Realm Cellars
Napa Valley, California
Just eight years ago, Realm Cellars was nearly bankrupt when owner Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette teamed up to revive it. Fueled by a clear vision and relentless determination, they transformed Realm into one of the most electrifying wineries in Napa Valley today. Now with its own hillside Estate in the Stags Leap District, 50 acres of vines, and access to a number of the finest vineyards in the appellation, Realm makes some of the most sought-after wines in Napa Valley.
Making wine at the very highest level is at the core of Realm Cellars. Since 2012, the wines have been awarded more 100-point scores from internationally recognized wine critics than any other producer. The wines are equal parts an expression of the land and an articulation of the winemaking craft. The “style” of Realm can best be described as a creative tension between richness and precision, density and finesse, purity of fruit and nuance. In other words: A giant who is light on his feet. Always looking ahead, this dynamic team is continuing their quest to earn an enduring place among the icons of the wine world.
Wines
Moonracer
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
Moonracer is from Realm’s estate vineyard on Wappo Hill in the Stags Leap District AVA. Winemaker Benoit Touquette has worked with the vineyard for years, and the site, with its multiple blocks, elevations, facings, and diverse soils, has character in spades. It is said this elevated site was important to the Wappo Native Americans as it provided the tribe with a central lookout from which to identify intruders. Jack London, who wrote about the curious inter-tribal races that took place during full moons, noted that the Wappos often won. Thus Moonracer, an oblique reference to the earliest inhabitants of the place Realm calls home. The wine is composed each year of the site’s finest lots, creating a Cabernet Sauvignon that is strong and powerful yet also elegant, with refined tannins and plenty of depth.
The Bard
Napa Valley, California
With vineyards spanning from Calistoga to Coombsville, from the Mayacamas Mountains to the Vaca Range, The Bard is the most complex and diverse blend Realm produces. The Bard is a dense, weighty, and concentrated wine that year in and year out showcases the most dynamic expression of Napa Valley. This cabernet sauvignon-based proprietary blend celebrates the art and precision required of meticulous blending, combining grapes from impeccable growing sites with the judicious oversight of the human hand and palate.
Fidelio
Napa Valley, California
Fidelio is Realm’s sole white wine, a 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from FarellaVineyard 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.
People
Scot Becker, Owner
Scott has always been a practical dreamer. Grit and determination, along with a penchant for big dreams, have defined Scott’s journey into wine – from the cornfields of Indiana to the battlefields of Afghanistan, from the classrooms at Harvard Business School to the vineyards of Napa Valley. Today, Scott is leading one of the most electrifying domaines in Napa Valley.
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and Harvard Business School, Scott’s early years in Napa were shaped by mentorship from some of the legends in Napa Valley – Jack Cakebread, Bill Harlan, Bart Araujo, Jim Barrett and Frank Farella. Their stories inspired Scott to dream big and to build something lasting.
Scott often refers to Realm as his life’s work. When he first became involved with Realm in 2012, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy and it was a daily fight for survival. Now merely 8 years later, Scott has steered a dramatic transformation through grit and determination, thoughtful risk-taking and a dash of luck.
Benoit Touquette, Winemaker and Partner
Benoit Touquette is equal parts artist and scientist. His approach to winemaking combines the use of the latest technology and tools available, with the firm belief that the magic resides beyond the data. Under his meticulous guidance, Realm’s Single Vineyard and Proprietary Blend wines have continued to improve in quality level and critical acclaim.
A French native, Benoit earned his master’s degree in Chemistry and Oenology at L’Université de Bordeaux and worked at several Bordeaux wine properties before arriving in California to work side-by-side with wine consultant Andy Erickson. In the 2000s, he quickly made a name for himself working on prestigious brands such as Hartwell, Ovid, and Favia, and eventually he formed his own wine consultancy.
He joined Realm in 2011, seeing it as an opportunity to make his mark in Napa Valley. In 2015, Benoit was instrumental in Realm’s acquisition of the Hartwell Vineyards estate, the Stags Leap District property Realm now calls home.
Maps
