2014 Realm The Bard
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2014 The Bard shows off the more mid-weight, savory style of the year nicely. Grilled herbs, dried flowers, plum, black cherry and gravel notes all open up in a bright, tightly wound wine that needs aeration to be at its best. I expect the 2014 will always remain a bit nervous in feel, as is quite common in this vintage.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
From another awesome vintage for Napa Valley, the 2014 The Bard is still youthful and lively, with a terrific core of blue fruits as well as notes of spring flowers, violets, cedar pencil, and tobacco. As with most 2014s, it has an understated sense of elegance while still carrying surprising concentration and depth. Full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, with great tannins, it's drinking beautifully today yet will evolve gracefully on its balance and purity for another two decades.
The aromas of oysters and peaches combine beautifully with the blackberry and blackcurrant character. Black olives, too. Full-bodied, layered and very intense with chocolate, black fruit and an intense, savory finish. Best Bard ever. Try in 2020, but already so pretty.
The 2014 The Bard is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot. This is their largest cuvée of 2,000 cases. The wine shows exciting elegance, purity, a dense purple color, sweet black currant and blackberry fruit intermixed with licorice and charcoal. It is full-bodied, showing nice loamy forest floor notes. It also possesses a layered mouthfeel and terrific purity, texture and length. Drink it over the next 20+ years.