2014 Relic Ritual Red Blend 750 ml

19 Barrel Red Blend Rarity

This is a Napa rarity: a Chateauneuf-du-Pape-meets-California cuvée culled from impeccable sites on Mount Veeder, in Pope Valley, and from century-old vines at the iconic Al Frediani vineyard, next to the famed Eisele Vineyard in St. Helena. The tiny 19-barrel lot of this 2014 Relic Ritual Red earned 94 points from Wine Spectator, which called it “well-built, stylish and loaded with personality.” Crafted by the ingenious hands of Mike Hirby (formerly of Realm), even Robert Parker was bowled over, calling it a “delicious, round and hedonistic wine” packed with “spicy, peppery, meaty notes with some lavender, black raspberry, strawberry and cherry,” notes. The Frediani grapes in the blend, meticulously farmed to Mike Hirby’s strict standards add a remarkable spicy, chewy, almost claret-like complexity thanks to Spectator’s 2014 “dream vintage” harvest. A must buy for Napa aficionados of rare gem red blends, and every Rhône freak out there.

It doesn’t take much to understand why Parker wrote that he’s “always found the wines of Relic to be creative and extremely well-made.” All you have to do to understand why Relic produces one of the greatest Rhône-style reds from California is spend an hour walking the rows of ancient vine Frediani Rhône varieties, grown in a Calistoga hotspot that neighbors the famed Eisele Vineyard (now owned by Château Latour).

As far as hallowed terroir in Napa is concerned, Frediani is ground zero, and the long list of former and current producers buying grapes is proof. An article on Vinous titled “Old Vines, Deep Roots: Calistoga's Frediani Family” authored by Kelli White lists them all: “Sterling, Caymus, Beringer, Souverain, Charles Krug, Robert Mondavi Winery, and Chateau Montelena. Today the list includes Stags’ Leap Winery, Etude, T-Vine, Selene, Relic, August Briggs and Saddleback.”

A knockout 94-point Rhône-style California wine from Napa’s best vineyards and winemaking pedigree for $50? Don’t miss out.