“2023 Napa Valley is a vintage you don't want to miss," says Scott without hesitation.“In recent years, we’ve experienced wildfires, drought, heatwaves and the other inevitable ups and downs that define winegrowing. This vintage feels like a gift from Mother Nature.”
“What stands out most to me about our 2023s is that they capture perfectly the Realm paradox — the lushness, immediacy of fruit and approachability almost disguises the incredible structure and density that will ensure these wines age for decades. These are skyscraper, showstopper wines," he explains, comparing their potential longevity to legendary vintages like 1974, 1978, 1994, 2001, 2013 and 2016.
It began with abundance. Generous winter rains through the end of March filled the valley's soils with moisture, setting the stage for what Benoit calls “an incredible, beautiful vintage.” By mid to late April, the vines responded with delayed but strong bud break, and warm weather in those final weeks of April created ideal conditions for vigorous shoot growth that would develop into full, healthy canopies. “This ensured the vines had the photosynthetic horsepower to ripen what turned out to be a larger than average crop in Napa. Despite the larger crop, clusters remained loose with medium-sized berries that developed thick skins, a crucial element for color and tannin development,” shares Chris, who recently joined Realm as Chief of Winegrowing.
The season unfolded with remarkable moderation, with only a couple of days above 100°F and no significant heat events. For Kelly, Realm's new winemaker, the vintage's character emerged in its timing. “In general, all phenological stages were about two weeks behind compared to other recent vintages,” she notes. The delayed timeline, rather than creating anxiety, offered opportunity. With over 100 percent more rainfall than typical years and minimal frost damage thanks to the later bud break, the vines settled into an unhurried rhythm that would define the entire season.
This moderate pacing allowed the Realm team to make critical decisions about canopy management without the pressure of impending heat waves or drought stress. The key decisions in 2023 were how much lateral and leaf removal to do to boost phenolic precursors in the early season and moderate pyrazine levels at harvest.
As September and October arrived with moderate to cool weather, harvest unfolded at a measured pace. There were no emergency picks, no frantic decisions driven by incoming heat or storms. Instead, the Realm team could focus on the most critical aspect of the vintage: allowing proper phenolic maturity to develop, particularly in the seeds. “2023 was a wait and see vintage. We went from a rushed year in 2022 to a year where you had to be patient and pace yourself,” shares Benoit,“this was our second year at the Houyi winery facility. With the new tank room installed, there was no pressure from tank space or the weather, which allowed us to wait for each site to express itself to the fullest.”
The long hang time, thick skins, and lack of heat waves provided all the elements for wines with great color and full ripe tannins while maintaining acid and freshness. The wines feel rich and full while maintaining freshness and incredible balance for their density. This balance—what Scott has long called Realm's goal of creating “a giant that is light on its feet”—found its perfect expression in the 2023 vintage. The alcohol is so well integrated that the wines feel lighter despite their power and density, embodying an elegant strength that speaks to both the vintage's character and Realm's evolving winemaking philosophy. The results speak for themselves in four estate wines being released this fall:
The 2023 Farella Estate carries a quiet intensity—structured, soulful, and a little wild around the edges. There’s an old-world quality to the texture and energy that is attributable to its cool climate site.
Power, precision, and poise define the 2023 Moonracer Estate. A vintage like 2023 allows the full complexity of the site to shine through. This is a wine built in layers.
Hartwell XX, the small 1.5-acre hilltop parcel adjacent to Moonracer, has the oldest vines on the estate dating back to the 1980s. The depth and power of this site shines through in this near perfect vintage with a full, dense wine with lingers on the palate.
Completing the Estate portfolio, the 2023 Houyi Estate comes across as a mountain wine through and through. It’s bold, structured, and built to last.
Scott calls this vintage a blessing,“it's fun to imagine how the wines from 2023 will stack up decades from now compared to how the wines from legendary vintages like 1974 or 1994 have aged.” Time will be the ultimate judge and we are looking forward to finding out!
