2005 Shafer Relentless |
| Vintage | 2005 |  | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Shafer (web) | ||
| Variety | Syrah Blend | ||
| Designation | Relentless | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | USA | ||
| Region | California | ||
| SubRegion | Napa Valley | ||
| Appellation | Napa Valley | ||
| UPC Code(s) | 013528700024 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2009 and 2017 (based on 38 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Shafer Syrah Relentless on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 92 pts. in 183 notes) | |
| Tasted by Delund on 3/24/2023 & rated 92 points: 2 hour decant. Still ruby-colored, with no sign of browning or bricking. Minimal sediment for an 18 year old wine. White pepper on the nose, with subdued earthy fruit. Nicely integrated acidity and an aggressively silky texture that I enjoyed but which turned my SIL off of the wine completely. Redfruits (Raspberry, sour cherry) and leather on the palate. Long, lingering finish. (597 views) | |
| Tasted by Ridgerunner on 12/15/2020 & rated 95 points: A terrific wine from a really very good vintage! (1620 views) | |
| Tasted by ejg3333 on 5/30/2020 & rated 92 points: Aging so well. Still in a great place but def drink up! (1778 views) | |
| Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 7/2/2019 & rated 95 points: Late night session at Maison Dakota. Drank in Grassl 1855. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, purplish ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of black licorice, blackberries, black cherries, vanilla cream, sweet spices. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, high alcohol (14.9%), smooth high tannins, full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet peppery spices, integrated sweet creamy vanilla oak, blackberries, black cherries, chocolate, licorice. Long finish. Very good quality. Very well-made. Alcohol heat not felt. Great mouth-feel, so well integrated. Undeniably New World style but this is just so good. No point ageing this any further. 78% Syrah, 22% Petit Sirah. (2619 views) | |
| Tasted by noshvegas on 1/11/2019 & rated 90 points: Still has a great nose of dark fruit. Ramon’s and structure have faded from my initial tastings. Glad I drank it now. Still very enjoyable but vibrant fruit of the palate mellowed. (2597 views) | |
| Tasted by galewskj on 12/8/2018 & rated 91 points: Luis' "Bring a very good bottle" event: Poured alongside the 2009 Saxum Broken Stones, this was the more balanced of the two. This also had more pure fruit. This is very modern and tasty in a fruit-forward way. (2513 views) | |
| Tasted by rocknroller on 12/6/2018 & rated 91 points: Mixed Wines at Tilia (Tilia, Mpls): A blend of 78% Syrah and 22 Petit Sirah. This drinking fairly well, but I think on the downward slope. There is some nice meat and blood meal on the nose with big blackberry and boysenberry fruits, lot of pepper on the palate, full bodied and powerful with some heat on the finish. This does have a silky glycerin infused texture. (2230 views) | |
| Tasted by Coachron13 on 9/26/2018 & rated 93 points: Excellent. Plenty of drinking window still left. Big fruit still evident. (1708 views) | |
| Tasted by PAWS on 7/12/2018 & rated 92 points: Fabulous - CT drinking window is indeed too tight as this opened up beautifully, no rush. (1776 views) | |
| Tasted by PerfusionPhD on 2/17/2018 & rated 95 points: My wife and I opened this bottle from the cellar just today. It had brilliant deep aromas, visually stunning and dark intense coloration, smooth earthy and floral tones, a long clean finish and complete palate coverage. We have three more bottles that we will not hesitate to either drink if the mood is right, or save for years to come. (1836 views) | |
| Tasted by Winiac on 11/17/2017 & rated 91 points: Delicious to drink on its own, but did not work with tomato based meaty, salty food! (1897 views) | |
| Tasted by D3S on 11/9/2017 & rated 96 points: Outstanding bottle of wine, beautiful nose, loads of dark fruit, roasted meats and great balance. The finish is long. Drinking great now and for years into the future. I am disappointed that this is our last bottle. (1756 views) | |
| Tasted by DBunk on 12/24/2016 & rated 96 points: Last bottle of a 3 pack. It was fantastic and better than the first but had years ahead of it. Still was amazingly enjoyable with grilled steaks (3028 views) | |
| Tasted by blabbott on 12/18/2016 & rated 93 points: Big dark fruit balanced by good tannins. By the last sip it is really fruit forward but earlier it has a great balance flavor with good spice and lots of layers. (2540 views) | |
| Tasted by wmccone54 on 11/18/2016 & rated 95 points: As expected, this is an exceptional wine, seems to be drinking at peak and showing no signs of imminent decline given its eleven years of age. Comprised of 78% Syrah and 22% Petite Sirah. Aromatic fragrances of smoked meat, black pepper, freshly baked blueberry cobbler, purple flowers, and some herbal notes. Complex flavors of crusty blueberry cobbler, spicy black raspberry, black coffee, black olive, and some dark, moist earthy loam. Rich, meaty texture displaying a harmonious balanced mouthfeel, leading to an extremely long, satisfying finish. This is the best of all the Relentless Syrahs I've enjoyed to date. Impressive. (2476 views) | |
| Tasted by bugdoced on 11/11/2016 & rated 94 points: Just terrific In a great drinking spot (2229 views) | |
| Tasted by mlawren1 on 3/17/2016 & rated 92 points: Plums and cherries finish with a bit of cedar. (3347 views) | |
| Tasted by SMHalps on 3/6/2016 & rated 90 points: Oddball Blends - Blind tasting (Brasserie 8 1/2 - 9 W. 57th Street): This didn't show as well as I expected. It might be on the downside of its drinking window. My last two bottles. Actually my least favorite wine of the night. (2683 views) | |
| Tasted by DBunk on 12/24/2015 & rated 96 points: Stunning as usual from this winery. Amazing fruit, tannin and earth with worn leather notes, with a espresso, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf finish. Complexity and tannins package this perfectly. Had with various cuts of grilled meats. Perfect pairing. (2561 views) | |
| Tasted by fritza on 10/28/2015 & rated 92 points: We had this side by side with my friend's 2008 Relentless which was Spectator wine of the year. First off, the 2008 was amazing and deserves all of the accolades. the 2005, still is no slouch. We decanted both and poured back in bottles to take to restaurant. The '05 is complex and big. Perhaps not as balanced as the '08. On the nose it does have a hint of wet leather to go with the dark fruit. On the palate a pleasant mix of spice, dark berry fruit and plum from the Petite Syrah. (2786 views) | |
| Tasted by DBunk on 10/17/2015 & rated 94 points: Bold and big. But not opulent or overripe. Excellent layering of fruit, tannins, earthiness and spices with a full and long finish. Really showing its depth at this age and still has lots of life given tannins and fruit. Though its going to be hard to hold onto the rest of these for much longer. Drank with grilled filet. (2574 views) | |
| Tasted by SMHalps on 8/25/2015 & rated 93 points: Had this as one of 6 wines (5 reds) at a Shafer Wine night steak dinner. We were able to decant it and let it sit for about 15 minutes before drinking it. At least one of my group felt this was the WOTN. We still had some left when the steaks arrived and it went well with them. (2363 views) | |
| Tasted by cdp1276 on 7/30/2015 & rated 94 points: Going back 4 years before it won wine of the year. Still a solid offering with spice that's fairly acidic and earthy. After decanting and opening up its a bit more delicate. (2199 views) | |
| Tasted by tfharris on 5/17/2015 & rated 93 points: unreal. (2147 views) | |
| Tasted by chitownmb on 2/28/2015 & rated 92 points: Still full bodied and bold - it will drink for several more years. Plum and cherry with nice spice (2239 views) | |
| Tasted by mlawren1 on 2/20/2015 & rated 92 points: cherry and plums finishes with a bit of chocolate on the finish (2124 views) | |
| Tasted by winelegends.net on 2/4/2015 & rated 93 points: Vielleicht ein bisschen zugänglicher,weil er in einem Weinlager eines Geschäftes lag(sicher nicht bei 12°C über die Jahre). Dunkelrot Schwarzer Kern. Dunkelfruchtig,Brombeeren,Cassis,Lakritze zwischendurch auch pflaumig,pfeffrig,wirklich würzig,Speck,leicht rauchig. Sehr dicht,konzentriert,fleischig,reich,vollmundig ,eher schmelzig-samtig,gut integriert leicht körniges Tannin,gutes Säurerückgrat,passender Alkohollevel. Insgesamt sehr gute Balance aller Komponenten. Langer dunkelfruchtiger Abgang. Dieser Relentless gefällt mir in seiner dunkelfruchtigen,reichen,fleischigen,balancierten Art sehr gut. Sehr schön vollmundig, jetzt zu geniessender Wein aber hat sicher auch 10-15 Jahre Alterungspotential. Dark red with black core. dark fruits,blackberries,cassis,licorice,plums,peppery,really spicy and smoked bacon. dense,concentrated,meaty,rich,mouth filling,velvety,good integrated easy grained tannins,good acidity backbone. Really good balance from all components. Long dark fruits aftertaste. really a good dark fruits,rich,meaty,balanced Relentless. (2191 views) | |
| Tasted by JonasH65 on 12/23/2014 & rated 92 points: I discovered this miracle in 2008, in the Stockholm archipelago where the the founders of the company I worked at offered it. Super Syrah, black fruit, ink, leather and other tastes I don't have words for. Medium/full bodied, lingering after taste. Super intensive when opened, perfect after 1 hour in decanter, weak after 3h. As always, a huge pleasure. My only serious concerns with this stuff is the availability in Sweden - kindly increase the allocation, Doug! (2142 views) | |
| Tasted by stayhappy21 on 12/14/2014 & rated 94 points: Tasted this wine at my year end wine gathering at Jade Palace Restaurant. Made up of 78% Syrah and 22% Petit Syrah. A firm and serious wine, with some thickness and viscosity in the body. Style of this wine is closer to a Rhone Syrah than a Barossa Shiraz. (2025 views) | |
| Tasted by mlawren1 on 11/21/2014 & rated 94 points: Blackberries and plums. Finishes with a hint of leather (1807 views) | |
| Tasted by EvanRose on 6/30/2014 & rated 93 points: smooth, big flavor of red fruit, long finish, great mouth feel (2666 views) | |
| Tasted by EvanRose on 6/6/2014 & rated 94 points: rich, full bodied, enjoyed with my wife dining alfresco at our favorite Itallian restaurant (2457 views) | |
| Tasted by mdmcgonigal on 5/16/2014 & rated 92 points: Dark berry nose. Tastes of dark and well balanced berries. Just a tad of extra tannin on the very pleasant, lingering finish. (2340 views) | |
| Tasted by Bandreas on 5/14/2014 & rated 86 points: Tasted blind at the "Rhone Wine tasting" conducted at the Bistro Provence, Bethesda Color very dark, some purple at the rim; "Young wine" feel on the nose, quite grapey with tannin, fruit and acidity; surprisingly soft on the palate, then comes some tannin. after a while it seemed to become more one-dimensional and noticeably sweeter on the palate. I seemed to smell/taste some Grenache and went to the Southern Rhone… Only 7000 miles off… should have ben more suspicious when the wine seemed to turn sweeter... (2316 views) | |
| Tasted by cab blends on 5/14/2014 & rated 93 points: Rhone Theme Wine Dinner - Bistro Provence, BEthesda MD: A hint of mint in the finsih. Dark red and clearly not French. Too forward and ripe for French. (William Knight) (2014 views) | |
| Tasted by VinoDiver on 3/16/2014 & rated 91 points: A bit more alcohol on the finish than I normally care for, but this wine is still very good. Developing the dusty oak notes that I find as many of these wines age and really enjoy. (2578 views) | |
| Tasted by mzmijewski on 3/13/2014 & rated 91 points: Deep purple, good fruit, finish modest (2018 views) | |
| Tasted by mlawren1 on 2/9/2014 & rated 88 points: A bit diluted great wine with plums and cherries but almost like it has been watered down a touch. (2024 views) | |
| Tasted by mzmijewski on 1/30/2014 & rated 92 points: Dark purple, fruit forward, complex (2084 views) | |
| Tasted by fredman on 1/25/2014 & rated 93 points: One hour decant. Lovely deep purple color. Everything in balance. I never thought I'd use the term 'elegant' when describing a Relentless but here I go. This wine is elegant with wonderful red and black fruits, along with some raspberry licorice notes. Enjoy. (2082 views) | |
| Tasted by West Coast Wine on 12/31/2013 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit on the nose, touch of spice as well. Dark Purple color and full body on the palate. Still had plenty of tannin left and the acidity was well balanced. Long finish. Dark Purple fruit, cedar and just a hint of spice. Could have aged a few more years without decline. Went well with dinner. Enjoy now - next 5 years+ (1977 views) | |
| Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 12/25/2013 & rated 95 points: Christmas Day 2013 (Pine Close): Poured through Vinturi and left to air in decanter for 3 hours. Dark opaque almost black colour. Beautiful aromas of vanilla oak, blueberries, and chocolate. On the palate, blueberries, blackberries, and slight white pepper with a mild sour herb towards the finish. Very smooth and a little creamy mouth-feel. Long finish. So good that the alcohol was hardly felt. (2517 views) | |
| Tasted by hoservin on 12/21/2013 & rated 93 points: Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours. Nose of blackberry, mocha, cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and forest floor. Dark berries, mocha and baking spice on the palate lead to a long, velvety smooth, finish. Full bodied with a firm tannic structure. Well made with excellent secondary notes that evolved over time. Paired with filet and a port wine sauce. (1888 views) | |
| Tasted by tfharris on 11/11/2013 & rated 92 points: Such a big wine! (2205 views) | |
| Tasted by EvanRose on 10/28/2013 & rated 93 points: Lush, dark red fruit, very smooth on the finish (2205 views) | |
| Tasted by grapist on 9/10/2013: Decanted and continued to soften. Dark and quite opaque. Nose of forest with a hint of mint and vanilla. Full bodied and perfect pairing with grilled skirt steaks. Acid tannins and fruit all well balanced. (2491 views) | |
| Tasted by sfarwig on 6/15/2013 & rated 93 points: As usual with Relentless, this is a big wine - the 22% Petite Sirah packs an additional punch. Paired with lamb chops and enjoyed with good friends, the bottle went way too fast. One more bottle left... (2878 views) | |
| Tasted by Double D on 4/7/2013 & rated 94 points: Really big Syrah and the Petite Sirah must be adding the blackness, a big wine. Leggy with a heady aroma if a bit alcoholic but overall all big components have it in good balance. Great with rack of lamb and continue to enjoy for another hour. (3418 views) | |
| Tasted by patwjr on 3/26/2013 & rated 92 points: Pnp'd. Opened in the glass, though the PS seems to still have a slight lock on the fruit. Drinkable now, yet can sit a few more years. (3099 views) | |
| Tasted by wabi47 on 2/26/2013 & rated 89 points: oscar nite: earth and blueberry nose; very lush mixed plum, blackberry and blueberry; some tobacco leaf; obvious oak that is held in check by the big fruit; softer fruit and less pepper on the finish makes this seem flabbier than i recall. (thanks, B/B) (3182 views) | |
| Tasted by ajfret01 on 2/1/2013 & rated 93 points: Great nose and palate. Drink or hold. (3016 views) | |
| Tasted by Double D on 1/1/2013 & rated 93 points: Very smooth at this point, can go some more years. (2821 views) | |
| Tasted by ckpoole on 11/20/2012: Still very rich and full. Great wine. (3148 views) | |
| Tasted by Steve44 on 9/23/2012 & rated 93 points: Great bottle. Decanted, only took about 30 mins to open nicely. (3395 views) | |
| Tasted by hamiltoncd on 9/13/2012 & rated 93 points: An excellent bottle of wine. very complex, and opened over several hours. Great pairing with food. One of the better bottles I have had recently. (3391 views) | |
| Tasted by Chris Herron on 7/19/2012: Outstanding. Damn good juice. Syrah like I like it. Lots of deep aromas of dark fruits, something leathery, minerally. Bold and dominannt flavors of the same. Delicious acid to balance out the fruit and tannin. Well structured. Tasted May/June 2012. (3408 views) | |
| Tasted by webbaker on 5/10/2012 & rated 92 points: Deep, dark & rich. Slightly phenolic and woody. (3521 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 5/10/2012 & rated 94 points: Decanted for 1/2 hour. Pitch black/purple. Incredibly well balanced herbs, leather, black cherry. Mouth coating, long finish. Powerful wine. This was much better than my last bottle as the secondary flavors have now emerged. (3389 views) | |
| Tasted by RockinCabs on 3/31/2012 & rated 91 points: Nose: black fruit jam, blueberry, vanilla, cedar and pepper. Hot nose. Palate: dark fruit, cherry, blackberry, vanilla, sld hammy fruit. Finish: quite flashy with blackberry, spice, pepper and vanilla. Somewhat hot. (3727 views) | |
| Tasted by Pierre Lim on 2/24/2012 & rated 94 points: Pitch dark purple. Dark cherries, boysenberry and maple syrup on the nose. Sour cherries and blackberries are very dominant which coated my entire mouth. Sweetness on the front palate but tannic structure takes over, however, it is well integrated with the fruit so the finish is very smooth and balanced. Make no mistake - this is a BIG wine! Could easily cellar for another 10 to 12 yrs and will be interesting to taste my other bottle in 4 to 5 yrs. Excellent - 94 pt wine. I have tasted other Shafer's and Relentless is my favorite due to the fruit and complexity of the wine. (3934 views) | |
| Tasted by chefpete on 2/19/2012 & rated 90 points: Very nice (3617 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark from Plano on 1/22/2012 & rated 96 points: Took two bottles to a dinner party along with several other wines. This was by far the crowd favorite. Folks couldn't stop raving about it. This is a big, big wine, but in a very, very good way. Has the characteristic leather and tobacco notes, but the balance here is just stunning. One of my all time favorite wines and drinking just spectacularly right now. Sadly, they wolfed down my last two bottles of this vintage. (4469 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 12/27/2011 & rated 89 points: Decanted and poured for last holiday dinner of 2011 with the family. Time has not been good to this wine. The fruit has muted, the tannins have subsided but no secondary flavors are particularly noticable. Hopefully this is just in a dumb phase. (4123 views) | |
| Tasted by jonysan on 12/26/2011 & rated 92 points: Decanted a couple hours prior to drinking. Tannins nicely integrated allowing the juice to coat my tasted buds perfectly. Complex flavors of dark fruit flavors, sage and cedar. Lengthy finish. Always an interesting and consistently well made Syrah. (4011 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 12/21/2011 & rated 90 points: Relentless power. We decanted it for 35minutes but even after one hour the wine was still powering on. Very dark concentrated in colour. On the nose it's full on oak notes and although the initial caramel notes mellow the oak steamrolls any other aroma. On the palate it is big, powerfull, ripe. Unfortunately the oak and extraction take away any complexity. Sometimes less is more. 90 at the moment and young, but not sure what time will bring for this wine. Needs food. (4145 views) | |
| Tasted by aegerter on 12/13/2011 & rated 89 points: Bigger isn't always better! (4569 views) | |
| Tasted by Jcbragg on 10/22/2011 & rated 95 points: A great wine (4873 views) | |
| Tasted by James.michael.watrous on 9/16/2011 & rated 90 points: Dark, intense fruit that does not disappoint. Best enjoyed with a big meal. Petite sirah really comes through even at 22%. Will last forever. (4803 views) | |
| Tasted by joshwoodward on 4/14/2011 & rated 90 points: Corks: Over the Top (Rossford, OH): Interesting. Intense. Dark, medium structure and body, ripe. I taste the Petite here, with that narrow focus that it gets, like looking through a telescope. Still good, though. (5892 views) | |
| Tasted by Pinot Evil on 4/8/2011 & rated 93 points: Inky purple rich and full of herbaceous fruit lasting finish. (5726 views) | |
| Tasted by B Dub on 3/26/2011 & rated 89 points: Still a bit young and harsh up front. Consumed at a local restaurant. I was disappointed in the lack of a midpalate or finish. No real layers to this Syrah (88%) / Petite Syrah (22%) blend. Overpriced at the restaurant. (5620 views) | |
| Tasted by stevenjstein on 3/12/2011 & rated 91 points: Very dark and concentrated. This is not a subtle wine. Intense dark fruits, pepper, spice, charcoal. Needed decanting to really open up. Powerful, but a little lacking in complexity. (5625 views) | |
| Tasted by Biglama on 3/1/2011 & rated 92 points: diep rood, volle neus, sexy , vanille, rood fruit, aantrekkelijk, modern, smaak is heftig met veel passie en warmte, fruitbommetje, wel lekkerrrr, veel inhoud en breedte, mondvullend, romig, zacht, verleidelijke wijn, licht hoerig, maar wel op stijl (6283 views) | |
| Tasted by woofy on 2/24/2011 & rated 94 points: This is a solid, concentrated, purple wine, nicely refreshing, still a strong sense of oak, but so enjoyable. (5824 views) | |
| Tasted by mmontejano on 2/2/2011 & rated 95 points: OMG. Great wine. Must find more. (5915 views) | |
| Tasted by mpricher on 12/26/2010 & rated 91 points: Very Dark purple, and nearly opaque. Day one this was all smoke, dark currant,and Oak on the nose. I have had this bottling in the past, and it was more fruit forward, with blueberries and smoke the most prominent. This was not so with this vintage. more of a dark currant, extracted fruit plum skin taste. Very concentracted, and very oaky, but the tannins were very refined. Nice long finish. Nice in it's own way, but not as flexible as some bottles we had opend for the Christmas evening dinner festivities. (5936 views) | |
| Tasted by raydawgone on 12/26/2010 & rated 92 points: Concentrated oak-filled piece of paddle wood with liquid smoke and fresh herbs. I've drank this vintage in the past and I think the oak over took the fruits in this particular bottle. Solid bottling, but needs more time in cellar, 2-3 years. (5974 views) | |
| Tasted by Wayne Richmon on 12/5/2010 & rated 93 points: Double decanted and drank over ~ 2 hours. This is a rich full bodied wine with a very long finish. Deep dark purple in color and tons of ripe berries it is a pleasure to drink with or without food as long as you can share it with a friend. (6044 views) | |
| Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/24/2010: Dark, black and brooding. With suprising palate lift and of course, very fierce grip. (5769 views) | |
| Tasted by veni_vidi_vinum on 10/2/2010 & rated 89 points: Very bold. Dark berry and licorice. Harsh nose when the bottle was opened, but after sitting in the glass for a while, it opened up nicely. (5934 views) | |
| Tasted by Fishboy on 8/17/2010 & rated 91 points: Dark red color with vanilla, coffee, dark fruit and some spice notes. Still young. (5984 views) | |
| Tasted by rtd3 on 8/7/2010 & rated 95 points: Very good bold wine. Had with a NY Strip steak. Let decant for 1 hour before drinking. Slight hint of oak at the finish. Bursting with intense fruit on first taste. (5848 views) | |
| Tasted by wino_tim on 7/20/2010 & rated 88 points: Flamboyant and flashy in style with heavy notes of toast, hot soil, espresso roast, and black raspberries. Medium to full bodied on the palate, straightforward and bit stingy, lacking expansiveness or complexity. Moderately tannic. Short. (6089 views) | |
| Tasted by gnr on 7/7/2010 & rated 91 points: Very dark and rich. Like a cab. Love it. But not great with tacos. (5937 views) | |
| Tasted by patwjr on 6/13/2010 & rated 92 points: needs time or more than the 2 hours decant I gave it. still tight though good things are brewing. (6131 views) | |
| Tasted by adk.dmn on 4/23/2010 & rated 91 points: A stand out at parties. Liked it so much, went out and bought more. (6388 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark from Plano on 4/21/2010 & rated 93 points: Brought to a party. Did not take detailed notes, but this was the hit of the party. Lots of purple fruit, not much oak. Extremely well balanced. Just yummy. I brought two bottles, we drank one and my girlfriend stole the other to take home with her. She promises she'll only drink it with me. I intend to hold her to it. (6188 views) | |
| Tasted by bubbachumps on 3/13/2010 & rated 93 points: 2005 Syrah Horizontal representing 4 continents (Casa Tomek): Large scaled and dark as night. Not a particularly expressive on the nose but smooth and easy to drink. Nice example of syrah that showcased the petite that is part of the blend. My #6 WOTN, the group's #4. (7044 views) | |
| Tasted by raydawgone on 2/20/2010 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 3-4 hours. In your face knock out punch. Dark, brambly heavy duty black fruit with long, lingering spicy finish. Top Relentless vintage we've drank! (6219 views) | |
| Tasted by rmalloy on 1/7/2010 & rated 86 points: Stewy black fruit, coffee, vanilla, green pepper, and light Christmas-y spices. Thick and hot on the tongue. Low acidity. This is a heavy syrah but I don't think it's a particularly good one. (6470 views) | |
| Tasted by Fishboy on 12/28/2009 & rated 90 points: Similar notes (6383 views) | |
| Tasted by pkbackman on 12/24/2009 & rated 94 points: Never disappoints. Big rich raspberry fruit. Just delicious. (6235 views) | |
| Tasted by D.Callahan on 12/15/2009 & rated 91 points: Excellent syrah, full bodied and rich. (6101 views) | |
| Tasted by marcw23 on 11/26/2009 & rated 92 points: Very dark, almost purple in color. Some dark fruit on the nose. Fantastic, fully bodied, lots of dark fruit and plum. Decanted for about an hour, but tannins are still not fully settled, slightly dry and short finish. Huge fine, will probably be better in 2-3 years. (4958 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 11/11/2009 & rated 86 points: Trip to Napa/Sonoma; 11/7/2009-11/14/2009 (Napa/Sonoma): This was disappointing and certainly not as good as the '06. Fruity nose with perceptible alcohol. Concentrated fruity palate, with stewed fruits going into a lengthy finish with strong amount of heat on the back end. Some port characteristics. I was surprised the winery was serving this given how out of balance it was, seemed to be overdone and hot. Disappointing. Serving slightly below room temp may help. (6364 views) | |
| Tasted by Fishboy on 10/10/2009 & rated 90 points: Still very young with dark fruit, oak, vanilla and spice notes. (4911 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 8/24/2009 & rated 92 points: Had a wine tasting party at my house with 5 other couples. Had 3 whites and 4 reds. I brought this as I assumed there would be cab/merlot and this would be a good comparison. Ended up as WOTN. Opened the bottle about 4 hours prior to the event as I assumed the 05 would just be too young. I tasted some immediately upon opening and the tannins overpowered everything. With some open time and glass swirling, got a nose of blackberry and oak. The palate was dark fruit (plum was mentioned), vanilla and spice. Its almost black and full bodied with a strong finish. For my taste, this needs a couple of years to mellow out and it should be amazing at that point as its very good now. (5129 views) | |
| Tasted by sdr on 8/17/2009 & rated 90 points: I can apprecate this interesting California syrah but I don't love it. About as dark as wine can get, essentially black. The nose is ultra fruity (blackberry) - but ultra oaky too (vanilla, chocolate). The balance is better on the palate, but it tastes frankly sweet even though technically it is dry. The attack, mid palate and finish are all the same. I don't expect, not do I want, Cote Rotie in my California syrah, but my palate would have appreciated a bit more structure, even though there is 22% petite sirah in the blend for that purpose according to the winemaker. Still, it's impressive for what it is. (5079 views) | |
| Tasted by nzinkgraf on 7/24/2009: third time in two weeks. singing raspberry pie on the nose. not so overly woody on the nose as I have found this wine in the past. It has been open for an undetermined amount of time. air makes the wood settle is my thoughts here. chocolate, wood, vanillin on the palate. there you are...wood. monster of a wine. (4944 views) | |
| Tasted by nzinkgraf on 7/22/2009: American Syrah (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): roast coffee and some smoke on the nose. black notes on top of red, no black fruit. black top too. structure makes this tough to approach now. lingering notes of a dark forest. with black olive too. (5029 views) | |
| Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/22/2009: Dark black fruit and gingerbread (oak) tastes. Suprisingly lively across the palate. Big, but a very drinkable big. The finish is hot and short. Just opened and I would attribute my last comments to this. Rather fun to drink. 2 hours in: black pepper, smoke, vibrant black fruit, oak is down in the body. You can definately taste the Petite Sirah tannins in it. The back is "simple" but I think that is because its not quite open yet. A big boy. (4590 views) | |
| Tasted by nzinkgraf on 7/11/2009: getting close to cedary in it's barrel treatment. big chocolate and noticable alcohol called out. for me just a bit too much of the oak influence right now to be that enjoyable. big structure, really just too much acid and wood tannin for right now. (4394 views) | |
| Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/10/2009: Second day open and a bit man handled at that. And just screaming right now. Not sure I would go to $70 but I would go close. Which is saying allot for me. (4363 views) | |
| Tasted by jimmyrice14 on 6/19/2009 & rated 93 points: I did not have time to decant so I'm scoring this on my projected scale since it was very good but did not open up nearly enough...I will also keep this cellared for a few years before opening another...very interesting, earthy nose...huge fruit. (4264 views) | |
| Tasted by Hazeo on 5/29/2009 & rated 90 points: Medium-full bodied, deep relentless (ha ...) fruit, rich and tasty, but I felt it was rather one-dimensional and lacks serious depth. It no doubt excels in that particular dimension (lushness), but it needs more to go further for me. (4158 views) | |
| Tasted by gorm on 4/25/2009 & rated 90 points: Deep purple. Intense nose of blackberries, blackcurrant and oak. Full-bodied, intense and fat black juicy syrah with just hints of more rustique elements and licorice to make it interesting. Show a bit of heat and is too oaky. I really liked the 02 version (until it shut down) and also enjoyed the 01. Since then every vintage seems to disappoint me. (4313 views) | |
| Tasted by godx on 3/19/2009 & rated 90 points: Tasted at winery – deep ruby, clear. Tight youthful nose of black fruits, spice, new leather with hints of red fruits and truffle. Flavours of plum, black cherries and vanilla. Full body, medium to high acidity, lots of firm tannins with a medium to long finish. Needs time. Excellent. 90+ (4369 views) | |
| Tasted by Berno on 2/28/2009 & rated 95 points: 80/20 Syrah/Petit Sirah that spent 30 months in 100% new French oak. I was speechless. Incredible nose of coffee, chambord, baking spice, pepper and vanilla. Ultra ripe and rich. Full bodied, fruit forward and balanced. Tons of ripe blueberry on the nearly neverending finish. (4337 views) | |
| Tasted by txfireman on 2/11/2009 & rated 91 points: Great body, a little bit disappointed, but then again was drinking against hillside. (4201 views) | |
| Tasted by cgrant on 12/7/2007 & rated 92 points: Good. Needs more time (4993 views) |
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ShaferProducer websiteJohn Shafer and his family founded Shafer Vineyards, located in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley, in 1979. From the Shafers' first wine, a 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, their wines have won much acclaim. Today, the Shafers farm 200 acres of vineyard in the Stags Leap District, Carneros and Oak Knoll regions. Their flagship wine, Hillside Select, is produced from selected blocks of the family's hillside vineyards and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. They also produce Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Merlot, One Point Five (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Relentless (a Syrah/Petite Sirah blend), which was named #1 wine of the year by Wine Spectator's "Top 100" of 2012. Syrah BlendThe 2018 is 40% Merlot and 60% Syrah.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-PetersonNapa ValleyNapa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |