A row of barrels in the Relic cave.

2012 Ritual

This is the Relic wine we drink the most of at home. 2012 is going to go down in history as a great Napa Valley vintage, and the Rhone varieties excelled as well as any. This wine is a fantastic combination of power and finesse, which first appears in the aromatics - raspberry, white pepper, anise, sage, baked earth and sweet black fruit. It then unravels into a huge cornucopia of red and black fruits, figs, light-roast coffee, white pepper and fennel seed notes on the palate. Full bodied and powerful, yet fully in balance, leading to a great, highly aromatic finish.

  • 33% Mourvedre, 23% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 15% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah
  • Rare grapes for Napa Valley: 110 year-old Carignane and 75 year-old Petite Sirah
  • Rocky, arid soils lead to small berries and clusters, lending concentration and character
  • Unfined and unfiltered
  • 525 cases from 21 barrels
Reviews
Rich and rustic, with a graceful mouthfeel and texture, letting the juicy dark berry, black licorice, tar and roasted coffee flavors push through with ease, even amid the chewy tannins. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Carignane and Petite Sirah. Drink now through 2028.
James Laube
/
Wine Spectator
/
3/31/2015
/
92
points