The Tempest – a famous play, a violent storm, and the name of Realm's Merlot-based blend, fashioned after the great wines of Pomerol in Bordeaux. The Tempest was the first proprietary wine Realm released, so named for the "perfect" storm of three grape varietals that became available at the same time, from the same vineyard, in 2002 -- the year of Realm's tumultuous beginning. Though their equipment was borrowed and the winery they occupied unfinished, Realm's grapes were sound that year – beautiful in fact – and the resulting wine reflected a fierce determination to brave the storm. The Tempest is still made with beautiful grapes, from vineyards such as Beckstoffer Orchard and Dr. Crane, as well as Blair Vineyard in Calistoga. Predominantly Merlot, with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot depending on vintage, The Tempest is a roiling cauldron of lush, bright, red fruit – a wine that shows what Merlot can be in the right hands, from the right vineyards.
ANTONIO GALLONI 96 POINTS - "This is a super-impressive set of 2019s from the Realm team led by Proprietor Scott Becker and Winemaker Benoit Touquette. Over the least few years, the wines seem to have gained in precision, which is clearly a huge positive. One of the recent developments has been longer aging on the lees and fewer rackings, an approach designed to maintain as much freshness as possible. Judging by the 2019s, that seems to be working. That's the good news. The not so good news is that Realm has decided not to bottle their 2020 reds because of smoke taint issues. From a practical perspective, that means the wines in this report will be spread out over three releases."
"The 2019 The Tempest, Realm's Merlot based red, is not surprisingly, quite accessible. Super-ripe blackberry, cherry jam, sweet spice, licorice and new oak all flesh out as this succulent, hugely inviting wine shows off its considerable charm. The 2019 is a looker, that's for sure. The blend is Merlot from Realm Estate, Farella and Orchard, with Cabernet Sauvignon from Houyi."
JEB DUNNUCK 96 POINTS - "The 2019 Tempest is terrific, with a dense purple hue as well as loads of ripe black cherry and jammy blueberry fruits supported by notes of chocolate, tobacco, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. This full-bodied beauty has a round, lush, sexy texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it has another 15 years of prime drinking ahead of it."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95+ POINTS - "The 2019 The Tempest is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly coming from cooler sights this year, including Farella vineyard in Coombsville, Oakville, Stag’s Leap Estate and Oak Knoll, with the portion of Cabernet Sauvignon all coming from Houyi vineyard on Pritchard Hill.
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose offers gorgeous notes of baked blueberries, black cherries and mulberries with hints of menthol, dark chocolate and licorice. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, the mouth is packed with loads of spicy layers, while bright sparks of red fruit offer compelling energy, culminating with a long, perfumed finish. This is a wonderfully poised, polished Merlot."
ANTONIO GALLONI 96 POINTS - "This is a super-impressive set of 2019s from the Realm team led by Proprietor Scott Becker and Winemaker Benoit Touquette. Over the least few years, the wines seem to have gained in precision, which is clearly a huge positive. One of the recent developments has been longer aging on the lees and fewer rackings, an approach designed to maintain as much freshness as possible. Judging by the 2019s, that seems to be working. That's the good news. The not so good news is that Realm has decided not to bottle their 2020 reds because of smoke taint issues. From a practical perspective, that means the wines in this report will be spread out over three releases."
"The 2019 The Tempest, Realm's Merlot based red, is not surprisingly, quite accessible. Super-ripe blackberry, cherry jam, sweet spice, licorice and new oak all flesh out as this succulent, hugely inviting wine shows off its considerable charm. The 2019 is a looker, that's for sure. The blend is Merlot from Realm Estate, Farella and Orchard, with Cabernet Sauvignon from Houyi."
JEB DUNNUCK 96 POINTS - "The 2019 Tempest is terrific, with a dense purple hue as well as loads of ripe black cherry and jammy blueberry fruits supported by notes of chocolate, tobacco, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. This full-bodied beauty has a round, lush, sexy texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it has another 15 years of prime drinking ahead of it."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95+ POINTS - "The 2019 The Tempest is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly coming from cooler sights this year, including Farella vineyard in Coombsville, Oakville, Stag’s Leap Estate and Oak Knoll, with the portion of Cabernet Sauvignon all coming from Houyi vineyard on Pritchard Hill.
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose offers gorgeous notes of baked blueberries, black cherries and mulberries with hints of menthol, dark chocolate and licorice. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, the mouth is packed with loads of spicy layers, while bright sparks of red fruit offer compelling energy, culminating with a long, perfumed finish. This is a wonderfully poised, polished Merlot."
Overall Rating
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