Winemaker Notes
With red, blue and black (cassis) fruit, this is an aromatic wine that hits at the edge of minerality with a distinct note of graphite/pencil shavings plus a hint of licorice. The wine hits both high and low notes, with brightness but also density. It sits on the palate not with heaviness but with depth. With its tannic structure, this Moonraceris not for the faint of heart; however, it goes beyond hedonism and heft into something more serious and intellectual.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A full-bodied, structured red with blackcurrant, violet, dark-chocolate and burnt-orange aromas. Walnut husk, too. Such precision and elegance. Firm, smooth tannins and a long finish. Really complex at the end. A stunning wine from Stags Leap District. Drink from 2023.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From the estate property around the new winery in Stags Leap, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Moonracer (there are normally small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the blend) offers a glorious Napa Cabernet nose of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, dried flowers, and chocolate that develops beautifully with time in the glass. It doesn't lose a beat on the palate either and is full-bodied, with a layered, focused texture, building structure, and a great, great finish. It's a serious, age-worthy wine that needs 4-5 years of bottle age yet will evolve like a First Growth from Bordeaux. Rating: 98+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon The Estate-Moonracer is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It comes exclusively from Realm’s Stags Leap estate. Deep garnet-purple colored, it strides confidently out of the glass with a profound nose of blackberry pie, boysenberries, crème de cassis and exotic spices plus lots of earthy undertones and a suggestions of iron ore. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with black fruit preserves and minerally sparks, supported by firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and savory. There's quite a lot of structure here and a lot of muscular fruit—it should easily cellar for 25 years or more.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.