2019 Shafer Relentless
Producer: Shafer
Region: Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, CA
Country: USA
Grapes: 89% Syrah, 11% Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2019
ABV: 15.8%
Vivino: 4.3
Drink By: 2040
Occasional Wine Note: This is a BIG wine. It's dark and intense. It's loaded with tannin and alcohol. Yet, it's so well balanced. The ripe dark fruits and pepper are met with flowers and herbs. It is absolutely big, but also beautiful. And it will be better 5 years from now.
Jeb Dunnuck
Critic Score: 96
The 2019 Relentless is mostly Syrah, yet the cuvée always includes a good bit of Petite Sirah, with 11% in the 2019. A deep purple-hued blockbuster of a Syrah, it offers loads of ripe blackberries, ground pepper, sappy herbs, and violet-like aromas and flavors. One of those wines that delivers richness and intensity with no sensation of weight of heaviness, it has terrific balance, ripe tannins, and a great finish.
Wine Enthusiast
Critic Score: 96
This powerful, rough-hewn wine that contains 11% Petite Sirah holds extremely deep black and blue fruits in a framework of grippy tannins. A tight, reserved expression on the midpalate signals more aging is needed for best enjoyment. The wine’s ripe, compelling, late-harvest fruits match the massive structure. Cellar Selection!