Winemaker Notes
The Tempest – a famous play, a violent storm, and the name of our Merlot-based blend, fashioned after the great wines of Pomerol in Bordeaux. The Tempest was the first proprietary wine Realm released, so named for the “perfect” storm of three grape varietals that became available at the same time, from the same vineyard, in 2002 -- the year of our tumultuous beginning. Though our equipment was borrowed and the winery we occupied unfinished, our grapes were sound that year – beautiful in fact – and the resulting wine reflected a fierce determination to brave the storm. The Tempest is still made with beautiful grapes, from vineyards such as Beckstoffer Orchard and Dr. Crane, as well as Blair Vineyard in Calistoga. Predominantly Merlot, with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot depending on vintage, The Tempest is a roiling cauldron of lush, bright, red fruit – a wine that shows what Merlot can be in the right hands, from the right vineyards.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful blueberries and violets with tar and spice. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a delicious finish. Complex flavors of blackberries and flowers at the finish. So delicious. Merlot with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The Merlot-dominated wine in the lineup is the 2017 The Tempest and it's a beauty in the vintage, offering a saturated purple hue as well as classy notes of blackberries, black cherries, licorice, crushed violets, barbecue smoke, and hints of espresso roast. It's deep, full-bodied, has stunning purity of fruit, no hard edges, and the purity and balance that's become the hallmark of this estate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 The Tempest is composed of 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Vineyard sources include the Realm Stags Leap District estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot along with Merlot from Orchard vineyard, Fortuna vineyard and Blair vineyard. Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out of the gate with bold blueberry pie, black cherries and mulberries scents plus hints of chocolate box, menthol and violets. Full-bodied, rich and decadent, the fragrant black fruit core has lovely freshness with silken tannins, finishing very long and so perfumed.
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.