2006 ARTEFACT
NAPA VALLEY
70% CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 18% PETIT VERDOT, 12% SYRAH
Artefact, our Napa Valley Cabernet-based blend, made with a nod to the old Bordeaux tradition of blending in a little Hermitage, comes from a cooler climate, Coombsville - east of the city of Napa - and a considerably warmer site in St. Helena. These complementary sources and varietals lead to a very complex wine. Aromas of cassis, Asian spice, vanilla and toasty oak introduce an extremely supple and lithe palate, with focused, concentrated flavors of plum, cherry and chocolate. The finish is long and elegant. To give this wine an added element of complexity and elegance, we aged it in 100% new French oak for 22 months. 180 cases made
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2009
Bright ruby-red. Black raspberry and cassis aromas complicated by smoke, pepper, cedar and herbs. Fat, supple and sweet but with very good aromatic lift to the velvety, slightly liqueur-like dark berry flavors. Licorice and pepper notes lift the finish. Not especially complex but very smooth. Stephen Tanzer - 90 points
Review: Wine Spectator Online
Minty herb, sage and dried berry flavors are elegant and supple, full-bodied
and smooth-textured, offering hints of pepper, sage and dusty berry. Ends
with a long, full finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Best
from 2010 through 2016. 180 cases made. James Laube - 91 points
Review: Wine Advocate #180, Dec 09
Relic fashions some intriguing blends, the finest of which is their superb 2007 Artefact, a combination of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Petit Verdot and Syrah. An inky/purple color gives up scents of melted licorice, white chocolate, blackberries, and charcoal. Full-bodied with sweet tannins, a lush, heady mouthfeel, and a long, layered finish, this hedonistic, lavishly rich red can be drunk over the next decade. - Robert Parker - 92 points
2006 ALDER SPRINGS VINEYARD SYRAH
MENDOCINO COUNTY
The 2006 growing season at Alder Springs was considerably warmer than Napa, and it shows in this wine’s rich, ripe, full style. We have continued to use whole clusters and to foot-stomp selected lots, providing the wine huge complexity, body and exotic aromatics. This wine is purple/black. Aromas of blackberry, black pepper and jasmine jump from the glass and lead to exotic varietal flavors of raspberry, ginger, boysenberry and coffee. It also has the compacted structure to age very well, yet its 18 months in French oak have made it immensely appealing now. 164 cases made
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2008
Saturated bright ruby. Sappy crushed berries, violet and brown spices on the nose. Juicy and fresh, with intense black fruit and floral flavors that capture the entire palate. The impressively long finish features huge but well-buffered tannins that coat the teeth. Offers very strong potential, especially given the fact that these vines are just a few years old. Hirby continues to move to higher-altitude blocks of syrah on this large property. Stephen Tanzer - 91-93 points
Review: Wine Spectator
Rich, smooth and savory, with spicy, beefy wild berry, raspberry, sage and loamy earth flavors that are focused, ending with firm, ripe tannins and good berry-laced length. Drink now through 2013. - James Laube - 90 points
2007 Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
Mendocino County
2007 has produced our best Pinot to date from Alder Springs. Seriously. This is partially due to the growing season and partially due to the new blocks we are getting at Cahto Ridge, which are just spectacular! This is a more vivid, aromatic and intense Pinot than we have ever produced. It still tastes like Alder Springs with cola, clove and mineral aromatics, but with refined tannins, the fruit really stands out and the wine finishes with intensity. Aged in 55% new French oak. 135 cases made.
Review: Wine Spectator
Rich and loamy, with mineral, sage, dried berry and cherry fruit that's
medium-weight, complex and focused, ending with tight tannins and a long,
persistent finish. Very young. Drink now through 2016. - James Laube - 92 points
Review: Wine Advocate #180, Dec 09
Relic demonstrates a fine touch with Pinot Noir, as demonstrated by the 2007 Pinot Noir Alder Springs Vineyard. Floral, raspberry, and blueberry notes intermixed with a hint of crushed rocks emerge from this fresh, lively, medium-bodied, tasty Pinot Noir. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. - Robert Parker - 90 points
2007 Tradition
Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
Mendocino County
This, our first Tradition bottling, is an homage to Burgundy. It is a single, one-year old barrel of Pinot that was minimally punched down and fermented with 50% whole clusters. This is a great example of what different winemaking can create using the same grapes as the Alder Springs Pinot. Tasting these side-by-side is highly recommended!
This bottling has more earthy and raspberry aromatics and is slightly richer, but finishes with more structure. As this wine ages, look for a blossoming aromatic complexity and that ethereal quality which makes Pinot so great. 24 cases made.
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2009
Good bright dark red. Sappy aromas of black raspberry, pepper and spices. Dense in the middle palate, with darker flavors than the "basic" bottling: dark raspberry, violet, smoky oolong tea and rooty spices. Comes across as sweeter but also possesses more structure and grip. Finishes with very good breadth and substantial dusty tannins. Very interesting and different pinot: winemaker Mike Hirby described it as "an anomaly." Stephen Tanzer - 90 points
2007 Syrah
Napa Valley
50% whole cluster and 50% new oak make for a classic Relic combination of old and new world. Only two barrels make up this blend – one from Farella Vineyard and one from Yountville. Nearly black in color, rich and filled with jammy fruit - definitely Napa in style, yet complex and exotic at the same time. Aromas of chocolate, black pepper, vanilla and plum compote form an introduction to the rich, full mid-palate. As the finish blossoms, more perfume and floral aromatics linger. Fans of Napa Cabernet will love this wine as much as Northern Rhone enthusiasts. 49 cases made.
Review: Wine Spectator
Rich and concentrated, with potent mint, bay leaf and dense loamy currant
and wild berry fruit that¹s deep and structured, ending with a long,
intense, persistent finish. Extremely young right now. Best from 2010
through 2017. - James Laube - 92 points
Review: Wine Advocate #180, Dec 09
The 2007 Syrah reveals beautiful floral-infused blackberry fruit, a layered mouthfeel, full-bodied opulence, and admirable purity and length. It should drink easily for 7-8 years. - Robert Parker - 91 points
2007 Ritual
Napa Valley
55% Mourvedre, 22% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah
We are incredibly excited to introduce to you our first Southern Rhone-style blend, and even more excited that is from Napa Valley grapes! The grapes for this wine come from great vineyards - farmed to impeccable standards and are in amazing soils and micro-climates for these varietals. We believe Napa is under-appreciated territory for Southern Rhone-style wines and hope that you’ll agree when you taste this. We decided on the name “Ritual” because this is the kind of wine that we can drink almost daily – it goes well with all kinds of food and doesn’t display overbearing oak, yet is complex and absolutely satisfying.
This is classic in its presentation of cherry, raspberry, strawberry jam, baked earth, white pepper and floral elements, and with a tremendously sweet, full mouthfeel and richness. The tannins are there to provide focus, but the basic impression is that this is one hedonistic wine! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 215 cases made.
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2009
Good bright red. Musky aromas of strawberry, pepper and exotic flowers, lifted by spices and an exotic suggestion of apricot. Sweet, lush and fat but with good lift and firm tannic support. The sexy flavors of strawberry, raspberry, tree bark, pepper and spices are unadorned by new oak (just one of the eight and a half barrels was new). Very subtle, delicate wine. The mourvedre vines are planted on red volcanic soil. Stephen Tanzer - 91 points
Review: Wine Spectator
Tightly wound, firm and vibrant, with a focused core of mineral and
sage-laced wild berry and blackberry fruit that folds in nicely with the
minerally, earthy notes. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Drink
now through 2015. - James Laube - 90 points
Review: Wine Advocate #180, Dec 09
The 2007 Ritual is a provocative blend of Rhone varietals - 55% Mourvedre (from Pope Valley), and the rest Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. Its deep blue/purple color is followed by notes of damp earth, forest floor, fresh porcini mushrooms, meat, tree bark, flowers, and blue as well as black fruits. Because of the ripe Mourvedre component in this full-bodied, chewy 2007, the tannins are sweet, not astringent. Drink this mouthfilling as well as teeth-staining wine over the next 7-8 years. - Robert Parker - 91 points
