Definitely improving, but as others have noted, this bottle needs a significant decant to mellow the astringency of the tannins/high acidity. On this evening we tasted at the 3, 4, and 5 hour mark, and the wine continued to evolve in the glass past that point. Really enjoy the layers here - dark fruit, allspice, cedar, cocoa and vanilla bean. The mid-palate has layers of cassis, licorice and dark chocolate. The only thing holding it back right now is time. As someone wiser than me once said, 'The power of patience is always rewarded.'
First red from Realm and wasn’t as “dialed up” as I’d feared, by no means down to earth but still in orbit. A bit lacking in power -- you could tell it was a blend of a lot of sites in terms of its striking complexity but overall “smoothness” and lack of character. 94
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smooth and flavorful. Had as a pop and pour, with aeration in the glass. Dark red and black fruits, soft tannins. Remains a crowd pleaser, and for high-end Napa Cabs, a good QPR nowadays.
Popped and aerated into glass. Strong notes of dark red and black fruit with baking spice and tobacco leaf undertones. Dark garnet with a brownish tint. Bright moderate acidity well balanced throughout with a lengthy lingering acidic finish. Excellent now, a beautiful wine.
Typical Bard. Smooth, easy to drink and a crowd pleaser. However, I would give this vintage some time and/or decant before enjoying. The last sip 4 hours after opening was incredible.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ive tried the 2018 and 2019, Ive found both to be very consistent and both continue to impress. Big, bold, blue and black berries, with a lot of length and very approachable even though they are young. Another favorite of mine.
Had two so wanted to check in on this to see if it continued the trend of 2019s drinking well early, and it is. Gave it two hours of air and a slight chill around or just below cellar temp. Typical Bard. That is, delicious with reasonably good QPR. Licorice notes, dark fruits, still tannic but smooth and creamy at the same time. Tannins were pretty drying but not off-putting. If you only have one I'd hold off for a few years, if you have many, open one now and you won't be disappointed.
7 hour slow ox. Fairly open given its youth but all the elements have not yet come together. This will no doubt be better in time. Hold at least a couple of more years.
First time tasting The Bard and wow! So much potential but right now hidden behind a ton of baby fat. I thought being a 2019 a couple of hours of decant would allow this to shine but it seems like this needs a little longer. Notes of cassis, dark plum sauce, blackcurrant, dark bitter chocolate, crushed violets, cedar, spice and bay leaves. The palate is full bodied and firm, dark black fruits flood the palate, along with waves of dark chocolate, walnuts and cayenne pepper, the mid-palate is wonderfully layered with rich black/red fruit, velvety texture along with nearly silky tannins, there is a touch of wet stone minerality on the finish which keeps everything more or less in check, the finish is long and succulent. So much baby fat on this wine right now. Only thing, and I am being a little picky is there is a tiny bit of freshness missing just a touch. Have 2 more bottles so excited to see where this goes. 94 today, however could go a couple of points higher.
Heavy, jammy, extracted fruit, licorice, chocolate. Shocking in comparison to the lean 2014 Montrose opened beside it. I can enjoy this but prefer to spend my money on Old World styles.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP and drank over three hours. Some increase in fruit, but not a lot of development. Creamy read fruit and good length but not a lot of complexity. Enough tannin to keep it honest. This may be young, but I'm not sure where it goes.
The QPR on this wine for $120 is solid. Good depth, fruit, tannins, etc. Drank over 2 nights. Definitely still solid on night 2. No decline and some evolution.
Opened my first of the '19 Bards along with a '16 Rasa Creative Impulse to have with Chicago Beef sandwiches prior to watching the season 2 finale of The Bear on Hulu. Aired in the bottle for 2-3 hours, The Bard was big and jammy. Not as big and burly as I was expecting, could have used a little more tannic structure I think. A super tasty wine but not the best pairing, probably better to enjoy on it's own, we all preferred the Rasa with the sandwiches.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta color. Blackberry, dark boysenberry, milk chocolate, honey, lime rind, dill, and graphite. Super smooth and modestly tongue drying. Satiny acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is drinking a bit tighter than it was last year. It really needs a 3-4 hour decant and/or another year to really shine. It’s very enjoyable now, but you can tell there’s more to give, which is pretty amazing for this price point.
I think my favorite Bard bottle in a long while. Great depth, bold, brooding, muscular and meaty. 3 hr + decant, purple black core, loads of sweet peppery dark fruit, spice, leather, with few hours some tangerine rind showed up. Balanced acid and grainy tannins on long finish
This bottle just disappeared once opening, so not even enough time to get a handle on notes... drinking exceptionally well, actually better than the 18 I had recently
Double decanted and then left under the cork for 6+ hours. Oak still present on the nose, but much less so on the palate. Certainly still fruit-forward and brash, but with a darker, less sweet face. Tasty.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta color. Blackberry, black cherry, marzipan, dill, black tea, and gardenia. Dry, satiny palate. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
This is youthful, but totally open for business. It’s rich, elegant, and slightly meaty.
NYE dinner. 94 with the potential to go even higher. This needs 4-5 years ideally. The mouthfeel and smoothness are exceptional. High quality, high level.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep magenta pour in glass, legs for miles and a full bodied red. Notes of black licorice and pine on the nose. There is a rear loaded earthy fresh chalkiness on the palette. Plenty of acid and a slight tart/tannic and long finish.
One hour decant. Very deep dark electric magenta color. Bear claw, dill, violet, and blackberry on the nose. Silky smooth palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
There may be a very small bit of potential built into my score. This is elegant and youthful. It went very well with dinner at Angele in Napa, which may have also inflated the score.
Soft, warm plum and spice on the nose. A little subdued.
Velvety texture surrounding a big wine. Bitter fruit and leather. Vanilla and some ripe plum.
This is a big wine that is a little shy; a charming combination. Charitably, this is a very well-made modern Napa Cab. Uncharitably, this is a slightly generic cult-style wine.
Recommendation: serve this to your friends who will enjoy and appreciate good wine, but not your friends who are wine experts.
Excellent. Had as a pop and pour. Smooth and easy-drinking, yet moderately intense flavors of black and dark red fruit. Soft tannins. This is good now, and should stay that way for a good number of years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is way better than it has any right to be, especially considering the numerous vineyards involved in the blend and the 7000+ cases being made. Starts with a rich and powerfully expressive nose of creme de cassis and violets. Really true to vintage, this is upfront and lovely, with deeply concentrated dark fruit that is expansive and showing very well right out of the chute. Showing a suave and seamless mouthfeel, with a silky texture and rounded edges, this wine will seduce you into downing the bottle before you know it. Unlike the 18 edition that clearly needs some time, this wine is ready to go with a little bit of air. Pretty great, and a touch above the 18 for me.
Needs 2-3 hours of decanting to really open up! When it does, it is absolutely stunning. Explosive and expressive fruit without feeling overdone and with a great acidity. Probably the best young Bard I have tried. 96-97p
Drank over 2 nights. 2 hr decant on the first night. Smooth finish on night 2. Overall notes of blackberry, chocolate. Well made wine and open for business.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Four hour decant. Very deep dark electric purple magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, dark caramel (or toffee), and subtle parsley on the youthful nose. Smooth, dry, viscous palate, with chalky acidity. Firm, full, moderate intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is already a pleasant drinker, but it’s very primary at this stage. My wife calls it restrained, but the nose is certainly expressive. The nuance/complexity needs time to develop. Lots of room for improvement and I suspect the score will be much higher in just a year.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
(at Bouchon - Yountville) This was a big hit with the group. To me, it was the most obviously plush wine of the entire trip. Full throttle, big fruit. Velvet texture. Good wine but very far from my stylistic sweet spot. (91)
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nicliani Portfolio tasting (Beef bar): Highly concentrated in the nose, extracted, ripe to overripe black fruit, spicy, clove, cinnamon, dense oak, very fresh but with finesse for what it is. In the palate, the wine shows great texture, ripe black fruit, currant, cherries, big bold tannins but not angular, nice acidity, very elegant and juicy, blue and black fruit, tight of course but elegant, “iron fist in a velvet glove”, long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still tight and a bit short on the finish but like the complexity in flavor that does show up initially on the palate. Chocolate, red fruits on nose and palate.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Incredibly complex nose. On the palate, bursts with complexity and layers of red fruit and mint and evolving into merlot graphite. Definitely could have used more decanting and aging time but already tasted more aged than one would expect. Can tell this would be a superb wine for pairing. Pretty sure that score will go up with age
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and aerated into glass for this bottle. It pours a dark crimson in glass and I was picking up baking spices and cinnamon on the nose. Blueberries and dark black fruit tones in the rear. Like it's label, the wine was blended with a poetic skill rather than a big bold, headline-grabbing brass band feel. It is a special wine at this point with some skillful balance and dashes of complexity and has legs to go longer on its side.
Realm is very different than what I generally drink (old world, predominantly), but it scratches an itch. This was velvety smooth with black fruits and cacao nibs. I also get some sage and gravel. Very dense.
I would not want to drink this every day, but think it is structured perfectly for a steak dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I wanted to try one of these early. Decanted 2 hours prior to drinking and drank over the following 4 hours. The last sip was the best. This should improve with time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This purple/magenta tipple went from tense, tight, brooding graphite monster to a rich, creamy, silken on the palate wine. Unreal delicious! Much more approachable and ready than the ‘18. Huge purple, blue fruits, baked rocks, slate, flint to sweet earth and dark chocolate. The ‘19 at this stage is more racy and bright compared to the ‘18, Offers more supple tannins at a 5 hour mark with a long lasting satisfying finish. Cheers!
Had planned to bring an older vintage, but grabbed the wrong bottle, most everyone at the gathering are lovers of early drinking big Napa Cabs, so was all good.
I was not expecting the bottle to be so "Open" and accessible.
This had gobs of Purple and Blue fruit, with a mouth coating and finish that I was happily surprised with at such and early stage of its development. Its oak signature seemed very integrated and not noticeable.
Wish I could have savored this a bit longer but with the 6 of us, the bottle was gone and a flash, so no time to take any time for more formal notes.
Was the WOTN for everyone there, glad I picked up a case, looking forward to see how this one progresses!!
95 now, but see easily has a point or two upside if not more!
Received this week and wanted to check in early on the wine. Very fruit forward, with abundant red and dark fruits. Wine will definitely improve over the next few years, but very enjoyable and improved over the 90 minutes it was open
I like this a lot more than the 17 and 18 versions of this wine. The 19 seems more precise with smoother tannins and openly ripe fruit (blue/black). The middle and finish are filled with typical Bard notes of cassis, mocha, cloves, anise…there’s a lot of baking spices here. Also, not much subtlety here but it still works very well and that’s why we buy it. Decanted five plus hours and an overnight in bottle is likely best. Time in bottle will tell how this ranks but for now it’s impressive.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This fresh and juicy Cabernet blend is drinking well in the early going - not quite reaching the heights of the 2018 at the moment (for me) but offering a worthy and well-made sequel (and a return to form after a few bumpy years). Dark purple in color; full in body; aromas of sour cherry, mocha, black licorice, and gravel. Flavors of blueberry, boysenberry, bay leaf, and dried rosemary, with a peppery and grainy finish that softens after a few hours of air (read: decant 2+ hours if drinking now). 93-94 at the moment, with upside in another two years. On second day, more flavors of blueberry and mocha.
My first 2019, this edition of the Bard was more tense and precise than the 2018, which offered more fullness and depth at the two-year mark. The 2019 had the tension and compactness of the 2013, with more fruit and less tannin. Compared to the 2018, this latest edition is more ballerina than lineman; although each role requires grace and footwork (yes, Blind Side, all that), it really comes down to which you prefer. (I root for the lineman, but that’s just me.) Blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. 14.6% alcohol.
5/2/2024 - MagicInABottle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Definitely improving, but as others have noted, this bottle needs a significant decant to mellow the astringency of the tannins/high acidity. On this evening we tasted at the 3, 4, and 5 hour mark, and the wine continued to evolve in the glass past that point. Really enjoy the layers here - dark fruit, allspice, cedar, cocoa and vanilla bean. The mid-palate has layers of cassis, licorice and dark chocolate. The only thing holding it back right now is time. As someone wiser than me once said, 'The power of patience is always rewarded.'
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
4/26/2024 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 92 Points
needs a very long decant 6+ hrs to smooth out. Different from typical Napa cab so enjoy the different approach
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/7/2024 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Too soon, too hot, too primary. Just not ready for my palate. Hope it will get there.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
3/25/2024 - Ampequot Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spring Break in Napa -- Who Needs Cancun?; 3/22/2024-4/27/2024 (Oakville, St. Helena, Calistoga): Tasted alone that night. Had a small sip when opening but let decant for about three hours and it was well worth it. The wine needed time to come into its own but when it did showed complexity and verve abound. Fruit forward, certainly, but still with a lot of secondary notes.
First red from Realm and wasn’t as “dialed up” as I’d feared, by no means down to earth but still in orbit. A bit lacking in power -- you could tell it was a blend of a lot of sites in terms of its striking complexity but overall “smoothness” and lack of character. 94
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2024 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Smooth and flavorful. Had as a pop and pour, with aeration in the glass. Dark red and black fruits, soft tannins. Remains a crowd pleaser, and for high-end Napa Cabs, a good QPR nowadays.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
2/11/2024 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Primary at this point, full body and good amount of tannin and acidic, it will drink much better by 2026 and beyond...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/7/2024 - Indywinefan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs time, but opens with long decant.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/31/2023 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and aerated into glass. Strong notes of dark red and black fruit with baking spice and tobacco leaf undertones. Dark garnet with a brownish tint. Bright moderate acidity well balanced throughout with a lengthy lingering acidic finish. Excellent now, a beautiful wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)
12/25/2023 - robertr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Typical Bard. Smooth, easy to drink and a crowd pleaser. However, I would give this vintage some time and/or decant before enjoying. The last sip 4 hours after opening was incredible.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2023 - Janahanv wrote:
Ive tried the 2018 and 2019, Ive found both to be very consistent and both continue to impress. Big, bold, blue and black berries, with a lot of length and very approachable even though they are young. Another favorite of mine.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/15/2023 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had two so wanted to check in on this to see if it continued the trend of 2019s drinking well early, and it is.
Gave it two hours of air and a slight chill around or just below cellar temp.
Typical Bard. That is, delicious with reasonably good QPR.
Licorice notes, dark fruits, still tannic but smooth and creamy at the same time. Tannins were pretty drying but not off-putting.
If you only have one I'd hold off for a few years, if you have many, open one now and you won't be disappointed.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (12)
12/14/2023 - Tonythefish wrote: flawed
Something was off with this bottle - had a great nose but the taste was off
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2023 - EM_MB Likes this wine: 92 Points
7 hour slow ox. Fairly open given its youth but all the elements have not yet come together. This will no doubt be better in time. Hold at least a couple of more years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/8/2023 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 94 Points
First time tasting The Bard and wow! So much potential but right now hidden behind a ton of baby fat. I thought being a 2019 a couple of hours of decant would allow this to shine but it seems like this needs a little longer. Notes of cassis, dark plum sauce, blackcurrant, dark bitter chocolate, crushed violets, cedar, spice and bay leaves. The palate is full bodied and firm, dark black fruits flood the palate, along with waves of dark chocolate, walnuts and cayenne pepper, the mid-palate is wonderfully layered with rich black/red fruit, velvety texture along with nearly silky tannins, there is a touch of wet stone minerality on the finish which keeps everything more or less in check, the finish is long and succulent. So much baby fat on this wine right now. Only thing, and I am being a little picky is there is a tiny bit of freshness missing just a touch. Have 2 more bottles so excited to see where this goes. 94 today, however could go a couple of points higher.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (12)
11/18/2023 - gteran76 wrote: 93 Points
Very good QPR. Medium plus body and lots of pleasure. Good on its own, no need for food.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/29/2023 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Heavy, jammy, extracted fruit, licorice, chocolate. Shocking in comparison to the lean 2014 Montrose opened beside it. I can enjoy this but prefer to spend my money on Old World styles.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2023 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
PnP and drank over three hours. Some increase in fruit, but not a lot of development. Creamy read fruit and good length but not a lot of complexity. Enough tannin to keep it honest. This may be young, but I'm not sure where it goes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
8/30/2023 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 94 Points
The QPR on this wine for $120 is solid. Good depth, fruit, tannins, etc. Drank over 2 nights. Definitely still solid on night 2. No decline and some evolution.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
8/19/2023 - DrBad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened my first of the '19 Bards along with a '16 Rasa Creative Impulse to have with Chicago Beef sandwiches prior to watching the season 2 finale of The Bear on Hulu. Aired in the bottle for 2-3 hours, The Bard was big and jammy. Not as big and burly as I was expecting, could have used a little more tannic structure I think. A super tasty wine but not the best pairing, probably better to enjoy on it's own, we all preferred the Rasa with the sandwiches.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta color. Blackberry, dark boysenberry, milk chocolate, honey, lime rind, dill, and graphite. Super smooth and modestly tongue drying. Satiny acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is drinking a bit tighter than it was last year. It really needs a 3-4 hour decant and/or another year to really shine. It’s very enjoyable now, but you can tell there’s more to give, which is pretty amazing for this price point.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (9)
8/18/2023 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 96 Points
I think my favorite Bard bottle in a long while. Great depth, bold, brooding, muscular and meaty.
3 hr + decant, purple black core, loads of sweet peppery dark fruit, spice, leather, with few hours some tangerine rind showed up. Balanced acid and grainy tannins on long finish
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)
7/30/2023 - Jhalpern27 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Served out of a Mag and decanted 3 hours before consumption. This wine is always a big hit, the Bard is one of my all time favorites.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2023 - Kdad Likes this wine: 93 Points
A big boy. Ready to drink. Dark fruit.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
7/17/2023 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle just disappeared once opening, so not even enough time to get a handle on notes... drinking exceptionally well, actually better than the 18 I had recently
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/16/2023 - Countless Likes this wine: 94 Points
Never disappoints.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2023 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of honey bunny's favorites. See prior notes and enjoy
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/12/2023 - greg@newsomehh.com Likes this wine:
Drank with Davis’ at the Momento Mori wine tasting @ GO
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/20/2023 - Artbreadman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious and will continue to improve.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
2/17/2023 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted and then left under the cork for 6+ hours. Oak still present on the nose, but much less so on the palate. Certainly still fruit-forward and brash, but with a darker, less sweet face. Tasty.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2023 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 93 Points
beautiful grape
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
1/28/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta color. Blackberry, black cherry, marzipan, dill, black tea, and gardenia. Dry, satiny palate. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
This is youthful, but totally open for business. It’s rich, elegant, and slightly meaty.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
1/23/2023 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 94 Points
See prior notes
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2023 - ta75 Likes this wine: 94 Points
NYE dinner. 94 with the potential to go even higher. This needs 4-5 years ideally. The mouthfeel and smoothness are exceptional. High quality, high level.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2022 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep magenta pour in glass, legs for miles and a full bodied red. Notes of black licorice and pine on the nose. There is a rear loaded earthy fresh chalkiness on the palette. Plenty of acid and a slight tart/tannic and long finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/25/2022 - Ticker tape guy Likes this wine: 91 Points
big California cab..smooth tannins some dark fruit and tobacco
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2022 - Tonythefish wrote: 94 Points
See prior notes
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2022 - Tonythefish Likes this wine:
See prior notes - had last week and is just awesome stuff
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2022 - Tonythefish wrote: 95 Points
See prior notes and enjoy
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
One hour decant. Very deep dark electric magenta color. Bear claw, dill, violet, and blackberry on the nose. Silky smooth palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
There may be a very small bit of potential built into my score. This is elegant and youthful. It went very well with dinner at Angele in Napa, which may have also inflated the score.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
9/30/2022 - jonh1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Soft, warm plum and spice on the nose. A little subdued.
Velvety texture surrounding a big wine. Bitter fruit and leather. Vanilla and some ripe plum.
This is a big wine that is a little shy; a charming combination. Charitably, this is a very well-made modern Napa Cab. Uncharitably, this is a slightly generic cult-style wine.
Recommendation: serve this to your friends who will enjoy and appreciate good wine, but not your friends who are wine experts.
Drinkable now; tannins not fully integrated.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
9/20/2022 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent. Had as a pop and pour. Smooth and easy-drinking, yet moderately intense flavors of black and dark red fruit. Soft tannins. This is good now, and should stay that way for a good number of years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2022 - Countless Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic, and in a great place after a four-hour decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2022 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 95 Points
See prior notes - never a bad bottle
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is way better than it has any right to be, especially considering the numerous vineyards involved in the blend and the 7000+ cases being made. Starts with a rich and powerfully expressive nose of creme de cassis and violets. Really true to vintage, this is upfront and lovely, with deeply concentrated dark fruit that is expansive and showing very well right out of the chute. Showing a suave and seamless mouthfeel, with a silky texture and rounded edges, this wine will seduce you into downing the bottle before you know it. Unlike the 18 edition that clearly needs some time, this wine is ready to go with a little bit of air. Pretty great, and a touch above the 18 for me.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (29)
7/10/2022 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Needs 2-3 hours of decanting to really open up! When it does, it is absolutely stunning. Explosive and expressive fruit without feeling overdone and with a great acidity.
Probably the best young Bard I have tried. 96-97p
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/20/2022 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 95 Points
See prior notes
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2022 - Tonythefish wrote: 95 Points
See prior notes- getting even better
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2022 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over 2 nights. 2 hr decant on the first night. Smooth finish on night 2. Overall notes of blackberry, chocolate. Well made wine and open for business.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2022 - eschuldt wrote: 95 Points
Great from the PnP
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2022 - greg@newsomehh.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loved it right out of the bottle
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Four hour decant. Very deep dark electric purple magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, dark caramel (or toffee), and subtle parsley on the youthful nose. Smooth, dry, viscous palate, with chalky acidity. Firm, full, moderate intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is already a pleasant drinker, but it’s very primary at this stage. My wife calls it restrained, but the nose is certainly expressive. The nuance/complexity needs time to develop. Lots of room for improvement and I suspect the score will be much higher in just a year.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2022 - happy712 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Second bottle opened. Chocolate and fruit notes appear at hour 2. Suggest decanting 3-4 hours at this point. Velvety long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
(at Bouchon - Yountville) This was a big hit with the group. To me, it was the most obviously plush wine of the entire trip. Full throttle, big fruit. Velvet texture. Good wine but very far from my stylistic sweet spot. (91)
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2022 - kostaslonis wrote:
Nicliani Portfolio tasting (Beef bar): Highly concentrated in the nose, extracted, ripe to overripe black fruit, spicy, clove, cinnamon, dense oak, very fresh but with finesse for what it is.
In the palate, the wine shows great texture, ripe black fruit, currant, cherries, big bold tannins but not angular, nice acidity, very elegant and juicy, blue and black fruit, tight of course but elegant, “iron fist in a velvet glove”, long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2022 - eschuldt wrote: 94 Points
Still tight and a bit short on the finish but like the complexity in flavor that does show up initially on the palate. Chocolate, red fruits on nose and palate.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2022 - ryandmartin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sarah says blackberry currant flavor. Slightly sweet fruit (not sugar) taste. Excellent, deep, complex, would improve with age.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2022 - Asull2k Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredibly complex nose. On the palate, bursts with complexity and layers of red fruit and mint and evolving into merlot graphite. Definitely could have used more decanting and aging time but already tasted more aged than one would expect. Can tell this would be a superb wine for pairing. Pretty sure that score will go up with age
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2022 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 95 Points
See prior notes - this wine will be even more fantastic before summer
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2022 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and aerated into glass for this bottle. It pours a dark crimson in glass and I was picking up baking spices and cinnamon on the nose. Blueberries and dark black fruit tones in the rear. Like it's label, the wine was blended with a poetic skill rather than a big bold, headline-grabbing brass band feel. It is a special wine at this point with some skillful balance and dashes of complexity and has legs to go longer on its side.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
2/9/2022 - Hawkeye1942 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Realm is very different than what I generally drink (old world, predominantly), but it scratches an itch. This was velvety smooth with black fruits and cacao nibs. I also get some sage and gravel. Very dense.
I would not want to drink this every day, but think it is structured perfectly for a steak dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2022 - Indywinefan Likes this wine: 94 Points
I wanted to try one of these early. Decanted 2 hours prior to drinking and drank over the following 4 hours. The last sip was the best. This should improve with time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2022 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 94 Points
SEE PRIOR NOTES
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2022 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This purple/magenta tipple went from tense, tight, brooding graphite monster to a rich, creamy, silken on the palate wine. Unreal delicious! Much more approachable and ready than the ‘18. Huge purple, blue fruits, baked rocks, slate, flint to sweet earth and dark chocolate. The ‘19 at this stage is more racy and bright compared to the ‘18, Offers more supple tannins at a 5 hour mark with a long lasting satisfying finish. Cheers!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
12/26/2021 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 95 Points
All i can say is Wow!! Was not expecting that!!
Had planned to bring an older vintage, but grabbed the wrong bottle, most everyone at the gathering are lovers of early drinking big Napa Cabs, so was all good.
I was not expecting the bottle to be so "Open" and accessible.
This had gobs of Purple and Blue fruit, with a mouth coating and finish that I was happily surprised with at such and early stage of its development. Its oak signature seemed very integrated and not noticeable.
Wish I could have savored this a bit longer but with the 6 of us, the bottle was gone and a flash, so no time to take any time for more formal notes.
Was the WOTN for everyone there, glad I picked up a case, looking forward to see how this one progresses!!
95 now, but see easily has a point or two upside if not more!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
12/19/2021 - McLaney wrote: 89 Points
Very fruit forward. Did open after 90+ minutes. Will wait to open another bottle for a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2021 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 93 Points
Received this week and wanted to check in early on the wine. Very fruit forward, with abundant red and dark fruits. Wine will definitely improve over the next few years, but very enjoyable and improved over the 90 minutes it was open
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
12/3/2021 - eschuldt wrote: 94 Points
Nice, still needs some time to develop a bit more complexity. Pretty solid as a PnP however, is not incredibly wound up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2021 - happy712 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 5 hours. Creamy and velvety. Nice plum and bell pepper. Great with strong cheeses.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2021 - 559Cheers wrote: 87 Points
Fruit forward, for me nothing special.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2021 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
I like this a lot more than the 17 and 18 versions of this wine. The 19 seems more precise with smoother tannins and openly ripe fruit (blue/black). The middle and finish are filled with typical Bard notes of cassis, mocha, cloves, anise…there’s a lot of baking spices here. Also, not much subtlety here but it still works very well and that’s why we buy it. Decanted five plus hours and an overnight in bottle is likely best. Time in bottle will tell how this ranks but for now it’s impressive.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2021 - Bobcat 31 Likes this wine: 95 Points
very good blend of top vineyards
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2021 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This fresh and juicy Cabernet blend is drinking well in the early going - not quite reaching the heights of the 2018 at the moment (for me) but offering a worthy and well-made sequel (and a return to form after a few bumpy years). Dark purple in color; full in body; aromas of sour cherry, mocha, black licorice, and gravel. Flavors of blueberry, boysenberry, bay leaf, and dried rosemary, with a peppery and grainy finish that softens after a few hours of air (read: decant 2+ hours if drinking now). 93-94 at the moment, with upside in another two years. On second day, more flavors of blueberry and mocha.
My first 2019, this edition of the Bard was more tense and precise than the 2018, which offered more fullness and depth at the two-year mark. The 2019 had the tension and compactness of the 2013, with more fruit and less tannin. Compared to the 2018, this latest edition is more ballerina than lineman; although each role requires grace and footwork (yes, Blind Side, all that), it really comes down to which you prefer. (I root for the lineman, but that’s just me.) Blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. 14.6% alcohol.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)