the seams come away. Drink 2024 - 2037.
96.
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12/14/2020 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 93 Points
I typically refrain from tasting bottles that have just arrived as I think packages have been treated like the opening scene of Ace Ventura Pet detective. So bottle shock might be in play. Just note that I might have butchered this bottle but it was a fun break from the "norm".
Day 1 Coravin pull. Tannins pronounced. Fruit muted and hidden. Medium volume on the nose of dark fruits and graphite. Acid medium and finish short. Quickly realized that bottle shock might be in play. 92
Day 2. Pulled cork and poured one healthy glass in vitamix (mentioned I was going to do this on another thread.) 30 sec blend on 3. (In the name of science) Fruit came forward and tannins subsided. Nose became slightly muted. I actually enjoyed this glass more than the coravin pull. I could actually taste the depth of the fruit but at the cost on the nose. Medium finish. 93+
Day 3. TBD... I'll revisit tonight and update the team. A little less than half the bottle with cork replaced at cellar temp. 54
Update. No real improvement with the extra 24. I agree with Mark the best drink window was the first drinking window. Without the bottle shock. double or triple decant.
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12/10/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bottle shock territory on my shipped bottles, so bought one locally to try. From the pnp, this wine is readily accessible and during the first hour it's silky cab fruit and beautiful mouth glide is quite nice. High quality winemaking apparent. The acidity is riveting. As 2 hours pass some mouth puckering tannins arrive....in spades and the red/blue fruit gets a little blacker. 3 hours in and a dark iron pan component emerges on the back end. This is at its best in the first hour or so for you Cali fruit bomb people. A 92-93 at the end of the evening. It will be a very good wine once it all integrates and the tannin structure calms. Easy 2-3 point upgrade from here in a few years, IMO.
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12/5/2020 - EpochMD Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consumed over 3 days - Broodier than previous iterations, dark berry, some earth on the back end of it, long dark finish with some tar. Really big and structured, tannins definitely there. Blueberry and black cherry. On day 3 this seems to get a bit into its groove from a fruit standpoint with darker berry coming in with good poise but tannins more prominent - I think this is a hint of an excellent wine to be. Not to be the dissenting vote, but I have not enjoyed this as much as previous releases (at least early on) - it has structure but lacks that feel of specialness that I think was present on previous vintages. The fruit is more subdued and lacks the punch. Still represents a relative bargain with Realm but not quite the QPR maven it used to be. This deserves a really long decant or a hold for a few years - sending the rest of mine to slumber for a bit. 92 now - I do see a big upside however, maybe 95-96 in a few years.
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11/28/2020 - DBenke wrote: 93 Points
Typical big California cab. Nice acidity. Should live for many years. Hope it develops some real character.
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11/15/2020 - rtrush18@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
Loved it. 2 hour decant before first sip. Silky smooth picked up some vanilla. Not sure how I’ll be able to let my other two sit for long. May have to pick up a couple more. This community is dangerous for my pocket book. The recommendations are great as I start to figure out how to build my collection.
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11/15/2020 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
Drank over the course of two days. A little disappointed given the hype and pro reviews. Almost no fruit here with the entire body coming off watered down. Texturally it has some promise with chalky cassis lingering on the tannins. I’ve been buying The Bard since 2012 and this has been the poorest performing bottle. Overall it just seems less luxurious and dense. Hoping this one is an off/awkward bottle or just too young. My 93 is being very generous and the assumption of an off bottle.
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11/7/2020 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is the best The Bard that I have had since the 2013 vintage. The color is a show stopper, as it was translucent purple -- I could see the bottom of my glass. The smell and taste were just great. Medium in weight but big on flavor; this can be an early drinker while the other 2018s rest. I didn't know what to expect since the wine comes from a multitude of vineyard sources and have 5 types of grapes. Somehow, "The House of Realm" and Benoit have pulled this off flawlessly!
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11/6/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted five hours and then drank over two days. Still very young but absolutely delicious palate of wet earth, espresso, chewy tannins, blackberry liqueur. My first Bard. Delicious now if you want to drink cookie dough, otherwise hold it for a few years.
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10/31/2020 - richshoes Likes this wine: 96 Points
Super layered, feminine, exquisite, elegant...almost medium bodied without much finish...dark plum, black currant, boysenberry, black Berry, dark ink
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10/30/2020 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened a pair of 2018s as part of birthday weekend celebrations. Still have half a bottle of each to check in on tonight and will update my notes as needed.
2018 Realm The Bard - started to open up towards the end of the night. Tightly coiled, tannic after a 4 hour decant. Mouth stanning purple that softened up as the hours went on. Definitely some blueberry and mocha. I was worried this would be all over the place with no sense of terroir or place, given the number of vineyard sources. However, it's not supposed to be a SVD, and I think overall a good QPR given the sources and Benoit's touch. MSU is right - there is plenty of structure and density that bodes well for its future. It will be hard to keep my hands off my other 2 bottles. 93 for now with plenty of upside (96?)
2018 Myriad Beckstoffer GIII - similar 4 hour decant next to the Bard. Rutherford all over it, had more of a sense of place than the Bard, as I would expect. Surprisingly, I have not had a SVD GIII (just some wines like Roy Piper that have a component of it), so it was good to test this one out. This one didn't open up as much as the Bard, but still had the fruit upfront and a strong tannic backbone. Do I have the patience to wait this one out, with only one more bottle? We'll see. 92 for now. I can see this getting to 95 with more time.
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10/29/2020 - eschuldt wrote: 93 Points
Very young. Day 1 straight out the cellar shows far too tannic and a short finish. Day 2 after sitting under cork overnight much more plush on the palate but finish still left me a bit disappointed. I’d give this a few months before trying again.
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10/27/2020 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points
The Bard is back! I’ve opened every vintage of this wine at the two-year mark since the 2013, and the 2018 is the best - at this point of time - since the 2013 (which was one of the greatest wines, at its moment, that I had ever tasted). To run the litany: the 2014 was less concentrated and more grainy at this point, but almost as good; the 2015 was green and astringent, not nearly as full; the 2016 was juicy and undefined, not nearly as structured; and the 2017 was, well, a defensible effort, but nothing to write home about. The 2018, in contrast, is.
Dark purple in color and medium in body, the wine offers incredible, raw aromas of blackberry, cherry liqueur, mocha, and blueberry pie. The flavors are plush but with a welcome structure and tension, with notes of black cherry, boysenberry, cocoa powder, leather, bay leaf, and black licorice, with a fire hose of a finish of tannin, acidity, and fruit (all good, just young). Blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Petite Sirah. 14.6% alcohol. Decant about two hours. Still going strong on second day, with more of a mocha flavor and mouthfeel.
Maybe this is just an early drinking wine, but it seems to offer something more: there is a density and structure that bode well for the future, with incredible fruit that is ripe and fresh and delicious. And $110? This is a steal - great winemaker, real track record, solid vintage. I don’t want to raise anyone’s expectations, but mine were exceeded (and then some). 94-95 for now. This is a fantastic wine: drink it, and enjoy.
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10/21/2020 - pdr_urrutia wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous. Upon opening, oaky vanilla sweetness was a little overwhelming, but a 3 hour decant revealed blueberry jam and ripe blackberries along with dried tobacco, leather, and earthy spices. Palate is dense and vibrant, juicy black cherries with cocoa powder, tobacco, and light menthol notes along with a cedary finish. Lovely silky texture. When I want a big Napa wine, this is it. It’s dense and powerful, but balanced. It shines after a decant and I think it might need 2+ years to come together, even though it’s excellent now.
I would consider this an improvement over the 2017. It’s already more coherent and better textured.
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