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The May 2025 Auction: Part 2
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1 / 2Lot 939
Estimate: $550
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Collection name
Reviews
98+WA
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, coming from five different blocks, and was harvested "in multiple picks, at a leisurely pace." Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls sensuously out of the glass with decadent scents of boysenberries, black cherries, redcurrant jelly and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of bouquet garni, black soil and iron ore. Full-bodied, the taut, tightly knit black and red fruit has a firm structure of ripe, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing very long with loads of earth and mineral nuances coming through. The team at Realm seemed to have played it ultra-cautious in 2017. In spite of all the challenges caused by the Labor Day heat wave followed by the October fires that year, they have produced a strong lineup of very impressive wines. Fans should note that no Falstaff, Farella Vineyard or Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Franc labels were produced in 2017, due to the situation that fruit was still hanging in these key vineyards during the fires. "In 2018, we had a lot of time to pick. We had a lot of time to make the wines," winemaker Benoit Touquette informed me. "Not to get greedy with Mother Nature was the challenge. We didn’t have the huge crops that some people had. We could pick at our leisure. If you did the right viticulture, it was an easy vintage." Indeed, the Realm 2018s have an effortless, carefree purity about them, with all the bright, energetic, crunchy fruit that is a characteristic of this cooler vintage. This is not to say that that these wines do not possess that decadent personality fans have come to love. On the contrary, there is a lot of impactful intensity with these 2018s. Yet they seem to bear a cheery skip in their step, which is going to make you fall in love with this winery all over again."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, coming from five different blocks, and was harvested "in multiple picks, at a leisurely pace." Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls sensuously out of the glass with decadent scents of boysenberries, black cherries, redcurrant jelly and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of bouquet garni, black soil and iron ore. Full-bodied, the taut, tightly knit black and red fruit has a firm structure of ripe, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing very long with loads of earth and mineral nuances coming through. The team at Realm seemed to have played it ultra-cautious in 2017. In spite of all the challenges caused by the Labor Day heat wave followed by the October fires that year, they have produced a strong lineup of very impressive wines. Fans should note that no Falstaff, Farella Vineyard or Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Franc labels were produced in 2017, due to the situation that fruit was still hanging in these key vineyards during the fires. "In 2018, we had a lot of time to pick. We had a lot of time to make the wines," winemaker Benoit Touquette informed me. "Not to get greedy with Mother Nature was the challenge. We didn’t have the huge crops that some people had. We could pick at our leisure. If you did the right viticulture, it was an easy vintage." Indeed, the Realm 2018s have an effortless, carefree purity about them, with all the bright, energetic, crunchy fruit that is a characteristic of this cooler vintage. This is not to say that that these wines do not possess that decadent personality fans have come to love. On the contrary, there is a lot of impactful intensity with these 2018s. Yet they seem to bear a cheery skip in their step, which is going to make you fall in love with this winery all over again."
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
California's most prestigious wine region, celebrated worldwide for opulent, structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Diverse soils and mountain-to-valley-floor sites yield wines of remarkable ripeness, power and longevity.
A prestigious Napa sub-AVA on the valley floor, home to iconic estates and celebrated for richly textured, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon.
2018 in Napa Valley enjoyed a long, cool, even season and a late harvest with a generous crop; the Cabernets are balanced, structured and classically styled, with vibrant fruit, firm tannins and excellent aging potential.
The world's most planted premium red grape, yielding deeply colored, tannic and structured wines with cassis, cedar and graphite notes. Firm tannins and acidity make it exceptionally age-worthy, whether as a varietal or the backbone of a Bordeaux blend.