🏷️ Lot Overview
Region: Atlas Peak / Pritchard Hill
Vintage: 2023
Blend: 100% Syrah
ChatGPT Original Source Guess: Realm
Wine Berserkers Guess: Krupp Brothers Syrah Black Bart
Alcohol: 15.0%
Oak Aging: 70–80% New French Oak
Cam Price: $12.42 ($149/case)
Retail Estimate: $80–$100
Drink Window: 2026–2046
🍷 Cameron’s Release Notes
Email
Back Up The Truck? HECK Yeah!
Sourced from the best Syrah blocks in the massive, legendary “vineyard that must not be named” that straddles Atlas Peak to Pritchard Hill, Lot 16 is an absolutely stunning wine and I believe the best Syrah I have ever bottled. Normally priced around $100/bottle, it is yours today for the ridiculous price of just $149/case DELIVERED!
Folks, this is Syrah turned up to 11. Now, don’t take that the wrong way… this is not fat, overwrought, overdone shite. This fantastic Syrah is, indeed, pure dynamite but it is precision-built dynamite guided by one of Napa’s premier consulting winemakers along with the winery’s own rising star winemaker. Everything here is in proportion: massive structure, massive complexity, all chiseled from stone and perfectly balanced. Yummy and hedonistic yet, at the same time, restrained and elegant. I’m pretty sure (inside info) this is the best Syrah they’ve ever produced and purely a function of the marketplace that any of it made its way into my hands. Trust me on this one Syrah-lovers!
WOW color, inky and opaque, this is clearly a massively concentrated wine. Brawny, meaty and broad-shouldered, it is also hugely aromatic with a crazy complex bouquet of ripe plum, blackberry pie, graham cracker, smoked meat and bacon fat with a kiss of iodine and cedar. As it opens, the bouquet is complexed with cocoa, lavender and red rock. Rich, ripe and seamless on entry, you quickly encounter a massive wall of chewy, red-rock coated tannins that crash and unfurl ripe black and blue fruit wrapped in chocolate and lifted with red rock, raspberry and savory cocoa notes in an epic finish of chocolate, red rock, plum and blackberry that literally persists for minutes. Massively concentrated but beautifully knit together this is an absolutely stunning, palate-staining wine that will easily live another 20 years.
We’ve got 300 cases available so you’re gonna wanna giddyup.
Tasting Notes (Website)
WOW color, inky and opaque, this is clearly a massively concentrated wine. Brawny, meaty and broad-shouldered, it is also hugely aromatic with a crazy complex bouquet of ripe plum, blackberry pie, graham cracker, smoked meat and bacon fat with a kiss of iodine and cedar. As it opens, the bouquet is complexed with cocoa, lavender and red rock. Rich, ripe and seamless on entry, you quickly encounter a massive wall of chewy, red-rock coated tannins that crash and unfurl ripe black and blue fruit wrapped in chocolate and lifted with red rock, raspberry and savory cocoa notes in an epic finish of chocolate, red rock, plum and blackberry that literally persists for minutes. Massively concentrated but beautifully knit together, this is an absolutely stunning, palate-staining wine that will easily live another 20 years.
100% Syrah
100% Single-Vineyard
70–80% New French Oak
15.0% alc.
~300 cases produced
🧠ChatGPT says:
🔍 Source Guess: Realm Cellars
🎯 Rationale:
AXR becomes less likely when you consider the shared sourcing across Lots 10, 13, 16, and 17, all now pointing to the same producer. Realm fits that bill better given the vineyard references, winemaking language, and Cam’s praise.
Same “vineyard that must not be named” straddling Atlas Peak and Pritchard Hill, just like Lots 10, 13, and 17. Cam explicitly states this was sourced from the best Syrah blocks in that same vineyard.
“Premier consulting winemaker” and rising star house winemaker combo aligns perfectly with Realm’s known structure: Benoit Touquette leads their winemaking efforts, often with support from assistant winemakers and vineyard-specific collaborators.
Realm has dabbled in Syrah before under various projects (including collaborations), and while they’re not known for Syrah-first branding, it’s plausible they’d craft a luxury Syrah as a boutique or experimental release.
The style described—inky, palate-staining, chiseled-yet-hedonistic, long finish—matches Realm’s top-tier craftsmanship and house style. The mention of “precision-built dynamite” and structured elegance is very Realm.
The price alignment ($80–$100/bottle), new oak usage (~75–80%), and 15% alc are right in Realm’s wheelhouse.
⏳ Drink Window
- Early enjoyment: Winter 2025 once bottle shock clears.
- Peak drinking: 2028–2038 when tannins resolve and complexity deepens.
- Hold potential: Through 2046 for those who love aged, savory Syrah with smoke and iodine notes.
⏳ Drink Window: 2026–2046 (peak 2028–2038)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑🍷 Wine Berserkers Guess: Krupp Brothers Syrah Black Bart