Realm Cellars Farella Vineyard Red - 2021 (750ml)

Farella Vineyard is Realm’s Estate vineyard in the Coombsville AVA. Nestled in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains, the vineyard lies in one of the cooler regions of the Napa Valley. Frank Farella planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon in the appellation in 1979. Today the vines are 17–31 years of age, bringing with them complexity, resilience and a character all their own. The site features layers of volcanic tufa, red decomposed rock and ashy deposits from ancient landslides, vast geologic episodes that turned this vineyard on its head. The 25 acres of vines are divided into numerous blocks with elevations ranging between 300 and 500 feet. Varying slopes create distinct microclimates and soil compositions, and the vineyard’s diversity is suitable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. Realm has produced a Cabernet from Farella since 2003. In 2018, we had the good fortune to partner with the Farella family on a plan to become long-term stewards of the Estate, and in 2026 we became proud owners.

The core of Realm’s Farella Cabernet comes from a high point in the vineyard, a block referred to as “rockpile” because of the preponderance of stone and gravel in the soil. This block is bathed in afternoon sunlight during the growing season, and the wine — concentrated and beautifully structured — consistently shows a mix of red and black fruits with spice and mineral overtones. Farella has historically been 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, comprising Clones 4 and 8, but we began working with Merlot in the 2019 vintage. The Merlot here sits in the lower vineyard on diatomaceous earth — a pale, chalk-like soil left by an old lakebed, unusual not just in Napa but almost anywhere. The resulting wines carry a depth and power we struggle to find in Merlot elsewhere, without losing their cooler, red-fruited character.

But age at Farella is not measured in vines alone. Realm has now made a wine from this site for over twenty years and farmed it for almost a decade, and every vintage has deepened our understanding of this vineyard and our confidence in what it can be. A wine becomes its true self not only as the vines mature, but as we do. It has taken Realm’s own age and maturity, as much as the vineyard’s, to bring this wine fully into its own.ones 4 and 8, but we began working with Merlot in the 2019 vintage.