2016 Realm The Absurd California Red

2016 Realm The Absurd

100 JD

Featured Review

Lastly, and made with the idea of producing the best of the best (it’s the first blend the team put together), the 2016 The Absurd checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, the rest Petit Verdot brought up in new barrels. It’s a hedonistic dream offering incredible black and blue fruits, gravelly minerality, cold fireplace, smoke tobacco, and forest floor. Deep, layered, and straight-up massive on the palate, it’s another wine from this estate that stays weightless and elegant. Few wines can carry this incredible mix of richness and elegance, and this beauty is unquestionably one of the finest wines in the vintage. Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JD

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.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RP

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.