2015 Houyi Vineyard Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard is potent and explosive in the glass. The aromatics are lacking a bit of focus and the wine feels quite forward, giving the Houyi its decidedly ripe profile. Dark red fruit, cedar, tobacco and mocha show the signs of age. There's good depth, but this is fully mature. In 2015, Realm was buying fruit at Houyi, finally purchasing the vineyard in 2022. The impact of working with estate fruit in the vintages that followed has been significant.
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard is a shockingly reticent wine for a year that generally yielded more voluptuous wines. Then again, we are on Pritchard Hill, where the wines are born with intense minerality and structure. Mountain tannins and strong savory notes dominate. I would open this well in advance, but I also expect it to remain rather imposing in feel.
From a site on Pritchard Hill farmed by David Abreu, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard is another big, opulent beauty that has terrific minerality (I wrote Graves-like in my notes) as well as loads of blackcurrant, smoked earth, graphite, and chocolate aromas and flavors. With a stacked mid-palate, sweet tannin, and an expansive, opulent personality, drink it anytime over the coming two decades. One of the most thrilling tastings I was able to do for this report, these incredible wines from Realm are made by the talented Frenchman, Benoit Touquette. These are true blockbuster, magical wines I wish every reader could taste.
Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard Pritchard Hill (made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon) features beautiful incense, licorice and spice box scents with a crème de cassis core and waft of dusty earth. Full-bodied and powerfully fruited in the mouth, the decadent mincemeat and berry preserves flavors are textured by soft, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with great persistence. This is one for the hedonists!
About the producer
Realm Cellars has become one of Napa Valley’s most compelling modern estates, known for site-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. Drawing from some of the valley’s most sought-after vineyards, Realm’s wines consistently earn top critical acclaim while remaining firmly rooted in place.