2016 Realm Cellars Estate Moonracer Napa Valley Red Wine California Red

2016 Realm Cellars Estate Moonracer Napa Valley Red Wine

98 JS

Featured Review

A fresh, rosemary and sage character to the dark fruit. Supreme nose. Full-bodied, very tight and compact with a long and intentional finish that grabs your attention. Very specific to the place. Drink in 2020. James Suckling

James Suckling | 98 JS

This is the producer's signature estate wine from Stags Leap District fruit, blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. From volcanic soils, it shows an earthy sensibility that's tough to shake, a lingering thread of black cherry and berry that's met halfway by sweet tobacco, crème brûlée richness and a soft undercurrent of tamed tannins.

Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE

A wine of tremendous depth and explosive energy, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Moonracer Realm Estate is just fabulous. Inky blue/purplish fruit, bittersweet chocolate, leather, licorice and cedar infuse the 2016 with tremendous character. Powerful and yet refined, the Moonracer is a winner in 2016. It is also one of my personal favorites, and that leads to wonder to what degree having complete control of farming is the reason this wine has an extra something the others just don't.

Antonio Galloni | 97 AG

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon The Estate-Moonracer comes exclusively from Realm’s Stags Leap estate and was completely farmed by them. A traditional Bordeaux blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it's very deep purple-black colored and features earthy/savory notes of underbrush, smoked meats, tapenade and Marmite toast with a core of warm plums, Black Forest cake and blueberry preserves plus a touch of garrigue. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and very finely grained with wonderful freshness and depth, finishing long and mineral laced.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

The third vintage from this estate vineyard in Stag’s Leap, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Moonracer is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot (which is close to the breakdown of the vineyard). It offers a beautiful bouquet of crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, and crushed rocks. While it doesn’t have the density of the To Kolan and Dr. Crane releases, it is seamless, full-bodied, incredibly complex, and multi-dimensional. Already impossible to resist, drink this pure, elegant beauty any time over the coming 20-25 years.

Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

Moonracer is Realm’s expression of its new estate in the Stags Leap District. Here is a deft wine with classic quality throughout, striking a solid balance between savoury notes and powerful black fruits. The nose contains dried flowers and herbs, while the palate shifts into tomatillos and green peppers. The punchy texture is well integrated into these rustic qualities, while clay-dust and salinity finish the wine on a high note. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the balance Petit Verdot. 500 cases made. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.

Decanter | 95 DEC

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.
Subregion	Napa Valley