Realm Cellars
Fidelio 2018
Napa Valley, California
Fidelio is Realm’s sole white wine, a 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from Farella Vineyard and grower vineyards. Grapes for Fidelio are picked at different stages of maturity to yield a spectrum of fruit flavors and textures, yielding a wine that is neither oaky nor in the green/grassy camp. Well-balanced and fresh tasting, this is Realm’s version of a fine white Bordeaux: expansive on the palate, wonderfully complex, beautifully structured and concentrated.
Fidelio is the name of the only opera that Ludwig van Beethoven ever composed. It was also the password needed to gain access to a secret ceremony in the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut. Realm commissioned artist Sylvia Ji to create the art for this label, which draws on Mexican folk art for inspiration. Ji chose a light color palette to reflect the white wine; the mask is her reference to Eyes Wide Shut.
Vineyard
This third vintage of Fidelio features grapes from three vineyard sources: Realm’s estate Farella Vineyard in Coombsville, a Carneros vineyard on Cuttings Wharf Lane and, new this vintage, the Gamble Ranch in Yountville. This is the first vintage that the Sauvignon Blanc is complemented by a touch of Semillon. The fruit profile is consistent with past vintages, but the addition of Semillon and an additional vineyard source add complexity to the finished wine.
Tasting Note
This Sauvignon Blanc shows a broad range of fruit characteristics including tropical (mango, guava, pineapple) and citrus (grapefruit, orange, lemon). The wine has hints of minerality, more distinct perhaps than in previous years. The wine is well-balanced, tipping neither toward the oaky or grassy end of the spectrum.
Color
White
Grape Varieties
Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation
Napa Valley, California
Alcohol
14.2%
Suggested Retail Price
$75
