I drank this is 2019 after overlooking the wine in my cellar. I was surprised at the wines lingering structure. My records indicate to drink by 2014 but would add if superb wines are well cellared they can still show well. Doug you and team did well.
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this baby came from an auction with excellent provenance and it didn't disappoint; it should be drunk in the next 10 years, plenty of life left... the cork though, very humid and bristle... it may lead to flaws in the near future so please keep these in best conditions possible... magnificent, strong and ominous; a great relentless
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Plenty of life left. Not tired at all. Big dark fruit w smooth tannins and plush mouth feel. Drank next to some very big cabs of notable name and more recent vintages and stole the show.
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So disappointing..Opened the bottle and it had a deep musty smell. One of my friends called it a bad forest floor smell. Tasted "ok", and it should have had a few more years of life ahead of it, if it wasn't for the smell. Which never went away. It was still there the next morning, after sitting open all night.
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Pop and pour did not do this last btl any justice. Dark color, muted nose, good taste with tanin. Time in a decanter would have helped. This is to drink now.
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This bottle could go until 2025. Decanted for an hour and improved with time in the glass. Deep dark cherry and blackberry fruit, pepper, graphite, faint char and a little cedar that comes with age. Good balance and length. Softened enough to be versatile with food too. It's good to know these age so well. I recently had a 2000 (a notoriously poor vintage in Napa) and while far more mature than this 2001 it was holding up surprisingly well.
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Delicious Syrah. Still huge. I can't imagine what this was like 10 years ago. Still 3 years of life left in my bottle. Wish I had more...I'll be searching.
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Spectacular. Petite Sirah dominates. Still a BABY but if you have any break it out now for a treat. Delicious big blue stone fruit. Mom's blueberry pie.
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Expected it to be towards the end of its drinking window, but it was still very deep and intense. Medium acid, medium (-) tannins, so could still go for a bit more. Dark fruits - lots of blackberrry, tinge of dark cherry, tinge of blueberry - dominate, with notes of black pepper. Finish had a slight intense, bitter note, which may mellow with a few more years. Saved half a bottle to be consumed 2 days later.
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- Brick color and aromas of blackberry, black currant, fig and coffee. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Round texture - Popped and decanted. Really came alive after 30 minutes. Served with truffled risotto.
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Quick TN. Popped and poured. Dark fruits still seem very primary. Just a hint of grilled meat, maybe a little earth. Some tannin. But still showing a lot of oak. Okay wine but many others at this price point I'd rather have. I still don't get it. Good with griddled burgers.
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Another stunning bottle. Blackberries, blueberries, spice, and a bit of earth. Balanced and structured, great long finish with noticable, but soft tannins. Drank over 2 days with slight improvement on day two. Most of a case left.
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Still dark red. Nose of blueberries, spice, and some complex earthiness. With open time, this fills your mouth, without being over the top. Just a pleasant balance of fruit and acid without sweetness. A long, long finish with tannins that are about perfect now. (stored at 55 since release)
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"Smoke on Water", Deep Purple circa 1975 best describes the color. almost black. (If I weren't a Steeers fan I would have said the color was like a Raven and that it hits like Ray Lewis. Blackberries and blueberries on the nose along with violet and leather and little baking spice. A bomb on the palate - similar to the nose with blackberries and blueberries but also with the distinctive white pepper of a Syrah. A little black necco waiver describes the dusty tannins. Huge wine. Lots of structure. Decanted for an hour. I drank this wine 3 years ago and it is much more integrated now then it was then. It still has plenty of aging ahead of it.
PS just read miawren1's note - you are right the ripe plums do jump out of the glass!
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Highly opaque, deep garnet color with no flaws and no sediment. A little rim variation in the glass. Less than expected for a ten year old wine. Earth nose. Aromas of fruits and flowers in the glass. Medium acid and low tannin. Medium alcohol. 15-30 sec finish in the mouth. We like it.
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Decanted and consumed over 2.5 hours. Pours as any good syrah does, deep black-purple. Tannins are very prominent early on and the fruit tastes a little backwards. Within an hour in the decanter the juice becomes silky, with black tea, rock, just-tanned leather and alcohol hints on the nose. Heavy mouthfeel, lush and silky, all about the fruit. Hints of cedar. My last bottle and well-timed, though this should still be in the heart of its window for 1-3 more years.
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Tasted next to the Favia, about half of the people thought that this was clearly better than the Favia. I didn't, because the Favia is so special and has such a great length and personality, and all the women at the table too :-) This wine is at it's peak right now, round powerful and great to just drink!
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This has shed its baby fat and the PS is the dominant flavor profile. Blackberry, crushed rock, licorice, truffles with firm tannins and dark savory fruit. I might have liked this better in its brighter youth, but it is quite complex now.
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Paired with short ribs and polenta. Decanted 2+ hours. Some noticeable oak when it was first poured. Powerful, young tasting syrah with petite still providing structure that has softened since I last tried this. Seemed very primary and not showing any signs of development. Not sure I get this wine after having tried it a few times. And I don't think it was worth the $60+ I paid for it. Good with the food though.
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Big syrah that still seemed quite youthful. Often at age 9, Relentless begins to show full maturity. While most of the roughness has smoothed away there is still a big burly power to this wine. Very good today will like age another decade.
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As good a bottle of Relentless as I remember having (without consulting prior TNs). Firing on all cylinders straight from the bottle, huge, young, powerfully structured. The nose is truly heady: chocolate, flowers, creme de cassis, blackberry syrup. Consistent flavors on the palate, but a little more earthy/tobacco notes. A long finish. Ripe and sweet tannins, and they still aren't fully resolved. This wine still seems quite young. Don't know if the petit sirah is a larger proportion than usual, but it really shows strong in the beefy, chocolaty, youthful and tannic wine that presented itself to us tonight. I'll pick up another bottle or two of this favorite.
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Decanted 2 hours. Inky black color with a fantastically complex nose with black fruit, beef jerky, black tea among the many facets. Full bodied but quite smooth and well balanced. Intense black fruit with notes of spice, black tea, leather and just a little oak. Long finish with soft tannins. Drinking extremely well right now and should continue to improve over the next few years.
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Color: Dark and brooding with red edges Nose & Palate: Blackberry, blueberry; meaty and gamey notes. Smoother than the 2002, if just more refined with an additional year of age. Blackberry, some spice, meaty beef, delicious! Big but balanced with more oak that I like but it worked well in the integration of the big fruit.
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PnP. Dark red-tinged violet. Nose dominated by dark berries, but with ample roasted meats, tar and a little spice. Entry with medium high intensity fruit with a full, but firmly textured midpalate. Strong sense of crushed rocks. Medium low complexity and finesse. Balancing acidity on finish. Aftertaste is fairly lengthy and more somewhat funky flavor notes emerge (which I liked, but Nancy, the 'flaw-senser' did not).
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Pop and pour. Not decanted, and greatly improved about 90 mins after opening the bottle. Dark coloring looks like a cab-shiraz blend, but the first taste gives away the maturity and balance of the Shafer. This is in prime form with full yet supple aromas of dark fruit, and the perfect balance of structure and fruit. In NO WAY does this resemble a typical California Syrah. Should be good through 2012+, but in perfect condition now. Thanks Elias and Doug!!
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Open one week from Saxon offline at Zach's. Showing beautifully now. Rich ripe. Tastes more Syrah than Petite Sirah now. Has lost that aggressive tannin. Highly recommend holding this at least 5 more years or decanting for a week!
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Deep, dark color. Decanted and drank over the evening. Rich, dark fruit nose that opened nicely as the evening passed. Complex syrah component showed spice and peppper, but fruit dominated. A huge wine that has some good years of life left in it. A winning Relentless. Worked well with grilled pork ribs.
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Funky berry, smoked meat, barnyard, sweaty leather and crushed rock aromas. There is a dill top note but otherwise the oak is much better integrated compared to a couple of years ago. Black fruit, chocolate notes and black pepper on the round, friendly palate. The finish is very peppery with oaky, slightly bitter tannins. Needs another couple of years. Showing more Syrah characteristics and I suspect some brett. A sound, well made wine but I still think there are better values out there.
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Even better than before...wonderful complexity, and very much a syrah...bit of white pepper peeping through. Throughing sediment, so decant if you wish
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Decanted 2 hours and thoroughly enjoyed over the following 3 hours. Wonderful nose of cherries, blueberries, spice, and dark fruit. Beautifully balanced...no regrets opening this bottle at this point.
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This wine is peaking right now, imo. A wonderfully nose of blackberries, black cherry, and sweet oak. The palate is concentrated, but surprisingly graceful with firm acidity, pepper, spice, and blackberries; wonderfully balanced, with little noticeable oak influence. A very enjoyable finish. Very memorable.
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7 years in the bottle and it couldn't get any better could it? Dark and rich and thick, black fruits dominate, not as peppery as some but the tannins are well resolved and drinking beautifully.
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Still a very big California Syrah. Lots of dark fruit and spice on the nose. Brisk tannins balance the fruit and create an awesome mouthfeel. Long, lush finish that ends with a note of pepper and spice.
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Opened and served immediately (backup bottle). Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of rich boysenberry, smoke, a bit of bacon fat and plums. Flavors of plums, Bing cherries, berries and a little boysenberry on the long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full body. Drink with a decant or continue to hold.
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Consitent with past bottles this is one of our favorite producers of California Syrah, that seems to be dialed in each and every year. Delivers dark fruit and spice, with plenty of layers and lots of spice on the nose and beatuiful amounts of pepper on the finisih.
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Man, this wine is really singing. Yep, it has the chocolate, the smooth blackberry and some light cherry thing going for it. That works and it's plush and sleek. But, what I dig about the wine was earthy undertone and a slight hint of barnyard. No, not brett and not really prominent but married with the plushness, the earthy tones, this wine works and it does it very well. Hey Rob Winn, would like to try another please.
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Tasted March 8, 2008. Opened and served immediately. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of acacia flowers, plums, Crayola crayons and melted black licorice. Flavors of black currants, bitters and black berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold.
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NSMFOW March (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Purple opaque color. Nose of dark fruits, tar, spice. Brooding palate of cassis, blackberry, tar, scorched earth (the first time this Parker expression seemed to work for me) with big tannins and a big finish. Not really my style but nonetheless very satisfying.
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One of the best made Napa Syrah. Big, lush and powerful fruit with integrated tannins and a big pepper note on the finish. Aromoa/flavors of blackberry, earth, spice, and pepper. Long finish.
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Even better than before...wonderful complexity, and very much a syrah...bit of white pepper peeping through. Needs 4 hrs ofdecanting or another 5 years to really be at its peak. Will lengthen tasting window
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Didn't decant, but this is aging beautifully, with each bottle better than the previous one. Classic tobacco and leather characteristics are not overwheliming, and the tannins are well integrated. Could age for years, but why wait anymore?
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Ripe and distinctly Auzzie in profile. Blue and black berry, hot asphalt, oaky characteristics and lots of black pepper. Over a couple of hours a sweet, herbal edge appeared. Drinking nicely now, well made and will last a number of years. I cannot help feel that this is a Syrah built for Cab palates. It lacks the cooler climate complexities found in the better CA Syrahs.
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6/26/2007 Aired in a glass with a short pour for 30 minutes plus. Nice dark color, and a nose of pepper, spice and black fruit. A fill lup your mouth with flavor wine with noticeable but balanced tannins, good structure and balance. Fairly complex with chocolate/mocha, black fruit, ripe cherry and spice with a finish of spice, vanilla and more fruit
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very dark color, blackberry, five spice and a touch of heat on the nose. very powerful but monolithic palate with fine grained tannins and a touch of heat on the finish. disappointing
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CB: I loved this wine. Bring me more!!! Great cohesion of flavors, tannins, acidity, etc. Just fantastic and I was very disappointed when my glass was empty :( .
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TB: Popped and poured into a decanter, but the smells were huge just pouring into the decanter. Decanted 15 minutes and had with a chicken quesadilla. Dark, inky purple in color showing very little lightening at the rim. Huge nose of blackberry, vanilla, cigar box and tobacco. Big wine with nice overall mouthfeel. Nice acidity and tannic kick, provides for a 30 second finish. Great wine, although after a couple hours the wine seemed to be overpowered with tannin and acidity and some heat began peaking out. I'm guessing my glass had gotten too warm as my wife didn't notice the same. Scored based on the initial impressions and assumption that mine was a bit too warm by the end of the night.
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No score. Everyone agreed that there was something not right with this wine. It didn't taste anything like a Relentless. Flat. Fairly devoid of fruit. No finish to speak of. This is my second bad bottle from this vintage.
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This wine is potentially great, but needs time and food to appreciate fully. Typically new world syrah with roasted meats, some pepper, and heat on the finish. One of two in my cellar. Let the other one sit for a couple of years maybe 2009. That said, this is going to be special.
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Uncorked California and Australia Tasting (Uncorked, London EC2): Really intense nose, blackcurrant, some spice. Deep, concentrated blackcurrant fruit on the mid-palate, spice, some nice acidity, and some minerality on the long finish. Some heat too, but VGI/excellent, at least in small doses.
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Dark purple/garnet. Looks very thick with colored stripes. Powerful sweet and meaty nose of blackcurrant and blackberries as well as blood and hints of peber. Taste is extremely seducing. Very low acid and very hedonistic. Served with 24 ounce Porterhouse at a Boston steakhouse. Rating: 94.
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Tasted July 15, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Vinum glass. I think this bottle was opened and about half gone for about an hour before I finally got to it. Still had a nose of brett to me, maybe even a slight whiff of rancid meat. Beyond that I think I could get some bacon fat or maybe roasted meat or perhaps some coffee. I really don’t know. Being brave or insane I actually took a little sip and although it wasn’t bad it was mostly dominated by red berries with an almost “flat” presence on the palate. This was anything but what I remember my last 2001 Relentless to be. I personally think this was a flawed bottle. Therefore no rating or value recommendation.
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[Lamb burgers] opened c leathery and black fruit on the nose later developed with distinct red meat aroma. Great structure/ brooding while maintaining some balance. On the palate dense black fruit, mocha, and bbq. Has life ahead of it. But drinking nicely now.
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Extremely dense and dark red color with purple on the rim (5/5). Large and fruity bouquet with lots of dark fruits, chocolate, coffee, eucalyptus, vanilla and hints of bakery shop (to me a Shafer trademark) (13/15). In the mouth the wine is HUGE, well structured, with opulent glycerin and massive potential for further development. Flavors of black fruits, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and eucalyptus linger on the palate! (16/20). Beautiful wine with lots of potential, definately for the crowd seeking hedonistic pleasure! 94 pts
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Dark purple. Tannins were huge upon opening, however, after 2 hours of decanting they blended in enough not to provide too much of a distraction. Early taste of blueberry turned darker after time in the glass, burnt bitter mocha framed the fruit. Long finish that faded with heat. I will wait on my next bottle for a minimum of two years
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took 2 to DC Cru dinner - consistent with other bottle... was served later in the night. It had some deep fruit and significant vanilla notes... nice mouthfeel. Definitely has a long life ahead of it.
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took 2 to DC Cru dinner was served later in the night. It had some deep fruit and significant vanilla notes... nice mouthfeel. Definitely has a long life ahead of it.
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Great nose! This big syrah is filled with tannins, and an unmistakeable blackberry and soft spice taste. It could afford to remain in the bottle for a few more years (at least until 2008) and if you have that patience you will be well rewarded with a stunningly more balanced wine. Its very drinkable now but could be brilliant in time.
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Very dark, sulphur on nose (blew off), massive tannin, the stuff that makes your tongue cling to your palate, dark intense. Couldn't drink much of this.
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WIML91,WA93,WS91 Tasted September 24, 2005 at a retail tasting. Not sure when the bottle was opened but served in Riedel restaurant styled stems. Dark purple to crimson color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Wonderful up front aroma of “espresso doppio” with some caramel, pepper and roasted meat. Flavors consisted of black berries, plums and expresson built on top of an earthy frame. No hurry to open this one IMO. I’d let it sit another 6 months to a year before trying again and then most likely drink over the ensuing 5-7 years. Recommended.
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James turns 30: This wine is a monster. Dense chewey and smoky black fruit. Has the stuffing to stand up I suspect, but this needs time or some serious decanting.
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Big briar-patch nose. Blackberry, pepper, spice-pot on the nose with more on the palate. Decided to pop this one with the '02 to be coming soon. Glad to have one more bottle. Good (30+ seconds) length finish. At cellar temp, no heat apparent. Well integrated acids, tannin, and fruit. Med-level of acid lends itself to food pairing, but still great stand alone. Not sure if this may shut down soon, but has the stuffing for another 7-10 years. Will definitely be glad to get my '02s.. and let my other '01 sleep for a few - maybe :D
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A touch of heat upon opening is swallowed up by this inky, meaty, black monster of a wine. While my preferences have been veering away from Syrah of this style, the wine is frankly irresistible.
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Decanted for 6 hours prior to sending it down the hatch...Tasted blind...The decanter glowed with aromas of berry and spice. On the palate, it showed beautiful blackberry flavors perfectly (IMHO) integrated with spice and pepper. The tannins were very well integrated, and no heat was detectable on the tongue. Very full bodied, but I was very impressed by the balance, especially since the last bottle was delicious, just not quite ready to pop the top on. It is very much crafted in a Shafer style. The finish sung for a solid 25+ seconds...damn beautiful syrah...Tasted for the fourth time, with previous ratings of 92, 92, 93...
I would love to taste a mini vertical of the 99, 00, and 01. With a syrah/petite like this, I am itching for the release of the 2002.
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Shafer Relentless at Lon's at the Hermosa (Phoenix): Terrific wine; 81% syrah and 19% petit syrah...did not decant, but wine was very approachable, did not have any stemmy or "green" affect. Super fruits, great balance, plenty of tannins and long finish; just hitting its stride
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i like this better than the 2 previous vintages, but it's still not a wine that i am overly fond of. this is in stark contrast to the group, which scored it only behind the SQN. i recognize it's typicity and care of production. your mileage will (based on many other posts) probably vary. to me it just doesn't have enough fruit.
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10/5/2020 - Big Canoe Likes this wine: 90 Points
I drank this is 2019 after overlooking the wine in my cellar. I was surprised at the wines lingering structure. My records indicate to drink by 2014 but would add if superb wines are well cellared they can still show well. Doug you and team did well.
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4/17/2019 - joseduca Likes this wine: 94 Points
this baby came from an auction with excellent provenance and it didn't disappoint; it should be drunk in the next 10 years, plenty of life left... the cork though, very humid and bristle... it may lead to flaws in the near future so please keep these in best conditions possible... magnificent, strong and ominous; a great relentless
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3/13/2019 - MOWE_NV Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasty!! Still some life, graham cracker, espresso, blackberry liqueur fruit is fading a touch but still enjoyable.
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11/18/2018 - Gr8penut Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little too old. The nose was a little off, but the palate was still good.
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10/21/2018 - paul.guerrero.co Likes this wine: 95 Points
Plenty of life left. Not tired at all. Big dark fruit w smooth tannins and plush mouth feel. Drank next to some very big cabs of notable name and more recent vintages and stole the show.
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2/14/2018 - SMHalps wrote: flawed
So disappointing..Opened the bottle and it had a deep musty smell. One of my friends called it a bad forest floor smell. Tasted "ok", and it should have had a few more years of life ahead of it, if it wasn't for the smell. Which never went away. It was still there the next morning, after sitting open all night.
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4/25/2017 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still going strong!
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10/23/2016 - jlgnml wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour did not do this last btl any justice. Dark color, muted nose, good taste with tanin. Time in a decanter would have helped. This is to drink now.
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10/22/2016 - budman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Possibly the best bottle yet. The first glass was excellent, and subsequent pours were even better!
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9/20/2016 - MV2007 wrote: 93 Points
This bottle could go until 2025. Decanted for an hour and improved with time in the glass. Deep dark cherry and blackberry fruit, pepper, graphite, faint char and a little cedar that comes with age. Good balance and length. Softened enough to be versatile with food too. It's good to know these age so well. I recently had a 2000 (a notoriously poor vintage in Napa) and while far more mature than this 2001 it was holding up surprisingly well.
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7/10/2016 - greyhound93 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Should have decanted this. With air it opened up and was wonderful. Big but balanced.
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1/15/2016 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Deep berry color, delicious, lasting. Good btl.
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12/8/2015 - lamitchw Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious Syrah. Still huge. I can't imagine what this was like 10 years ago. Still 3 years of life left in my bottle. Wish I had more...I'll be searching.
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6/6/2015 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular. Petite Sirah dominates. Still a BABY but if you have any break it out now for a treat. Delicious big blue stone fruit. Mom's blueberry pie.
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5/10/2015 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
No longer youthful, but plenty of power remains and its big berry flavors give lots of enjoyment. Still has at least five years on it.
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12/28/2014 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
In its wheelhouse!!!
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12/21/2014 - LONGDIVISION wrote: 93 Points
Exceeded expectations, fruit still vibrant. Leather, wood, cigar box lingering finish
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6/18/2014 - nonexpert wrote: 91 Points
Expected it to be towards the end of its drinking window, but it was still very deep and intense. Medium acid, medium (-) tannins, so could still go for a bit more. Dark fruits - lots of blackberrry, tinge of dark cherry, tinge of blueberry - dominate, with notes of black pepper. Finish had a slight intense, bitter note, which may mellow with a few more years. Saved half a bottle to be consumed 2 days later.
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3/19/2014 - woofy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is really good and holding up extremely well. We just had it with a roasted chicken and it was perfect.
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2/15/2014 - rwstorer wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color and aromas of blackberry, black currant, fig and coffee. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Round texture - Popped and decanted. Really came alive after 30 minutes. Served with truffled risotto.
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1/3/2014 - GZ wrote:
dark color, sight dry, very long taste, love it 9.3
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1/23/2013 - JFish wrote:
Quick TN. Popped and poured. Dark fruits still seem very primary. Just a hint of grilled meat, maybe a little earth. Some tannin. But still showing a lot of oak. Okay wine but many others at this price point I'd rather have. I still don't get it. Good with griddled burgers.
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1/22/2013 - RR47 wrote: 94 Points
Another stunning bottle. Blackberries, blueberries, spice, and a bit of earth. Balanced and structured, great long finish with noticable, but soft tannins. Drank over 2 days with slight improvement on day two. Most of a case left.
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11/28/2012 - RR47 wrote: 94 Points
Similar notes to November 8, 2012 tasting, but decanted this and let it open. Nose more prominent, softer in the mouth, great long finish.
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11/8/2012 - RR47 wrote: 93 Points
Still dark red. Nose of blueberries, spice, and some complex earthiness. With open time, this fills your mouth, without being over the top. Just a pleasant balance of fruit and acid without sweetness. A long, long finish with tannins that are about perfect now. (stored at 55 since release)
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5/20/2012 - unionst wrote: 94 Points
"Smoke on Water", Deep Purple circa 1975 best describes the color. almost black. (If I weren't a Steeers fan I would have said the color was like a Raven and that it hits like Ray Lewis. Blackberries and blueberries on the nose along with violet and leather and little baking spice. A bomb on the palate - similar to the nose with blackberries and blueberries but also with the distinctive white pepper of a Syrah. A little black necco waiver describes the dusty tannins. Huge wine. Lots of structure. Decanted for an hour. I drank this wine 3 years ago and it is much more integrated now then it was then. It still has plenty of aging ahead of it.
PS just read miawren1's note - you are right the ripe plums do jump out of the glass!
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3/19/2012 - winertoo wrote:
drank with Marybeth and Alex (3/20/12)
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2/5/2012 - tkoby11 wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong 10 years later! Not a ton of complexity, but certainly plenty of depth and concentration. Tastes like it 5 years old.
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1/1/2012 - mlawren1 wrote: 95 Points
Amazing wine, the plums and cherries burst out of the glass, hint of vanilla underneath.
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12/30/2011 - llink wrote:
Big, high alcohol syrah, with lots of blueberry notes from the 20% petite syrah in the blend. Brawny and showing lots of life left.
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9/4/2011 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 93 Points
Highly opaque, deep garnet color with no flaws and no sediment. A little rim variation in the glass. Less than expected for a ten year old wine. Earth nose. Aromas of fruits and flowers in the glass. Medium acid and low tannin. Medium alcohol. 15-30 sec finish in the mouth. We like it.
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7/1/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and consumed over 2.5 hours. Pours as any good syrah does, deep black-purple. Tannins are very prominent early on and the fruit tastes a little backwards. Within an hour in the decanter the juice becomes silky, with black tea, rock, just-tanned leather and alcohol hints on the nose. Heavy mouthfeel, lush and silky, all about the fruit. Hints of cedar. My last bottle and well-timed, though this should still be in the heart of its window for 1-3 more years.
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3/18/2011 - G_H Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted next to the Favia, about half of the people thought that this was clearly better than the Favia. I didn't, because the Favia is so special and has such a great length and personality, and all the women at the table too :-)
This wine is at it's peak right now, round powerful and great to just drink!
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2/27/2011 - winedingo wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic bottle of wine. Smooth, fruit driven and just enough length.
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2/23/2011 - AlexHop wrote: 88 Points
A little funny. Better after its been opened for an hour but not great balance. Still very bold.
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12/12/2010 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 44 hours. Full power, curry, great wine!
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11/27/2010 - rmodak wrote: 90 Points
This has shed its baby fat and the PS is the dominant flavor profile. Blackberry, crushed rock, licorice, truffles with firm tannins and dark savory fruit. I might have liked this better in its brighter youth, but it is quite complex now.
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11/20/2010 - JFish wrote:
Paired with short ribs and polenta. Decanted 2+ hours. Some noticeable oak when it was first poured. Powerful, young tasting syrah with petite still providing structure that has softened since I last tried this. Seemed very primary and not showing any signs of development. Not sure I get this wine after having tried it a few times. And I don't think it was worth the $60+ I paid for it. Good with the food though.
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10/15/2010 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big syrah that still seemed quite youthful. Often at age 9, Relentless begins to show full maturity. While most of the roughness has smoothed away there is still a big burly power to this wine. Very good today will like age another decade.
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9/20/2010 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
As good a bottle of Relentless as I remember having (without consulting prior TNs). Firing on all cylinders straight from the bottle, huge, young, powerfully structured. The nose is truly heady: chocolate, flowers, creme de cassis, blackberry syrup. Consistent flavors on the palate, but a little more earthy/tobacco notes. A long finish. Ripe and sweet tannins, and they still aren't fully resolved. This wine still seems quite young. Don't know if the petit sirah is a larger proportion than usual, but it really shows strong in the beefy, chocolaty, youthful and tannic wine that presented itself to us tonight.
I'll pick up another bottle or two of this favorite.
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4/4/2010 - Yamadori wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Inky black color with a fantastically complex nose with black fruit, beef jerky, black tea among the many facets. Full bodied but quite smooth and well balanced. Intense black fruit with notes of spice, black tea, leather and just a little oak. Long finish with soft tannins. Drinking extremely well right now and should continue to improve over the next few years.
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3/28/2010 - budman wrote: 94 Points
A real WOW wine. Full of dark fruit. Tannins have softened, and are fully integrated with the fruit.
Fantastic bottle.
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12/26/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 92 Points
Color: Dark and brooding with red edges
Nose & Palate: Blackberry, blueberry; meaty and gamey notes. Smoother than the 2002, if just more refined with an additional year of age. Blackberry, some spice, meaty beef, delicious! Big but balanced with more oak that I like but it worked well in the integration of the big fruit.
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12/6/2009 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Corked.
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11/21/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Dark red-tinged violet. Nose dominated by dark berries, but with ample roasted meats, tar and a little spice. Entry with medium high intensity fruit with a full, but firmly textured midpalate. Strong sense of crushed rocks. Medium low complexity and finesse. Balancing acidity on finish. Aftertaste is fairly lengthy and more somewhat funky flavor notes emerge (which I liked, but Nancy, the 'flaw-senser' did not).
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10/19/2009 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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10/3/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Not decanted, and greatly improved about 90 mins after opening the bottle. Dark coloring looks like a cab-shiraz blend, but the first taste gives away the maturity and balance of the Shafer. This is in prime form with full yet supple aromas of dark fruit, and the perfect balance of structure and fruit. In NO WAY does this resemble a typical California Syrah. Should be good through 2012+, but in perfect condition now. Thanks Elias and Doug!!
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7/6/2009 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
Age has been very generous to this wine, sorry to see this vintage leave my cellar.
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6/21/2009 - kenv wrote: 92 Points
Open one week from Saxon offline at Zach's. Showing beautifully now. Rich ripe. Tastes more Syrah than Petite Sirah now. Has lost that aggressive tannin. Highly recommend holding this at least 5 more years or decanting for a week!
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5/18/2009 - RR47 wrote: 92 Points
Deep, dark color. Decanted and drank over the evening. Rich, dark fruit nose that opened nicely as the evening passed. Complex syrah component showed spice and peppper, but fruit dominated. A huge wine that has some good years of life left in it. A winning Relentless. Worked well with grilled pork ribs.
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3/27/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Funky berry, smoked meat, barnyard, sweaty leather and crushed rock aromas. There is a dill top note but otherwise the oak is much better integrated compared to a couple of years ago. Black fruit, chocolate notes and black pepper on the round, friendly palate. The finish is very peppery with oaky, slightly bitter tannins. Needs another couple of years. Showing more Syrah characteristics and I suspect some brett. A sound, well made wine but I still think there are better values out there.
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3/4/2009 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
Even better than before...wonderful complexity, and very much a syrah...bit of white pepper peeping through. Throughing sediment, so decant if you wish
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2/28/2009 - rlysecky wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours and thoroughly enjoyed over the following 3 hours. Wonderful nose of cherries, blueberries, spice, and dark fruit. Beautifully balanced...no regrets opening this bottle at this point.
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2/8/2009 - gigabit wrote: 94 Points
This wine is peaking right now, imo. A wonderfully nose of blackberries, black cherry, and sweet oak. The palate is concentrated, but surprisingly graceful with firm acidity, pepper, spice, and blackberries; wonderfully balanced, with little noticeable oak influence. A very enjoyable finish. Very memorable.
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1/10/2009 - jcgreenway wrote: 90 Points
Needs to breathe. Smooth Long Finish. Lots of dark fruits.
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1/8/2009 - Double D wrote: 96 Points
7 years in the bottle and it couldn't get any better could it? Dark and rich and thick, black fruits dominate, not as peppery as some but the tannins are well resolved and drinking beautifully.
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10/12/2008 - GolferChris wrote: 93 Points
Still a very big California Syrah. Lots of dark fruit and spice on the nose. Brisk tannins balance the fruit and create an awesome mouthfeel. Long, lush finish that ends with a note of pepper and spice.
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9/25/2008 - Double D wrote: 95 Points
It is coming into its own. Super smooth rich, blueberry dark fruit....this stays on the annual buy list.
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8/8/2008 - Taylor56 wrote: 90 Points
A bit disappointing for a $60 bottle. Medium-bodied and nice balance but lacked depth/layering of flavors expected. Good color.
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8/5/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91,PURPLE91
Tasted August 5, 2008.
Opened and served immediately (backup bottle). Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of rich boysenberry, smoke, a bit of bacon fat and plums. Flavors of plums, Bing cherries, berries and a little boysenberry on the long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full body. Drink with a decant or continue to hold.
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7/11/2008 - GolferChris wrote: 93 Points
Consitent with past bottles this is one of our favorite producers of California Syrah, that seems to be dialed in each and every year. Delivers dark fruit and spice, with plenty of layers and lots of spice on the nose and beatuiful amounts of pepper on the finisih.
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7/9/2008 - tskrueger wrote: 90 Points
Very good. No real notes.
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4/25/2008 - GolferChris wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with past bottles this wine is still drinking exquisitely.
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4/7/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Man, this wine is really singing. Yep, it has the chocolate, the smooth blackberry and some light cherry thing going for it. That works and it's plush and sleek. But, what I dig about the wine was earthy undertone and a slight hint of barnyard. No, not brett and not really prominent but married with the plushness, the earthy tones, this wine works and it does it very well. Hey Rob Winn, would like to try another please.
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3/8/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
DAWGS March 2008 - New vs Old World Rhones (WineWave's house in McKinney, TX): WIML91
Tasted March 8, 2008. Opened and served immediately. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of acacia flowers, plums, Crayola crayons and melted black licorice. Flavors of black currants, bitters and black berries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold.
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3/6/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 91 Points
NSMFOW March (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Purple opaque color. Nose of dark fruits, tar, spice. Brooding palate of cassis, blackberry, tar, scorched earth (the first time this Parker expression seemed to work for me) with big tannins and a big finish. Not really my style but nonetheless very satisfying.
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3/2/2008 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Finally, a bottle that I can brag about. Dark fruit, and an endless finish!
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2/20/2008 - GolferChris wrote: 93 Points
One of the best made Napa Syrah. Big, lush and powerful fruit with integrated tannins and a big pepper note on the finish. Aromoa/flavors of blackberry, earth, spice, and pepper. Long finish.
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2/10/2008 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
Even better than before...wonderful complexity, and very much a syrah...bit of white pepper peeping through. Needs 4 hrs ofdecanting or another 5 years to really be at its peak. Will lengthen tasting window
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1/12/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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12/29/2007 - 2loyal wrote: 94 Points
Didn't decant, but this is aging beautifully, with each bottle better than the previous one. Classic tobacco and leather characteristics are not overwheliming, and the tannins are well integrated. Could age for years, but why wait anymore?
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12/2/2007 - WStucker wrote: 94 Points
Great bottlr, decant for atleast 4 hours right now. Leaving the other 4 for 3 years from now.
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10/20/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Ripe and distinctly Auzzie in profile. Blue and black berry, hot asphalt, oaky characteristics and lots of black pepper. Over a couple of hours a sweet, herbal edge appeared. Drinking nicely now, well made and will last a number of years. I cannot help feel that this is a Syrah built for Cab palates. It lacks the cooler climate complexities found in the better CA Syrahs.
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10/1/2007 - keithgg wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and showed well.
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8/24/2007 - ColoradoRick wrote: 92 Points
Big, big wine. Loved it.
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8/20/2007 - debrawco wrote: 93 Points
powerful bouquet, deep purple color, wonderful nose of blackberry, well balanced, big powerful wine
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8/13/2007 - 6831 wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding. Ripe but balanced with vibrant fruit and spice tones. Very pleasant finish. Hope the 02 is this good.
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6/26/2007 - enosnob wrote: 92 Points
6/26/2007 Aired in a glass with a short pour for 30 minutes plus. Nice dark color, and a nose of pepper, spice and black fruit. A fill lup your mouth with flavor wine with noticeable but balanced tannins, good structure and balance. Fairly complex with chocolate/mocha, black fruit, ripe cherry and spice with a finish of spice, vanilla and more fruit
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5/20/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 85 Points
very dark color, blackberry, five spice and a touch of heat on the nose. very powerful but monolithic palate with fine grained tannins and a touch of heat on the finish. disappointing
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3/30/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 92 Points
CB: I loved this wine. Bring me more!!! Great cohesion of flavors, tannins, acidity, etc. Just fantastic and I was very disappointed when my glass was empty :( .
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3/27/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 92 Points
TB: Popped and poured into a decanter, but the smells were huge just pouring into the decanter. Decanted 15 minutes and had with a chicken quesadilla. Dark, inky purple in color showing very little lightening at the rim. Huge nose of blackberry, vanilla, cigar box and tobacco. Big wine with nice overall mouthfeel. Nice acidity and tannic kick, provides for a 30 second finish. Great wine, although after a couple hours the wine seemed to be overpowered with tannin and acidity and some heat began peaking out. I'm guessing my glass had gotten too warm as my wife didn't notice the same. Scored based on the initial impressions and assumption that mine was a bit too warm by the end of the night.
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2/24/2007 - budman wrote:
No score. Everyone agreed that there was something not right with this wine. It didn't taste anything like a Relentless. Flat. Fairly devoid of fruit. No finish to speak of.
This is my second bad bottle from this vintage.
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12/29/2006 - win wrote: 90 Points
Sampled at large tasting - minimal notes.
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12/29/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with my 9/25/2005 tasting note other than the wine is much more approachable/ready at this point. Drink or hold.
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11/19/2006 - dfontana wrote: 90 Points
This wine is potentially great, but needs time and food to appreciate fully. Typically new world syrah with roasted meats, some pepper, and heat on the finish. One of two in my cellar. Let the other one sit for a couple of years maybe 2009. That said, this is going to be special.
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10/5/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Uncorked USA/OZ Tasting (Uncorked, London): Reductive nose, quite beastly, hard work, worth it?
X
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10/4/2006 - Paul D wrote:
Uncorked California and Australia Tasting (Uncorked, London EC2): Really intense nose, blackcurrant, some spice. Deep, concentrated blackcurrant fruit on the mid-palate, spice, some nice acidity, and some minerality on the long finish. Some heat too, but VGI/excellent, at least in small doses.
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7/20/2006 - gorm wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple/garnet. Looks very thick with colored stripes. Powerful sweet and meaty nose of blackcurrant and blackberries as well as blood and hints of peber. Taste is extremely seducing. Very low acid and very hedonistic. Served with 24 ounce Porterhouse at a Boston steakhouse. Rating: 94.
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7/15/2006 - wineismylife wrote: flawed
anthonyiezzi Birthday Dinnner (Tre Vigne, Basking Ridge, NJ): WIMLNR,WA91,WS93
Tasted July 15, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Vinum glass. I think this bottle was opened and about half gone for about an hour before I finally got to it. Still had a nose of brett to me, maybe even a slight whiff of rancid meat. Beyond that I think I could get some bacon fat or maybe roasted meat or perhaps some coffee. I really don’t know. Being brave or insane I actually took a little sip and although it wasn’t bad it was mostly dominated by red berries with an almost “flat” presence on the palate. This was anything but what I remember my last 2001 Relentless to be. I personally think this was a flawed bottle. Therefore no rating or value recommendation.
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6/17/2006 - dawgdaze wrote: 90 Points
(Lamb) full-bodied, blackberry and raspberry, excellent richness.
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5/27/2006 - 97mjr wrote: 92 Points
[Lamb burgers] opened c leathery and black fruit on the nose later developed with distinct red meat aroma. Great structure/ brooding while maintaining some balance. On the palate dense black fruit, mocha, and bbq. Has life ahead of it. But drinking nicely now.
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5/20/2006 - Sommelier81 wrote: 94 Points
Extremely dense and dark red color with purple on the rim (5/5). Large and fruity bouquet with lots of dark fruits, chocolate, coffee, eucalyptus, vanilla and hints of bakery shop (to me a Shafer trademark) (13/15). In the mouth the wine is HUGE, well structured, with opulent glycerin and massive potential for further development. Flavors of black fruits, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and eucalyptus linger on the palate! (16/20). Beautiful wine with lots of potential, definately for the crowd seeking hedonistic pleasure! 94 pts
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5/12/2006 - Halcyn wrote: 92 Points
What I expected...again. Deep dark color, full nose, and after about 20 minutes open we had ourselves a wonderful wine.
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5/3/2006 - Crackers wrote: 93 Points
No formal notes, but this had great color, a great nose, and really held its own against the Corte Riva and Behrens & Hitchcock.
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4/28/2006 - JLL wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple. Tannins were huge upon opening, however, after 2 hours of decanting they blended in enough not to provide too much of a distraction. Early taste of blueberry turned darker after time in the glass, burnt bitter mocha framed the fruit. Long finish that faded with heat. I will wait on my next bottle for a minimum of two years
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3/12/2006 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
It's why you buy Shafer......
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1/28/2006 - AlexRed wrote: 91 Points
took 2 to DC Cru dinner - consistent with other bottle...
was served later in the night. It had some deep fruit and significant vanilla notes... nice mouthfeel. Definitely has a long life ahead of it.
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1/28/2006 - AlexRed wrote: 91 Points
took 2 to DC Cru dinner
was served later in the night. It had some deep fruit and significant vanilla notes... nice mouthfeel. Definitely has a long life ahead of it.
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1/8/2006 - adolder wrote: 92 Points
Great nose! This big syrah is filled with tannins, and an unmistakeable blackberry and soft spice taste. It could afford to remain in the bottle for a few more years (at least until 2008) and if you have that patience you will be well rewarded with a stunningly more balanced wine. Its very drinkable now but could be brilliant in time.
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10/10/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 92 Points
Very dark, sulphur on nose (blew off), massive tannin, the stuff that makes your tongue cling to your palate, dark intense. Couldn't drink much of this.
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9/27/2005 - PaulH wrote: 93 Points
Offline for Alex and Adam at Zuppa (San Francisco, California USA): Nose of cola and dark fruit. Monster tannins with lots of ripe fruit to balance. Very long and very tannic finish. This will be great stuff, but it is going to take years.
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9/24/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91,WA93,WS91
Tasted September 24, 2005 at a retail tasting. Not sure when the bottle was opened but served in Riedel restaurant styled stems. Dark purple to crimson color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Wonderful up front aroma of “espresso doppio” with some caramel, pepper and roasted meat. Flavors consisted of black berries, plums and expresson built on top of an earthy frame. No hurry to open this one IMO. I’d let it sit another 6 months to a year before trying again and then most likely drink over the ensuing 5-7 years. Recommended.
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8/5/2005 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
James turns 30: This wine is a monster. Dense chewey and smoky black fruit. Has the stuffing to stand up I suspect, but this needs time or some serious decanting.
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7/29/2005 - Mattswines wrote: 93 Points
Big briar-patch nose. Blackberry, pepper, spice-pot on the nose with more on the palate. Decided to pop this one with the '02 to be coming soon. Glad to have one more bottle. Good (30+ seconds) length finish. At cellar temp, no heat apparent. Well integrated acids, tannin, and fruit. Med-level of acid lends itself to food pairing, but still great stand alone. Not sure if this may shut down soon, but has the stuffing for another 7-10 years. Will definitely be glad to get my '02s.. and let my other '01 sleep for a few - maybe :D
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7/2/2005 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
A touch of heat upon opening is swallowed up by this inky, meaty, black monster of a wine. While my preferences have been veering away from Syrah of this style, the wine is frankly irresistible.
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5/25/2005 - dmwilsondvm wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 6 hours prior to sending it down the hatch...Tasted blind...The decanter glowed with aromas of berry and spice. On the palate, it showed beautiful blackberry flavors perfectly (IMHO) integrated with spice and pepper. The tannins were very well integrated, and no heat was detectable on the tongue. Very full bodied, but I was very impressed by the balance, especially since the last bottle was delicious, just not quite ready to pop the top on. It is very much crafted in a Shafer style. The finish sung for a solid 25+ seconds...damn beautiful syrah...Tasted for the fourth time, with previous ratings of 92, 92, 93...
I would love to taste a mini vertical of the 99, 00, and 01. With a syrah/petite like this, I am itching for the release of the 2002.
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5/20/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
Shafer Relentless at Lon's at the Hermosa (Phoenix): Terrific wine; 81% syrah and 19% petit syrah...did not decant, but wine was very approachable, did not have any stemmy or "green" affect. Super fruits, great balance, plenty of tannins and long finish; just hitting its stride
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5/4/2005 - NobleRot wrote: 92 Points
Really good syrah. Full bodied with a short finish.
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3/18/2005 - wfm wrote:
Did not like this at all. Perhaps because it followed a very nice '88 Bordeaux but it tasted green and simply was unappealing. 83
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10/15/2004 - jeff nowak wrote:
i like this better than the 2 previous vintages, but it's still not a wine that i am overly fond of. this is in stark contrast to the group, which scored it only behind the SQN. i recognize it's typicity and care of production. your mileage will (based on many other posts) probably vary. to me it just doesn't have enough fruit.
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