The Bard Vertical - 2017-2019

The 2017 Bard is bright and fruity, with lovely red berry character. The more mid-weight side of the year comes through in a perfumed, gracious Bard that offers tons of density and plenty of class. I would give it another year or two to allow the elements to fully meld together. The 2017 is impressive in the early going.

- Antonio Galloni (03/2022)

The 2018 The Bard is fabulous and also one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Realm. Vertical structure, power and explosive energy infuse the 2018 with tremendous character. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, leather, licorice and lavender are some of the many notes that run through the 2018. This is the first vintage that includes a dollop of Petite Sirah from Bourn. It is also the first vintage in which a portion of the wine was aged in concrete eggs, which seems to add tension and a palpable sense of vibrancy. The Bard is a blend of 40 different lots, everything from Calistoga to Coombsville, a marriage of elements that works so well. Although none of these wines could be referred to as inexpensive, The Bard is a tremendous relative value within the context of high-end Napa Valley. I loved it. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah.

- Antonio Galloni (09/2020)

The 2019 The Bard is classy and elegant from start to finish. Inky blueberry jam, lavender, spice, rose petal and blood orange lend brightness to this beautifully layered, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Realm. Silky and creamy, The Bard is a winner in 2019. Core vineyard sources are Blair, Houyi and Upper Range for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Farella and Orchard for Merlot and Dr. Crane for Petit Verdot, spread across a total of about 20 separate lots.

- Antonio Galloni (08/2021)

This is tight and focused with firm, lightly dusty tannins. Blueberries and blackcurrants. Violets as well. Tannic and chewy finish. Vertical line of tannins running through it. Drink after 2022. (01/2020)

The 2017 The Bard, based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, is certainly one of the standouts in the vintage. This deep purple effort offers a Bordeaux'ish vibe (which is common in the vintage) in its blackcurrant, graphite, tobacco, and scorched earth aromas and flavors. These carry to a full-bodied Cabernet with beautiful balance, a distinct sense of minerality, and the structure to continue evolving nicely for another 20 years or more. (08/2020)

The 2018 The Bard is beautiful and certainly in the same realm as the 2015 and 2016, both magical wines. This cuvée reveals a deep purple color followed by a beautiful perfume of crème de cassis, blackberries, roasted coffee, spring flowers, and violets. With incredible richness, no hard edges, and a blockbuster finish, this incredible wine offers serious opulence with no sensation of heaviness or weight. It's beautifully done and already complex and nuanced. It will evolve for at least 15+ years. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 2% each of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. (08/2020)

The 2019 The Bard checks in as 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, and it’s another dense, rich, powerful wine from this team that readers are going to absolutely love. Coming from throughout the valley (it’s always a great representation of the vintage), it offers up a brilliant nose of crème de cassis, ripe plums, graphite, scorched earth, and chocolate. About as seamless as they come on the palate, it’s full-bodied and has a thrilling texture, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s one of those wines where I feel like I’m overusing adjectives, but it’s warranted. (12/2021)

A blend of 21 different lots from 11 different vineyards, the 2017 The Bard is composed of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts out of the glass with blackcurrant cordial, warm plums, redcurrant jelly and chocolate-covered cherries notes, leading to a minty undercurrent with a waft of cinnamon. Medium to full-bodied, soft-textured and refreshing, it delivers a good core of black fruit on the palate, finishing wonderfully spicy.

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (10/2020)

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah, the 2018 The Bard comes from 12 different vineyard sources and is composed from 40 separate lots. Deep garnet-purple colored, it soars from the glass with notions of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and plum preserves, giving way to a a wave of clove oil, chocolate box, exotic spices and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich and plush in the mouth, it has loads of spice-spiked black fruit layers, lifted by just enough freshness, going long and mineral-laced on the finish.

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (10/2020)

A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the fruit for the 2019 The Bard fetches from Calistoga to Coombsville, including portions from illustrious vineyards such as Dr. Crane, Moonracer, Houyi and Larkmead.

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (09/2021)