Shafer "Relentless" Syrah 2019
(Napa Valley, California) - [DM 97] [JD 96] [JS 95] [VM 94] [TWI 94] [WA 93+]

About the wine:
Relentless is a blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah that originates in a rugged, sloping vineyard planted in the chaparral foothills of the Vaca Mountains, along Napa Valley’s drier, cooler southeast corridor. The soul of the wine, though, comes from its namesake, longtime winemaker, Elias Fernandez, who the Shafer family honors with this proprietary blend for his relentless pursuit of quality.

“2019 Relentless is a bold, complex vintage with a juicy core of classic Syrah gaminess and an enticing range of savory aromas and flavors. The wine opens with grilled meat, black pepper, roast almonds, and baked earth. On the palate, the wine is mouth-filling and soul-satisfying with vivid flavors of black pepper, wet stone, blueberry, and black tea. The finish is lengthy and its underlying acidity and ripe, structured tannins means it is built for long term age-ability.”
— Shafer winemaker Elias Fernandez

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - Decanter:
"Powerful and enticing aromas of Kirsch, toasted cedarwood, caramel, and scored herbs draw you into the glass, revealing even more nuances of late-summer mountain scrub brush balanced by springtime violets. Seductively silky Syrah notes of black cherry, blackberry, white pepper, and charcuterie entice the senses. It is a generous wine with a harmoniously soft palate expression balanced by firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing extremely long with crushed cocoa nibs and blood orange acidity. Syrah and Petite Sirah grapes are harvested from ridgetop and foothill sites along the Vaca Mountains, just south of the Stags Leap District AVA border, aged 20 months in 100% new Allier and Tronçais French oak." - Jonathan Cristaldi (Jan 2024)

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"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. Enjoy bottles over the coming 10-15 years." (Feb 2023)

95 Points - James Suckling:
"Rich and deep dark-fruited character with hints of roast bacon, chocolate and grilled herbs. Full-bodied with a broad, structured palate that has a deep core of dark berry fruit, and an array of plush, velvety tannins that lasts for minutes, leading to a polished, slightly chewy finish. 90% syrah and 10% petit syrah. Better from 2025." (Mar 2023)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2019 Relentless is gorgeous. Bright and intensely savory, the 2019 bristles with energy. Black pepper, sage, tobacco, incense and dried herbs lend tons of nuance to this expressive Syrah/Petite Sirah blend. There's quite a bit of energy here and also a bit less heft than most previous vintages, a reflection of a move towards slightly cooler sites." - Antonio Galloni (Feb 2023)

94 Points - The Wine Independent:
"The 2019 Syrah Relentless is composed of 89% Syrah and 11% Petite Sirah. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling to bring out youthful scents of juicy black cherries, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, with underlying suggestions of mocha, cedar chest, Indian spices, and dried mint. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm tannins and plenty of freshness to support the muscular, savory-laced black fruits, finishing long and opulent." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Mar 2023)

93+ Points - Wine Advocate:
"The 2019 Relentless is a blend of 89% Syrah and 11% Petite Sirah that spent 30 months in 100% new French oak. The nose is a bit briary, with intriguing herbal complexities from the Syrah, vibrant purple-raspberry fruit and perhaps some blueberry fruit from the Petite Sirah. This is full-bodied, tannic, sturdy stuff that needs time to come around, but as it's packed with fruit, that shouldn't be an issue. Patience will be required." - Joe Czerwinski (Mar 2023)