Realm The Absurd

Cant find out much about this bottling, what’s the blend and release price please

I believe they were $375 per 750ml at release for the 2014. K&L has the Wine Advocate shelf talker with RP listing the 2014 at 83% CS, 9% Merlot, 6% CF, 3% PV.

Also from the website:

The Absurd stems from a simple yet fantastically complex proposition: it’s the very best wine that Realm Cellars produces. It began in 2005, a big, gorgeous vintage that gave us an abundance of glorious fruit. With no rules, no restrictions, we created what we called the super blend, the best of the best. In 2005, it so happened that the blend was 38% Petit Verdot. We thought that was kind of absurd. The name stuck, though the meaning has morphed into a wine that is ‘absurdly good.’ We only make The Absurd in certain years, when there is enough fruit to make this small blend without impacting the other Realm wines. The Absurd could be one varietal, it could be five. It could come from one vineyard lot, it could come from a dozen. Each time we make The Absurd we start with a blank canvas. Our sole guideline is our palate. Our sole aim is the best Napa Valley wine of the vintage.

Anyone ever tasted ?

Have you tried contacting Realm?

Critical Acclaim
RP100Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Composed of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, the singular, absolutely compelling 2015 The Absurd opens with a seriously intense black currant cordial and plum preserves core, slowly revealing cedar chest, mincemeat pie, potpourri and spice box hints plus a waft of chocolate-covered cherries. The full-bodied, concentrated palate is packed with opulent black fruits and baking spice layers, featuring a rock-solid backbone of tight-grained tannins and just enough freshness to lift and tantalize on the long, seductive finish. Only 250 cases were made.

JD100Jeb Dunnuck
Another wine where my tasting note needed censoring, the 2015 The Absurd is as good as wine gets in this critic’s opinion. Made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it offers incredible notes of blueberries, incense, and Asian spices as well as more and more graphite, smoked earth, cedar and lead pencil notes with air. Deep, layered, and super concentrated, with a voluptuous texture and building tannin, it’s a massive wine by any measure, yet this is one case where I suspect the wine might shut down after a few years in bottle. If you’re lucky enough to have more than one bottle, I’d drink one in its youth and then hide the rest for at least 6-8 years.

Huh.

So they ditched the Petit Verdot?

That was Realm’s signature cultivar - what set them apart from the competition.

the original absurd/s had the ample amount of PV. the recent renditions (since 12) are really just a reserve blend. i had the 12. great wine. 375 great? depends.

I love Realm and have been buying the Absurd since the initial vintage back in 2005, although typically just 1-2 bottles. It is a special wine, but like Steve says, value is in the eye of the beholder.

I will tell you it’s the most expensive wine I buy regularly. I like it more than Shafer HSS, which is the second most expensive regular purchase.

Now, is it more than 3x better than the Bard or that much better than the Dr. Crane, both of which I love as well and buy? Maybe, maybe not.

I do intend to buy the 2015 Absurd when the offering goes live next week (as well as the Tempest and Bard).

And, not to state the obvious, but the team at Realm (particularly Juan) is just fantastic. Very responsive and great customer service.

Tom

At $375.00 a bottle, I bet they do appreciate their customers.

Maybe it’s the price to which the name refers.

I’m finally getting my first offering this release. Any idea if they offer the absurd to first time buyers?

The Absurd is a great wine, I had the ‘14 and it knocked my socks off after a long decant. Can’t tell you that it’s worth a multiple of the others but it definitely worth some premium. @Albert, took me a couple of years to get an allocation, hope your wait is shorter.

I would be astounded if you did. The Absurd is 2015 which was a low yield vintage to begin with. I think we are looking at a very finite number of bottles. I’m hoping I get allocated one maybe two. Been on the list since 2012

Is the Realm offer for 15 or 16? Or mixed (Absurd 15 and others 16)?

It sounds like it’s mixed. The Absurd is older than the other proprietary reds.

16 Bard, 16 Falstaff, 16 Tempest, 15 Absurd

That was only the 2005.

Now it’s basically selected barrels to create a true Reserve wine (if I’m not mistaken it’s BTK and Dr. Crane), but it’s really about a style of power and precision all in one. The PNV lot was typically the best barrel of the Absurd which is called Rhinoceros. I tasted it, it was freak show good. Super powerful wine, but enough guts to hold it together that it wasn’t out of control (or hot, lots of alcohol in the wine). I haven’t tasted Absurd other than the 2005 like a year ago, or out of barrel (which was really just the Rhinoceros)

Absurd is $425 this year

Got todays offer but its not exciting me

Took a case total. 10 Bard and 2 Absurd

Anyone have any idea on how the scores are for this allocation? Realm always does well, just curious if there are any indicators on how they stack up to previous years.