2005 Realm Cellars The Tempest - USA, California, Napa Valley

Super dark and luxurious, this is pure and precise. Nose has all black-cherry and cassis with some cedar box and soy. Wonderful mouthfeel that is medium in body and plush, kirsch and black plum. Tannins are bulky but aligned and still in need of resolving. I have always been a fan of this one from the Realm 05 lineup, more so than any any merlot heavy vintage on either side of the vintage. As a matter of fact, this is the Tempest with the most (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 18% Petit Verdot.) Cabernet Sauvignon in the history of the label (source: Coombsville). Some red cherries pop out toward the end of this. Very dimensional with tons of structure. Much more weight than my last time with it. Very nice indeed. 94 points