Winemaker Notes
The Absurd stems from a simple yet fantastically complex proposition: it’s the very best wine that Realm Cellars produces. It began in 2005, a big, gorgeous vintage that gave the winery an abundance of glorious fruit. With no rules, no restrictions, they created what they called the super blend, the best of the best.
The Absurd is only made in certain years, when there is enough fruit to make this small blend without impacting the other Realm wines. The Absurd could be one varietal, it could be five. It could come from one vineyard lot, it could come from a dozen. Each time they make The Absurd they start with a blank canvas. The sole guideline is the palate. The sole aim is the best Napa Valley wine of the vintage.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Absurd represents the very best blend of the vintage and, according to owner Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette, consultant Michel Rolland has a lot of fun putting together all the components for this each year. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with pretty much equal portions of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2016 The Absurd is very deep purple-black in color and rocks up with bold crème de cassis, blueberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and mulberries scents complimented by nuances of lilacs, smoked meats, black truffles, Sichuan pepper and hoisin plus a waft of dried rose petals. The palate is full-bodied, rich and decadent with a solid backbone of super ripe, grainy tannins, finishing very long and multilayered.
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.