It was January of 2010 – over a year ago – and we once again found ourselves in the Napa Valley.
The day started off rough. The weatherman was wrong again. Instead of sunshine, it was misty, exceptionally cold, and a thin layer of fog covered the valley like a wet blanket. I’m not a big fan of cold and damp – but there we were. Once the car warmed up, we moved out. Time to get to work, by god!
I know what you’re thinking: THIS SOUNDS LIKE A PERFECT DAY TO DRINK! Yes, it was. The day would improve quickly.
We shot up to St. Helena and met with Juan Mercado, one of the owners of Realm Cellars. Realm has an off-site tasting room in an attractive, historic downtown St. Helena building right off Highway 29. Juan popped open a bottle and we dug in. We were quickly impressed. The nose on the 2007 ‘Farella Vineyard’ cab was big and bold, with a strong essence of ripe fruit. And as dense and inky as the wine appeared, the mid-palate and finish were as smooth as silk. This wine, made from entirely from cabernet sauvignon, was an absolute gem. Fortunately, Juan was interested in exposing Realm to Two Masters and a deal was struck!
We know many of you loved the 2007 Realm. Good news: The 2008 is on its way! Juan shared the 2008 vintage with us during the Napa Premier trip. And once again, we were very pleased.
We were also impressed by Realm’s showing at the Premier auction. Out of 200 auction lots, their 5-case offering fetched a $26,000 bid – the 6th highest at the auction. (The five that drew higher auction prices: Scarecrow, Ovid, Schrader, Levy & McClellan and Shafer. An impressive group.)
We walked out of Realm’s tasting room. The morning had passed and the weather had improved a bit. Well, the rain stopped. It was still bone-chillingly cold. So with a little alcohol in our blood and bonhomie in our step, we moved on.
Next stop: A young winery called ‘Tres Sabores.’ But that’s another story.
Terry Liebman
