2014 Relic - Cabernet Franc Napa Valley The Prior (750ml)

Relic Wine Cellars is built around winemaker Mike Hirby's long relationships with a handful of Napa growers he works with on handshake deals rather than contracts. The Prior grew out of one of those partnerships, started in 2010 with the Frediani family and their Cabernet Franc vines in Simmons Canyon. That relationship has continued through the years, even after family matriarch Jeanne passed in 2015, with her son and daughters still farming the site.

The Frediani vines sit at the far end of the Simmons Canyon alluvial fan, in gravelly, volcanic soils that force the mostly dry-farmed, decades-old vines to work hard for small, thick-skinned berries. 2014 was a warm Napa vintage, ripening the fruit fully while low yields kept it concentrated rather than heavy. The goal with The Prior has always been Cabernet Franc with the structure and richness of Cabernet Sauvignon, but more aromatic lift.

The 2014 fills the glass with dark cherry and raspberry confiture, joined by talc, hot stones, and a whisper of vanilla-laced cookie and barbecue spice. Rich and structured, it still carries real freshness through the finish. Pour it with roast pheasant, wild rice pilaf, or aged Asiago.