Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Realm Cellars – Fidelio – Sauvignon Blanc – 2022
Farella Vineyard – Coombsville AVA – Napa Valley – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A site-driven Sauvignon Blanc sourced from Farella, Realm Cellars’ cool-climate estate vineyard in Coombsville. The 2022 vintage marks the beginning of Fidelio as a fully realized expression of Realm’s white-wine vision. Fermented and aged using three distinct vessels, neutral oak demi-muids, concrete eggs, and terracotta amphoras, each contributing texture, purity, and layered complexity. A wine built on refinement, precision, and thoughtful vineyard innovation.

Aromas & Flavors
Vivid green lemon zest, lime blossom, and fresh citrus oils lead the aromatics, followed by white peach, subtle herbal tones, crushed stone, and saline minerality. As it opens, hints of fennel, wet chalk, and delicate floral notes emerge, revealing remarkable depth for Sauvignon Blanc.

Mouthfeel
Textural and composed, with a broad yet energetic palate. The concrete and amphora components add tension and grip, while neutral oak lends quiet roundness without overt wood influence. Bright acidity carries the wine seamlessly through the mid-palate into a long, focused, mineral-driven finish.

Food Pairings
Grilled branzino, halibut with citrus beurre blanc, roasted chicken with herbs, shellfish, goat cheese, or vegetable-forward dishes featuring fennel, asparagus, or fresh herbs.

Verdict
A serious, intellectual Sauvignon Blanc that blurs the line between white and red wine drinkers. Fidelio captures Realm’s ethos of richness and freshness coexisting in perfect balance. A benchmark Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc with depth, intent, and longevity.

Did You Know?
To refine fruit exposure, Realm introduced cross arms in the vineyard to create dappled light around the fruit zone, an uncommon but deliberate technique that enhances phenolic maturity while preserving freshness in this cool Coombsville site.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This is a white wine for red wine lovers. A 100% Sauvignon Blanc that took me to the next level of Napa Sauvignon Blanc. I had to pause, my brain went into overdrive. Ridiculously delicious, layered, and precise, with electric green lemon zest energy and impeccable balance. Serious stuff. — 19 hours ago

David Kline

9.4

Light Sumatra coffee notes, with dark cocoa nib and baked red plum with a borderline persimmon coat on. A drop of night blooming jasmine surfacing briefly and African violet, and a fat lily thickness. There are baked cherries and a smoky paprika, too. Black cherry, that coils dustily into a toasty oak and resin dappled raspberry and roobios bitterness and fine grained tannins. #brunello #poggiocastellare #PianBossolino #italianwines #montalchino #Tuscany #riserva #wineallyouwant — 8 years ago

with Courtney

Christine Havens

9.1

Last week, I had the chance to taste the 2012 Dobbes Griffin's Cuvée Pinot Noir with winemaker, Joe Dobbes. Joe mentioned that this wine is crafted from a blend of six clones, a fraction of which had been fermented whole cluster. There is ample red and black fruit to be found both on the nose and palate, dappled with loamy soil, sandalwood, anise, and cinnamon bark. The framework is quite supple and elegant, infused with moderately firm, fine grained tannins, tart pie cherries and dried herbs. Very nice. Sample — 10 years ago

Sally Wilde

10

Walking in velvet slippers through a mossy streamside dwelling, dappled sunlight and stonefruit picnic, kisses and linen flower print clothes — 4 years ago

David Kline

9.6

Topaz with heavenly streamers stretching for perfection. Creamy head of structured perfection in terms of density and longevity. Perfect sheet of fog lacing falls like a slo-mo curtain to reveal layer two of mountain snows reflecting moonlight. Nose of bananas foster in all its blazing brandy and it’s caramelized olfactory topography; a malt image in sensory sepia to match the mountainscape. Nutmeg, cola and pecan dessert vies with baklava. The palate is a revelation in balance. The expected Belgian malt emerges in contrast to a dappled vanilla and Connecticut tobacco, pecan shell dryness, and chicory coffee before returning to a root tonic sweetness, and cardamom. #kwak #belgianspecialbeers #belgianale #belgianbeer #pauwelkwak #pauwelkwakbrewery #beer #bier #birra #biere #ale #ceveza #cerveja #belgium #belgian — 5 years ago

with Courtney

Christine Havens

9.0

A wine from one of many stops while on an Oregon-Washington themed wine cruise. I was pleasantly surprised by the 2015 Puffin Oregon Pinot Gris made by Ray Walsh, former winemaker at King Estate. King Estate's jewel is their Pinot Gris, and this unlikely label sold in an equally unlikely place—proprietor Steven Sinkler sells Puffin from his bespoke shop, The Wine Shack in touristy Cannon Beach—bears the same fingerprint, the same regal pedigree. At least, it's as regal, I think, as Pinot Gris can be. Dappled aromas of white flowers, dewy pear, Granny Smith apple, and lemon zest. And akin to King Estate wines, it's beautifully balanced with sur lie aging lending structure to vivid acidity and talcy minerality. Bravo! — 9 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.0

In 3 months the wine seemed to have soften the tannin a bit, but it remains a big fruity pinot, it nearly makes me think of a Central Otago Pinot.
It is looking for a balance. Still young. Good flavour though. — 5 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.2

Labeled Champs de Cherises Single Vineyard.
Very good, but I find it less focused and complete than the Appellation they produce.
Still absolutely above the average chardy.
Not overly oaky, you can feel the determined expression of the site with an unusual red little berry on the nose as a peculiarity. — 6 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.4

Great find
It gets better when it warms up
I was taken by surprise when I start smelling wet rocks, like the bed of a river, like a turquoise.
It reminded me of a Chassagne-Montrachet made by Ramonet or anyway we are talking that royal class.
Long and relatively inexpensive.
Long after taste — 6 years ago

Christine Havens

9.4

Walnut skins, curling yellow parchment paper, roasted yellow apples, poached pear, and honeysuckle. Larmandier-Bernier's Vieille Vigne de Cramant Grand Cru 2006 always feels autumnal to me and masterfully constructed. Subtle oxidation, ultra-fine mousse and quarried vinosity on the finish makes this a somewhat austere Champagne. One feels compelled to study it, the graceful lines and branching sexpartite ribs, transverse arches, and dappled, dusty sunlight filtered through clerestory windows, its weightless, timeless charm. 12.5% ABV — 10 years ago