The 2012 Proprietary Red Absurd is, in essence, the owner’s and winemaker Benoit Touquette’s selection of their favorite barrels. This is another three-digit tour de force in winemaking. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and dollops of Merlot and Petit Verdot, all from the Dr. Crane and To Kalon vineyards, it boasts a soaring, majestic set of aromatics consisting of blueberries, baking spices, wet gravel, blackberries and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, opulent and voluptuously textured with sweet tannin and a mindboggling, long finish, this is magnificent stuff! Kudos to the entire Realm Cellars family. This is their finest achievement to date (and I haven’t even tasted their 2013s). Drink now through 2032.