2009 Vintage Notes

Although rainfall was slightly more than two-thirds of normal for the 3rd year in a row, the timing of the precipitation was to the vine’s benefit. Coupled with the lack of frost and the mild, relatively cool growing season, Mother Nature managed to have it all work in unison to give the vines and grapes the best possible outcome.  The 2009 vintage had fewer than five frost incidents (compared nearly 30 days of intense frost in Spring 2008), which meant the start of the 2009 vintage was much less eventful for growers, who were able to sleep nights not worrying about the threat of frost. Rains in late Spring delayed irrigation needs and the warm spell in June helped curtail excessive canopy development. Whereas a typical growing season would have 14 days of 100°+ heat, in 2009 there were only 4-5 days which again helped reduce demand for water when the resource was relatively scarce. As a result of those ideal conditions, we were able to take full advantage of good hang time and allow our grapes to reach full phenolic maturity with reasonable sugar levels. Ultimately we harvested before the heavy rains and rejoiced in having grapes with developed and concentrated flavors as well as mature tannins – the result of which was very “perfumy” wines loaded with fruit and elegance. The six wines form our 2009 vintage portfolio were bottled in late June 2011.

Winemaking Philosophy:

Realm Cellars’ winemaking philosophy has remained consistent with a goal of producing singular wines that represent intense and delicious portraits of the Napa Valley vineyard sources from which the wines are derived. Our approach is to farm the vineyards intensively to give us low yields and great evenness of ripening, which thereby allows the vines to mature and allows the grapes to achieve perfect ripeness. Realm wines always undergo extended lees contact and minimal handling in 100% new French oak, and the final results have always been bottled unfined and unfiltered.

2009 Vintage Red Wines

2009 The Bard Proprietary Red Wine (Napa Valley AV) - Blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot. The Bard is our Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend and is modeled after the great Left Bank wines of Bordeaux. Stagecoach, Thompson and Beckstoffer To Kalon contributed Cabernet Sauvignon while Beckstoffer Dr. Crane contributed Petit Verdot. Aged in 100% new French oak including Taransaud, Darnajou and Ermitage. 400 cases

Winemaker Notes: Earthy, spicy, lavender, blackberry, and black currant dominate the nose.  Great acidity and high-toned fruit balance out this full-bodied wine. This wine displays great texture and weight.  The large percentage of mountain fruit gives this wine the depth and concentration that will help it evolve for the next 10-15 years.

2009 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley AVA) - Blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot from one vineyard. These tiny berries are grown in the extremely gravelly soils on the west side of St. Helena. The Cabernet is comprised entirely of Clone 6, which is known for its low yields and tends to produce muscular wine with great concentration. Aged in 100% new French oak consisting primarily of Darnajou and Taransaud. 175 cases

Winemaker Notes:  Our biggest Dr. Crane bottling to date, this wine exhibits an incredible bouquet of black currant, violets, crushed stone and coffee notes. Wonderful acidity and structure are balanced out by the sweetness of the fruit. The finish is long and focused displaying the vineyard’s unique sense of place.  

2009 The Falstaff Proprietary Red Wine (Napa Valley AVA) – Blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The Cabernet Franc for the 3rd vintage of this wine is sourced from two sites: Temple Family Vineyard and Stagecoach Vineyard. While Temple provides the aromatics and verve, Stagecoach provides depth and length. Cabernet Sauvignon from Stagecoach and Thompson complete this wine with a touch of Merlot from Stagecoach and Petit Verdot from Beckstoffer Dr. Crane. Aged in 100% new French oak including Ermitage, Taransaud and Darnajou. 360 cases

Winemaker Notes: Red Cherry, floral, tobacco and chocolate notes dominate the nose of the wine.  Cabernet Franc can have herbal notes but we were able to achieve complete ripeness.  The finish is dense with notes of liquorice, raspberry, and cocoa notes.  

2009 Farella Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley AVA) - 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Farella is a cooler climate site located in Coombsville with soil comprised of volcanic tufa and rich red decomposed rock. A vineyard with rich history of producing distinctive wines, this wine is comprised of Clones 4 and 8. Representing our 7th vintage from this special site, we believe the 2009 vintage is one of our best Farella bottlings to date! Aged in 100% new French oak including Darnajou and Ermitage. 390 cases

Winemaker Notes:  Similar to the 2008, this wine exhibits aromas of black current, black cherry, liquorice and Asian spices.  The mouthfeel is silky with wonderful acidity and ripe tannins.  This wine should prove to be age-worthy in a manner similar to our Beckstoffer To Kalon bottling.

2009 The Tempest Proprietary Red Wine (Napa Valley AVA) - Blend of 53% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. The Tempest is our tribute to the great wines from the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Stagecoach in the hills east of Oakville contributes the Merlot, the Blair Vineyard near Calistoga provides the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the gravelly Beckstoffer Dr. Crane vineyard in St. Helena contributes the Petit Verdot. Aged in 100% new French oak including Darnajou, Taransaud and Ermitage. 380 cases

Winemaker Notes:  Red fruit, black fruit, blueberry and toasty oak on the nose.  Very supple on the mid palate and ending with ripe tannin with great structure.  The wine has the weight of a Cabernet with the suppleness of a great Right Bank wine.

2009 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley AVA) - 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Representing our 8th vintage from this famous gravel vineyard on the west side of Oakville, this wine is comprised of 4 different blocks of Clone 4 and 337 Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in 100% new French oak Taransaud barrels. 250 cases

Winemaker Notes: Probably the densest To Kalon bottling to date, this wine exhibits aromas of crème de cassis, blackberry and chocolate. This full-bodied wine has the right balance of density, acidity and structure that will lead to a long and fulfilling life for those with patience.