Ritual has become our go-to wine for parties, cocktails, meetings, dinner, lunch, breakfast and any occasion we forgot to mention! This stuff is just the nectar of the vine. It has a huge nose of red and black fruits with licorice, spice and flowers. The texture is beautifully lush and smooth, letting the flavors of vanilla-soaked berries penetrate the taster’s senses. The wine hails from warm sites within Napa Valley with mostly shale sub-soils, and it shows in the wine’s powerful and intense finish. Aged for 10 months in 30% new French Oak barrels.
Good deep red. Raspberry, minerals and a hint of black olive on the nose. Saline, juicy and tightly wound, with good floral lift to the bright flavors of crushed black fruits, spices and wild herbs. Finishes spicy and lively, with hints of leather, olive and meat. This got the lowest percentage of new oak of any of the Relic 2008 bottlings.
