Final of 3 bottles, last consumed 4.5 years ago (92 pts). Consumed over 2 days. 84% Syrah, 16% Petite Sirah, 14.9% abv. No formal TN, but beautiful black and blue fruits with notes of black pepper, creosote, and wet soil. Nicely resolving tannins, really drinking so well right now. Enjoy through 2029 or so.
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The cork broke upon extraction so I decanted through a vinturi and let sit for two hours. The nose is dark fruit. The palate is dark plums, leather and spice leading to a moderate to long finish. Drinking great for its age and I think it can go another five years at this level with out any problem.
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Luxuriant body, plush as velvet, smooth as silk. Layers and layers of luscious flavors, from elegant cassis to rich chocolate to exotic spices, all wrapped in fine tannins. Relentless indeed.
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Similar to the bottle I had in the beginning of October. Opened an hour and a half before consuming. The nose is dark fruit. The palate is dark plums, leather and spice leading to a moderate to long finish.
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Opened and let sit for two hours. The nose is dark fruit. The palate is dark plums, leather and spice leading to a moderate to long finish. Drinking great for its age and IMHO has years to go.
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Truth in advertising. Intense plum and licorice flavors, acidity rounded out and tannins resolved enough to put it in an OK drinking window. That said, years ahead for this beast. Had it been a blind tasting, I would’ve guessed a top-tier Barossa Valley Shiraz. Recommend pairing with a hearty red meat dinner.
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Bottle #2 of 3, last consumed 3 years ago (92 pts). Consumed over 3 days. 84% Syrah, 16% Petite Sirah, 14.9% abv. A meaty, beaty, big and bouncy wine. I lean to the Old World, with a preference for elegance over brawn...but this wine is straight up delicious. Aromas of plum skin, hot tar, black pepper, and black cherry compote. Full bodied, lots of glycerin and just plain yummy, this wine can stand alone as a conversation piece. Adequate acidity and a long finish, drink through 2025+.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Completely black and highly extracted, violet rim; somewhat nutty, deep dense black fruit, violets, not leading with oak, primary, licorice, alcoholic, no real soil component, blackberry, plusher, big tannin; called '11 Relentless.
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Dark and opaque. 84/16 Syrah and Petite Syrah. It’s big and will stain your teeth. But totally under control. Tannins fully softened. Great stuff. This bottle was signed by Doug Schafer
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Celebrating the life of John Shafer tonight. This is drinking just beautifully, but needs several hours of air to come together. Tannins are still firm, with plenty of rich fruit. Nowhere close to over the hill.
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The nose is reticent with hints of dark fruit and purple flowers. on the palate, this is a dark saturated wine with well aged and rounded tannins. The depth of fruit and the modest wood treatment allow the two varietals (syrah and petite syrah) to shine. There's dark berry, black plum, spice, and a hint of licorice. this wine has a wonderful mouthfeel and linearity that leads to a long finish. there's an opulence here that comes from the ripe dense fruit that gets integrated with the tannins over time. There's a seemingly perfect ripeness to the fruit, yet it's not over the top or jammy. It's drinking fabulously right now........but can easily handle a few more years in the cellar.
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12 Days of Christmas - 2018; 12/21/2018-1/1/2019 (NYC, Vermont, Lake Placid): Tasted blind - Flight #3 - Wine #2. This was my entry although I have not tasted this since release so really was unsure how it would drink. On the nose I get some oak. Tasted of big dark fruit, very lush and new world styled but with balance, well pulled together if not my preferred style at this point in time. 31 pennies voted
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This has come around, big time. Where 2 years ago it was an awkward fruit and oak forward thing, it now has integrated into subtle fruit, barely noticeable oak, lots of spice, strange nose of mushroom omlet (can't quite figure that out) but excellent mouthfeel and texture with stunning finish of Dureza spice. 8.8/10 2nd day it really became balanced with excellent soft, spicey cherries laced with oak menthol, tobacco, touch of tar, and tart tannins. It was very enjoyable.
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Popped and poured. This is a dark red wine with intense mouth-staining capacity. On the nose, this has blackberry, blueberry, tar, black licorice, and coffee beans. In the mouth, this is smooth and juicy, with a finish of sweet berries and mild tannin. Overall, this is in a very nice spot now. I would drink any bottle before 2019 and enjoy the black fruit. 92 points.
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Have had this @shafervineyards 2007 Relentless bad boy in the cellar since release. Popped with some steaks over the grill tonight and is sang like a beautiful siren. (Odysseus literary reference) What I wish all syrahs tasted like. So powerful and delicious, yet nuanced and interesting. Seems to be a perfect drinking age right now
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Much better than my previous bottle, and more in line with earlier bottles from this vintage. This went really well with a smoked brisket w/ BBQ sauce. Still big and loaded with fruit, but well balanced. My last bottle from this vintage.
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Quite compact and closed-in upon opening. I had the pleasure of tasting the 98-100pt Parker-scored Relentless (the '12 or '13) and it was surprisingly open and even delicate by comparison.
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I thinking this is slightly past its prime. Still drinking well, but the tannins are gone, leaving a lot of heavy fruit. It started out with a heavy hit of acid, which blew off after 30 minutes.
I think I prefer the Relentless at a younger point in time.
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This is a seriously tasty wine. It is a huge wine, but the deft winemaking skills are certainly notable here. Big and massive tannins, just entering into a window of drinkability, alongside black fruits, tar, peppery spice, and sweet oakiness. Drinking well now through 2025.
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I can't add much to all the previous notes. This delicious wine is powerful yet elegant, fruit balanced with spice and fine tannins, and and enticing in the glass and on the pallate. A group of us loved this wine as we enjoyed it wth grilled steaks. I believe, properly stored, this Syrah has many years left to enjoy.
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Luscious fruit, with nicely integrated tannins, some minerally undertones and great feel and taste from start to finish. Could still use more years in bottle to further integrate fruit from my perspective.
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Decanted 3 hours: black fruit now giving way to more savory aspects on the nose, but the high alcohol gets in the way both on nose and taste. Still a very good mouthful, that will likely last a while longer. Blackberry jam on toast!!
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First mature relentless I've had - any concern about these aging is misplaced. Spectucular, absolutely no rough edges. Smooth, oak and fruit in perfect muted harmony. This isn't the over the top youth, but the incredibly refined adult. Wow, such structure and grace. Drink now and love it, but I see no reason this doesn't continue to age gracefully for a long time.
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Liked it better last time when fruit was more apparent. However, still a nice wine. Dark purple in color. Nose of plum, spice, leather and pepper. Palate more of the same with plum subdued. No tannin.
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From a well-cellared bottle kindly provided to our group by J.P., this wine was tasted in double-blind fashion. A blend of 84% Syrah and 16% Petite Syrah, it flaunts an opaque crimson robe. A ripe core of dark bramble fruits, vanilla, pickling spice and dried herbs is supported by a full-bodied frame with plentiful silky tannins. With low-to-medium acidity and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it shows excellent mid-palate density and offers a degree of roundness that makes it very easy to drink. Closing with a long and supple finish, this impressively youthful (yet drinkable) wine should hold up well for at least another decade. Drink now-2025.
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Decanted for over two hours. Nose of dark fruit and some earth. Palate was full, dense and rich containing ripe dark fruit with a slight note of earth followed a by a mild and juicy acidic lift leading to a lengthy finish accompanied by very fine tannins. Absolutely stunning and delicious.
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Decanted an hour or so before dinner. And it still was opening up through dinner. Deep color. The PS came through on the palate adding some dark fruit and tannic structure. Wonderful wine with grilled lamb chops.
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Big, bold, dark wine. Ready to drink, but not a 'Lady's wine'. Oak and toast is recongnizable but good integrated. Will have a nice future. BTW: I like the big heavy bottle. Gives you the feeling of a luxury product. :-)
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Decanted a couple hours and drank over another few. Wiff of heat at first, but it blew off quickly. Nice, big dark fruit aromas on the nose carried on to the palette as well. Just the right amount of oaky, toastiness. A bold wine, but just the right amount of finesse to keep it from being too big. You can definitely feel the Petite adding a bit of soft, lushness to it. Well integrated, dusty tannins. Drinking well right now.
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Opened for 2 hours. Dark purple color. Very high viscosity. Expressive nose of dark berries (blueberries, blackberries), cassis, leather, tobacco, but also some oaky notes (vanilla, chocolate). On the palate there are notes of dark berries again, leather, tobacco, menthol and sweet spices. Full-bodied and very dense, with medium+ tannin and medium acidity adding some freshness. Very long finish. A very beautiful intense full-throttle Syrah... a hypothetical blend of Northern Rhône and Barossa Valley (with slightly more Barossa character than Northern Rhône) but also freshness and structure. I would give it another 2-3 years in bottle...
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Tasted blind: Dark purple in color. Nose shows notes of tar, coffee and dark berries. Still lots of tannin but at the same time nicely balanced, with a great length. Elegant and smooth. Still on the young side. Great Syrah.
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This is a massive, brooding wine; Right off the bat, the bouquet expresses candied red fruits, vanilla and a hint of pepper; The palate is equally massive, with notes of sweet blackberries, chocolate and spice with a long finish; The quality of the fruit is undoubtedly excellent, although the over-the-top style is slightly excessive to my tastes; I would let these sit for 5+ more years for some secondary flavors to develop and to tame the sweetness of the fruit
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Decanted approx. 45 min. ... This was very good, but not great. Fruit a bit faded, as expected at this point, but tannins still just a hint harsh, which took a bit away from the blend. Mineral and earth were the dominant flavors. Next time I'll try this as a pop and pour and see if it's got a bit more going on.
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Spot-on note from NostraBachus. P&P. Color was purple with lots of black hues making this very dark in the glass, opaque, full+ body with glycerin that coats the glass as you swirl. A Queen-rocking "fat-bottomed girl" bouquet of blackberries and marionberries mashed in a large bowel and sitting in the sun, with a little eucalyptus, tar, sweet baking spices. Lots of intensity to the dark fruit and spice flavors that is nicely offset by dark earth and leather qualities. Medium acidity, medium-plus velvety tannins that are on their way to full integration. Dan said this was his 8th bottle of the case, and the best yet. No argument here. 92-93.
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Excellent bottle! Decanted for about 30 minutes and consumed over next 1.5 hours. Nose of crushed berries, leather, and bbq smoke. Palate of black fruit with a nice spice on the finish. Really drinking well now.
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This was one of the best bottles of wine I have had in a long time. I previously opened up a 2007 Relentless about two years ago and found it to be very closed. However, this bottle was just delicious--like welcoming an old friend who's been traveling for the past few years. Terrific nose and great fruit. Delicious! (Note: Decanted for 30 minutes and paired with Filet Mignon).
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an exceptionally balanced syrah. wonderful colour in the glass and a monster nose of dark fruit and just a hint of game. finsh is long with a touch of spice at the end. very smooth.
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After having the 2005 Relentless I had high expectations. This one let me down a bit...maybe I am under-scoring it. It's good, but I thought it would be better. Drink this now as holding it longer won't add much, in my opinion.
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Nice volatile acidity, very ripe black fruit, very perfumed, rose petal....very extracted, green tannins, green peperonis, a hint of burning, piquant... good score due to the nice nose
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Decanted for 2 hours. Deep, dark black-like color. Powerful nose of kirsch, burnt oak, raisin with heavy alcohol. Medium sweet with ultra high tannins. Viscous, oily-like texture. Cracked pepper, port-like with raisins, dried herbs & highly concentrated black & blue fruit. A bit in the closed down, muted phase. Suggest laying down for 2-3 more years. Normally a big fan, just in a strange state.
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P&P. Dramatic energy in the glass, wild herbs and black pepper initially prevalent. Nice dark fruit rounding things out over time, but this dense wine is savory with a sense of place. Had I tasted blind, I might have thought its place was the south of France. Coiled and delicious - would love to try again in a couple years.
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The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Blueberry, Black currant (cassis), Coffee, and Vanilla. It tastes like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Fig, Black Pepper, and Soy Sauce. The body is Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Long.
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This wine is always amazing. Decanted two hours. It has improved upon the last time we drank and rated it. Although still young to middle aged by "Rhone" standards, it continues to impress. I have 4 more of the 07sand will open one a year to stay in the drinking window.
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93+ Points. About a 2.5 hour decant at room temp. then cooled to serving temperature before pouring. As a note, I'm a big fan of Syrah and believe that it has a real sense of place (terroir) wherever it's grown. From Rhone to Napa, Central Coast, Australia or South Africa it shows a great variety of character. The Shafer Relentless is no exception.
On the nose there are generous portions of dark fruits and very obvious freshly-cut cedar with a menthol edge. On the palate, the wine shows rich, pure, macerated blackberries followed by ripe black currants and a mid-palate loaded with cacao and cedar before it finishes with cracked pepper and oak spices. With more aeration in the glass the wine developed herbaceous notes reminiscent of wild sage but never seemed to gather itself to express it in a profound way. (unlike some cooler climate Syrah). The alcohol absolutely pokes through at points but the rigid structure and acidity of the wine holds the ship together well enough to express plenty of character without falling apart.
An elegant wine it is not, but there's a lot of visceral pleasure here with enough interest and delineation to hold your attention. A bit of a burly wine and rough around the edges but it has enough focus to express some really lovely character. I would argue that despite it's ripe nature and higher alcohol levels that it still expresses a number of pure characteristics (particularly the blackberry) with excellent focus which speaks to its high quality. It's excellent now but could prove to develop in the bottle for another 4-6 years before plateauing.
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A heck of a Monday Night in Cleveland (E. 4th street): I have consistently under rated these wines in their youth. This is probably the case here. At this stage, and it is 6 years from vintage, this is very good. The fruit, especially on the nose seems raisined. A bit monolithic on the palate. I suspect time will allow this to develop. I think the Petite Sirah is just very slow to open. It is good right now, but for the money, it is worth waiting.
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Pure, focused and layered with fresh abundant dark fruits, oak spice and some minerality. Very long moderately tannic finish. The abundance of structure has me curious about how this will improve. The alcohol was too noticeable to merit a higher score and is my only concern about this wines longevity. Definitely drinkable now but I'd wait a couple years.
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We enjoyed this wonderful bottle of wine at one of our favorite restaurants Eddie Merlot's along with my brother John his wife Rosa. This was the restaurants last bottle of the 2007 Relentless. This is a gorgeous wine, rip and very juicy, with black cherry and a hit of plum. This is a very big wine and needed time to open up to fully enjoy this outstanding bottle of wine. As always Shafer never disappoints.
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Awesome explosion of flavors first some earthy tones such as cocoa and tobacco followed by berry fruit and a long semi spicy finish. Could probably use another 2-3 years development but is wonderful right now. Kudos to Shafer for such a great effort.
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It is significant how this wine has expanded since my last tasting. Sage and other herb notes are present along with the blackberry, plum, tar and tobacco. A serious wine with tons of lift and life.
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Dark purple to rim. Intense nose of dark berries, tar, smoke. Full body, intense ripe fruit with plenty of tannins, low acidity but a nice long finish. Excellent to outstanding if you're in the mood for a ripe alcoholic cocktail wine. Not so much if you're looking for elegance or balance.
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A riper style of syrah, blackberry, smoke, some oak, full bodied, very enjoyable at this point. Maybe some air would have made it even better, but this was consumed, pop and pour.
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Based on prior reviews, I decanted a couple hours before drinking hoping a little air would calm it down. Still a huge wine. Wonderful dark berry flavors, but a touch too much heat threw it a bit out of balance. I like fruit forward wines, but it is a bit over the top at this stage. I enjoyed it none the less. Another one in the cellar that I will wait a few years to pop.
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Inky dark purple and a little hot on the nose. Jammy, with lots of blueberry and some tannin structure but not well balanced in my view. Not my favorite style. Fruit bomb of major proportions. Some like this style I don't particularly. It probably will settle down some with a little age. But long aging will probably not help. Nothing subtle about this wine. Blueberry and blackberry jam dominate, maybe a little tea tannin as well.
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An absolute monster. Huge black fruit with structure to it. The blackberry and blueberry flavors are well balanced with strong acidity. Sweet gripping tannins on the very long finish. Drink now for the pure delicious factor, or if you can afford it, let this sit for awhile to see what happens.
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A monster, powerful, dark, hot, beautiful. With food, we had roast beef, this was heavenly, hard too imagine anything could be better. Without food much too strong, this needs a bunch of years yet before it hits it's peak. Maybe Temagami 2017.
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Very thick, dense and creamy texture with unctuous flavors of blackberries, mocha, cola, blueberry pie, and, of course, spice. Has a tangy finish. with tannins still present, but totally drinkable now, and may even lose its strong character the longer one waits. Excellent with barbequed meats. Drink now until 2017.
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This is a beautiful, intense bottle of wine, year after year one of the best Shafer bottlings bar none, this will be even better in a few years - Black, full bodied with an intense nose of black and blue fruit, pepper, spice and toasty vanilla, amazing structure, power and finesse, complex, dry, yet sweet, velvety smooth on the palate with a finish that lasts forever, outstanding! (95 Points).
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Inky purple in colour. Dark fruit, black cherry nose. Nicely balanced, with good acidity and fine tannins, not overly extracted (for a wine approaching 15% alcohol)
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Dark purple to rim. I was in the mood for a big ripe gooey California wine and this fit the bill perfectly. Intense nose of dark berries, freshly applied asphalt, smoke. Full body, intense ripe fruit with plenty of tannin, not a lot of balancing acidity but a nice long finish and it certainly scratched my itch. Excellent to outstanding.
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Decanted for about 3 hours on Christmas day, then had it with our prime rib roast. Nice and spicy (and somewhat flowery) on the nose, with a gorgeous deep purple color that coated the sides of the decanter as it slid down. Great mouthfeel and balance, with the blue fruits prominent. Glad I have 3 more in the cellar!
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Wow! A Big wine for a Syrah, but worth the price. Dark purple color with great structure. Strong nose with dark fruit and black pepper. Taste shows jamminess with a super finish. Tannins are big, but should mellow.
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Decided to take a chance on this one as I love Shafer cabs. Not having had many Syrahs before don't have a lot of comparison points. I typically like thick velvety cabs and this wine albeit thinner is smooth for it's varietal. As with the other reviews pepper earth spice are here along with a jamminess and hints of caramel. If you are into Syrahs definitely check this one out.
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14.9% ABV. Popped and poured, just for grins. Opaque black garnet in the glass. Rather savory nose with a strong roasting coffee bean quality which overlies a savory meat note and some background sweet oak. Full bodied and a bit chewy as you might expect with meaty oaky notes dominating the attack and black fruit starting to show up midpalate. The finishes introduces an additional nutty, meaty quality. Bit closed and not sure where this is headed, but it has potential. I don't care for the roasting coffee bean quality in wine though. Second day it had softened up a bit, but retained essentially the same flavors.
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Delicious with BBQ beef dogs and burgers at home. Dark purple. Black fruits, plum, pepper and spice on the nose. A big wine on the palate, but yet smooth and delicious. Plum, blackberry earth, pepper and spice on the palate. Just about ready now, but a little more time in the bottle wouldn't hurt.
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Dark fruit and white pepper on the nose. Palate of dark currants, stewed plums with spicy notes. Fruit and leather on the finish. This is drinking beautifully now. The wine continued to improve the longer it sat in the glass. We were impressed!
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Excellent. What a collection of dark fruit and spices. Long finish, bold and strong, but somehow not overly alcoholic. Thought I was opening it too early but even now it is drinking well.
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All American Tasting (Binny's on Grand): Good rich meaty. Smokey. Shafer's typical blue fruit play. Really nice wine. Not overdone as many California Syrah.
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At tasting room and not sure how long it was open. Deep, deep purple in color. Dominated by syrah but had an attractive spice and pepper come through. Long finish.
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Glass coating violet purple color, great floral nose. I was surprised how drinkable this was immediately after opening, very young and forward yes, but delicious Syrah. I drank this over 3 days and I can't believe how little it changed. Day 2 was almost absolutely no change, day 3 brought a bit more smoothness and even more nose. This has great potential to improve with many more years in the cellar. 91+
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paid restaurant price ($95). Decanted. Aromas of tar, cigar, and plum...blackberry and pepper are added when tasted. No major heat or jamminess. While this feels very young, it is drinking well.
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Dark, almost black color. Loads of dark, young fruit without the sweet jamminess I expected. Smooth tannins, great finish. Drinking beautifully now, and will likely get better.
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A visit to Shafer (Shafer Winery, Napa CA): I am not going to rate this. I didn't like it. Found it to have lots of oak, a hollow mid palate and heat on the finish. So why not rate? It reminded me of the 99 and 00 Relentless, the last vintage I bought. Yet, recent tastings of both of those years were excellent. For my palate, this wine needs 5 to 8 years of cellaring to develop and fill out. Now, in general, I am not a fan of northern Cal Syrah (with a few exceptions). But, and this is where knowing the label changes my view, I wouldn't be surprised to see this be a 92+ point wine in a few years.
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3/1/2024 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
Final of 3 bottles, last consumed 4.5 years ago (92 pts). Consumed over 2 days.
84% Syrah, 16% Petite Sirah, 14.9% abv.
No formal TN, but beautiful black and blue fruits with notes of black pepper, creosote, and wet soil.
Nicely resolving tannins, really drinking so well right now. Enjoy through 2029 or so.
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9/3/2023 - B&PBaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent in all aspects. 94
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6/19/2023 - konadog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich, blackberry fruit, with a hint of caramel/crème brûlée. Tannins are very fine and dusty.
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12/25/2022 - pdebree Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful Syrah paired with smoked prime rib!
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12/18/2022 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
Better btl than the last one? This still rich dark fruit. A hint of tannins with a long finish.
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10/15/2022 - Rick and Debra wrote:
Anna and Jake anniversary 2022
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3/5/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep color, good fruit, light on the palate, OK finish with food it is good. Without food it has a dry finish. Needs food. Drink.
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12/24/2021 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolutely fabulous. Everyone at the table was amazed.
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12/21/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine: 95 Points
Spectacular. I rarely score wines this high but this was really great. Decanted for about two hours.
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11/27/2021 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruits with a big mouthfeel and long finish. Great Syrah Blend
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11/12/2021 - RD59 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spectacular!
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5/22/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork broke upon extraction so I decanted through a vinturi and let sit for two hours. The nose is dark fruit. The palate is dark plums, leather and spice leading to a moderate to long finish. Drinking great for its age and I think it can go another five years at this level with out any problem.
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1/24/2021 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 94 Points
Luxuriant body, plush as velvet, smooth as silk. Layers and layers of luscious flavors, from elegant cassis to rich chocolate to exotic spices, all wrapped in fine tannins. Relentless indeed.
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1/10/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the bottle I had in the beginning of October. Opened an hour and a half before consuming. The nose is dark fruit. The palate is dark plums, leather and spice leading to a moderate to long finish.
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12/25/2020 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Spectacular CA Syrah paired great with our roasted meat dish
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10/5/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and let sit for two hours. The nose is dark fruit. The palate is dark plums, leather and spice leading to a moderate to long finish. Drinking great for its age and IMHO has years to go.
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8/19/2020 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle and still can't believe that it is still this good. A great buy almost 10 years ago.
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7/18/2020 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fabulous
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6/24/2020 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
These are truly special wines for those with a passion for syrah Petite Sirah field blends!
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1/15/2020 - jfolbe wrote: 93 Points
I big but tannins soft. Has peaked so no need to hold onto unless you want more tertiary notes.
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11/25/2019 - ravbik wrote: 95 Points
Ripe complex red . Full bodied. In great place
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11/1/2019 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Truth in advertising. Intense plum and licorice flavors, acidity rounded out and tannins resolved enough to put it in an OK drinking window. That said, years ahead for this beast. Had it been a blind tasting, I would’ve guessed a top-tier Barossa Valley Shiraz. Recommend pairing with a hearty red meat dinner.
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9/20/2019 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
Bottle #2 of 3, last consumed 3 years ago (92 pts). Consumed over 3 days.
84% Syrah, 16% Petite Sirah, 14.9% abv.
A meaty, beaty, big and bouncy wine.
I lean to the Old World, with a preference for elegance over brawn...but this wine is straight up delicious.
Aromas of plum skin, hot tar, black pepper, and black cherry compote.
Full bodied, lots of glycerin and just plain yummy, this wine can stand alone as a conversation piece.
Adequate acidity and a long finish, drink through 2025+.
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7/30/2019 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Completely black and highly extracted, violet rim; somewhat nutty, deep dense black fruit, violets, not leading with oak, primary, licorice, alcoholic, no real soil component, blackberry, plusher, big tannin; called '11 Relentless.
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7/20/2019 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful as always. Perfect choice for our 49th Anniversary that was delayed 3 days due to a family illness. Sadly, only one bottle left.
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7/10/2019 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Epic field blend
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5/12/2019 - grapist Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark and opaque. 84/16 Syrah and Petite Syrah. It’s big and will stain your teeth. But totally under control. Tannins fully softened. Great stuff. This bottle was signed by Doug Schafer
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3/4/2019 - Hamersly wrote: 95 Points
Celebrating the life of John Shafer tonight. This is drinking just beautifully, but needs several hours of air to come together. Tannins are still firm, with plenty of rich fruit. Nowhere close to over the hill.
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1/14/2019 - vinus_operandi Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose is reticent with hints of dark fruit and purple flowers. on the palate, this is a dark saturated wine with well aged and rounded tannins. The depth of fruit and the modest wood treatment allow the two varietals (syrah and petite syrah) to shine. There's dark berry, black plum, spice, and a hint of licorice. this wine has a wonderful mouthfeel and linearity that leads to a long finish. there's an opulence here that comes from the ripe dense fruit that gets integrated with the tannins over time. There's a seemingly perfect ripeness to the fruit, yet it's not over the top or jammy.
It's drinking fabulously right now........but can easily handle a few more years in the cellar.
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12/27/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote:
12 Days of Christmas - 2018; 12/21/2018-1/1/2019 (NYC, Vermont, Lake Placid): Tasted blind - Flight #3 - Wine #2. This was my entry although I have not tasted this since release so really was unsure how it would drink. On the nose I get some oak. Tasted of big dark fruit, very lush and new world styled but with balance, well pulled together if not my preferred style at this point in time. 31 pennies voted
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12/7/2018 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 93 Points
WOTN
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6/12/2018 - Fractalage Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has come around, big time. Where 2 years ago it was an awkward fruit and oak forward thing, it now has integrated into subtle fruit, barely noticeable oak, lots of spice, strange nose of mushroom omlet (can't quite figure that out) but excellent mouthfeel and texture with stunning finish of Dureza spice.
8.8/10
2nd day it really became balanced with excellent soft, spicey cherries laced with oak menthol, tobacco, touch of tar, and tart tannins. It was very enjoyable.
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4/12/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
consistent with notes of 12/29/2012 - beat out the Colgin Syrah 2009 on the same night
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2/28/2018 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Top shelf and a really nice showing. Seems to be holding up well. I hope so. One more bottle for this year and one for next. A nice treat.
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2/11/2018 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
These are massive wines with tremendous fruit, sense of place, field blend. Actually my favorite Shafer wine!
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10/22/2017 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This is a dark red wine with intense mouth-staining capacity. On the nose, this has blackberry, blueberry, tar, black licorice, and coffee beans. In the mouth, this is smooth and juicy, with a finish of sweet berries and mild tannin. Overall, this is in a very nice spot now. I would drink any bottle before 2019 and enjoy the black fruit. 92 points.
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10/13/2017 - erictayl wrote: 94 Points
Have had this @shafervineyards 2007 Relentless bad boy in the cellar since release. Popped with some steaks over the grill tonight and is sang like a beautiful siren. (Odysseus literary reference) What I wish all syrahs tasted like. So powerful and delicious, yet nuanced and interesting. Seems to be a perfect drinking age right now
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8/20/2017 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
A decade out this is just an infant!
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7/23/2017 - wetlandwino wrote: 94 Points
Excellent full body wine, but needs a more years to really reach its peak.
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4/23/2017 - lundmc wrote: 94 Points
It is saying "drink me now." Listen to it.
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4/10/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than my previous bottle, and more in line with earlier bottles from this vintage. This went really well with a smoked brisket w/ BBQ sauce. Still big and loaded with fruit, but well balanced. My last bottle from this vintage.
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3/21/2017 - HOS wrote: 89 Points
Just not as good as earlier. Fairly non descript now. Drink up.
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3/16/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Quite compact and closed-in upon opening. I had the pleasure of tasting the 98-100pt Parker-scored Relentless (the '12 or '13) and it was surprisingly open and even delicate by comparison.
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1/15/2017 - MiCellar Likes this wine:
Loved it!
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12/28/2016 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great with intense flavors, dark brooding fruit and a long finish.
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12/27/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 91 Points
I thinking this is slightly past its prime. Still drinking well, but the tannins are gone, leaving a lot of heavy fruit. It started out with a heavy hit of acid, which blew off after 30 minutes.
I think I prefer the Relentless at a younger point in time.
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11/6/2016 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
This is a seriously tasty wine. It is a huge wine, but the deft winemaking skills are certainly notable here.
Big and massive tannins, just entering into a window of drinkability, alongside black fruits, tar, peppery spice, and sweet oakiness.
Drinking well now through 2025.
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8/8/2016 - tomlbs Likes this wine: 94 Points
I can't add much to all the previous notes. This delicious wine is powerful yet elegant, fruit balanced with spice and fine tannins, and and enticing in the glass and on the pallate. A group of us loved this wine as we enjoyed it wth grilled steaks. I believe, properly stored, this Syrah has many years left to enjoy.
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7/27/2016 - Lemmy-W Likes this wine: 93 Points
wow! wish I had more. Beautiful syrah that went nicely with black angus entrecote.
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7/7/2016 - Val D'Orcia wrote: 93 Points
Luscious fruit, with nicely integrated tannins, some minerally undertones and great feel and taste from start to finish. Could still use more years in bottle to further integrate fruit from my perspective.
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7/4/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
An infant still at this point
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5/5/2016 - papabluez wrote:
Decanted 3 hours: black fruit now giving way to more savory aspects on the nose, but the high alcohol gets in the way both on nose and taste. Still a very good mouthful, that will likely last a while longer. Blackberry jam on toast!!
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4/30/2016 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 96 Points
First mature relentless I've had - any concern about these aging is misplaced. Spectucular, absolutely no rough edges. Smooth, oak and fruit in perfect muted harmony. This isn't the over the top youth, but the incredibly refined adult. Wow, such structure and grace. Drink now and love it, but I see no reason this doesn't continue to age gracefully for a long time.
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3/13/2016 - ksde wrote: 91 Points
If you decant and give this wine some time, add 1-2 points. It really opens up on the nose and rounds out on the palate.
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2/27/2016 - cos82 wrote: 90 Points
Liked it better last time when fruit was more apparent. However, still a nice wine. Dark purple in color. Nose of plum, spice, leather and pepper. Palate more of the same with plum subdued. No tannin.
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1/3/2016 - HOS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young. Needed more air.
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12/4/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a well-cellared bottle kindly provided to our group by J.P., this wine was tasted in double-blind fashion. A blend of 84% Syrah and 16% Petite Syrah, it flaunts an opaque crimson robe. A ripe core of dark bramble fruits, vanilla, pickling spice and dried herbs is supported by a full-bodied frame with plentiful silky tannins. With low-to-medium acidity and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it shows excellent mid-palate density and offers a degree of roundness that makes it very easy to drink. Closing with a long and supple finish, this impressively youthful (yet drinkable) wine should hold up well for at least another decade. Drink now-2025.
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8/15/2015 - oenophilemoose wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for over two hours. Nose of dark fruit and some earth. Palate was full, dense and rich containing ripe dark fruit with a slight note of earth followed a by a mild and juicy acidic lift leading to a lengthy finish accompanied by very fine tannins. Absolutely stunning and delicious.
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8/4/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always a personal favorite of mine. Drinking really well at this point in time. Its a big Syrah CA style blend.
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7/3/2015 - CosmicDude Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice big dark fruit aromas. deep red in the glass with good legs. Oaky, berries, and dried fruit. Finishes well. An awesome wine.
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6/7/2015 - PolarBear22 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted an hour or so before dinner. And it still was opening up through dinner. Deep color. The PS came through on the palate adding some dark fruit and tannic structure. Wonderful wine with grilled lamb chops.
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5/29/2015 - Winerut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Getting better. Stills needs a good 2+ hour decant and becomes very good and smooth with deep brooding fruits.
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4/12/2015 - AlexHop wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful. Rich complex flavors.
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3/7/2015 - fredman wrote: 93 Points
2-3 hour decant and enjoy.
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3/6/2015 - _Xenon wrote: 93 Points
Big, bold, dark wine. Ready to drink, but not a 'Lady's wine'. Oak and toast is recongnizable but good integrated. Will have a nice future.
BTW: I like the big heavy bottle. Gives you the feeling of a luxury product. :-)
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2/7/2015 - jonysan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted a couple hours and drank over another few. Wiff of heat at first, but it blew off quickly. Nice, big dark fruit aromas on the nose carried on to the palette as well. Just the right amount of oaky, toastiness. A bold wine, but just the right amount of finesse to keep it from being too big. You can definitely feel the Petite adding a bit of soft, lushness to it. Well integrated, dusty tannins. Drinking well right now.
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12/25/2014 - stewartl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank with beef Wellington. Dark cherry/ blackberry, slight oak. Nice tannic backbone
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9/22/2014 - navybrat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just perfect
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8/7/2014 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 92 Points
not as impressive as my last btl. this one felt a bit thin on the palate and had a short finish
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7/4/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened for 2 hours. Dark purple color. Very high viscosity. Expressive nose of dark berries (blueberries, blackberries), cassis, leather, tobacco, but also some oaky notes (vanilla, chocolate). On the palate there are notes of dark berries again, leather, tobacco, menthol and sweet spices. Full-bodied and very dense, with medium+ tannin and medium acidity adding some freshness. Very long finish. A very beautiful intense full-throttle Syrah... a hypothetical blend of Northern Rhône and Barossa Valley (with slightly more Barossa character than Northern Rhône) but also freshness and structure. I would give it another 2-3 years in bottle...
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6/6/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind: Dark purple in color. Nose shows notes of tar, coffee and dark berries. Still lots of tannin but at the same time nicely balanced, with a great length. Elegant and smooth. Still on the young side. Great Syrah.
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6/4/2014 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
This is a massive, brooding wine; Right off the bat, the bouquet expresses candied red fruits, vanilla and a hint of pepper; The palate is equally massive, with notes of sweet blackberries, chocolate and spice with a long finish; The quality of the fruit is undoubtedly excellent, although the over-the-top style is slightly excessive to my tastes; I would let these sit for 5+ more years for some secondary flavors to develop and to tame the sweetness of the fruit
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5/16/2014 - markandsusanw wrote: 90 Points
Decanted approx. 45 min. ... This was very good, but not great. Fruit a bit faded, as expected at this point, but tannins still just a hint harsh, which took a bit away from the blend. Mineral and earth were the dominant flavors. Next time I'll try this as a pop and pour and see if it's got a bit more going on.
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5/12/2014 - Vinacull wrote: 92 Points
Spot-on note from NostraBachus. P&P. Color was purple with lots of black hues making this very dark in the glass, opaque, full+ body with glycerin that coats the glass as you swirl. A Queen-rocking "fat-bottomed girl" bouquet of blackberries and marionberries mashed in a large bowel and sitting in the sun, with a little eucalyptus, tar, sweet baking spices. Lots of intensity to the dark fruit and spice flavors that is nicely offset by dark earth and leather qualities. Medium acidity, medium-plus velvety tannins that are on their way to full integration. Dan said this was his 8th bottle of the case, and the best yet. No argument here. 92-93.
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4/5/2014 - artist777 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent bottle! Decanted for about 30 minutes and consumed over next 1.5 hours. Nose of crushed berries, leather, and bbq smoke. Palate of black fruit with a nice spice on the finish. Really drinking well now.
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4/5/2014 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was one of the best bottles of wine I have had in a long time. I previously opened up a 2007 Relentless about two years ago and found it to be very closed. However, this bottle was just delicious--like welcoming an old friend who's been traveling for the past few years. Terrific nose and great fruit. Delicious! (Note: Decanted for 30 minutes and paired with Filet Mignon).
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3/6/2014 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 93 Points
an exceptionally balanced syrah. wonderful colour in the glass and a monster nose of dark fruit and just a hint of game. finsh is long with a touch of spice at the end. very smooth.
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1/27/2014 - woofy Likes this wine: 89 Points
After having the 2005 Relentless I had high expectations. This one let me down a bit...maybe I am under-scoring it. It's good, but I thought it would be better. Drink this now as holding it longer won't add much, in my opinion.
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1/11/2014 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Nice volatile acidity, very ripe black fruit, very perfumed, rose petal....very extracted, green tannins, green peperonis, a hint of burning, piquant... good score due to the nice nose
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12/24/2013 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Deep, dark black-like color. Powerful nose of kirsch, burnt oak, raisin with heavy alcohol. Medium sweet with ultra high tannins. Viscous, oily-like texture. Cracked pepper, port-like with raisins, dried herbs & highly concentrated black & blue fruit. A bit in the closed down, muted phase. Suggest laying down for 2-3 more years. Normally a big fan, just in a strange state.
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12/7/2013 - mreinhard74@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Solid tannins dissolve into tobacco , briar and dark fruits
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11/30/2013 - Aunt Esther Likes this wine: 93 Points
P&P. Dramatic energy in the glass, wild herbs and black pepper initially prevalent. Nice dark fruit rounding things out over time, but this dense wine is savory with a sense of place. Had I tasted blind, I might have thought its place was the south of France. Coiled and delicious - would love to try again in a couple years.
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10/22/2013 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Blueberry, Black currant (cassis), Coffee, and Vanilla. It tastes like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Fig, Black Pepper, and Soy Sauce. The body is Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Long.
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8/18/2013 - fritza wrote: 93 Points
This wine is always amazing. Decanted two hours. It has improved upon the last time we drank and rated it. Although still young to middle aged by "Rhone" standards, it continues to impress. I have 4 more of the 07sand will open one a year to stay in the drinking window.
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6/11/2013 - TSBWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+ Points. About a 2.5 hour decant at room temp. then cooled to serving temperature before pouring. As a note, I'm a big fan of Syrah and believe that it has a real sense of place (terroir) wherever it's grown. From Rhone to Napa, Central Coast, Australia or South Africa it shows a great variety of character. The Shafer Relentless is no exception.
On the nose there are generous portions of dark fruits and very obvious freshly-cut cedar with a menthol edge. On the palate, the wine shows rich, pure, macerated blackberries followed by ripe black currants and a mid-palate loaded with cacao and cedar before it finishes with cracked pepper and oak spices. With more aeration in the glass the wine developed herbaceous notes reminiscent of wild sage but never seemed to gather itself to express it in a profound way. (unlike some cooler climate Syrah). The alcohol absolutely pokes through at points but the rigid structure and acidity of the wine holds the ship together well enough to express plenty of character without falling apart.
An elegant wine it is not, but there's a lot of visceral pleasure here with enough interest and delineation to hold your attention. A bit of a burly wine and rough around the edges but it has enough focus to express some really lovely character. I would argue that despite it's ripe nature and higher alcohol levels that it still expresses a number of pure characteristics (particularly the blackberry) with excellent focus which speaks to its high quality. It's excellent now but could prove to develop in the bottle for another 4-6 years before plateauing.
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6/4/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
A heck of a Monday Night in Cleveland (E. 4th street): I have consistently under rated these wines in their youth. This is probably the case here. At this stage, and it is 6 years from vintage, this is very good. The fruit, especially on the nose seems raisined. A bit monolithic on the palate. I suspect time will allow this to develop. I think the Petite Sirah is just very slow to open. It is good right now, but for the money, it is worth waiting.
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5/1/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pure, focused and layered with fresh abundant dark fruits, oak spice and some minerality. Very long moderately tannic finish. The abundance of structure has me curious about how this will improve. The alcohol was too noticeable to merit a higher score and is my only concern about this wines longevity. Definitely drinkable now but I'd wait a couple years.
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4/21/2013 - Golfer 67 wrote: 95 Points
We enjoyed this wonderful bottle of wine at one of our favorite restaurants Eddie Merlot's along with my brother John his wife Rosa. This was the restaurants last bottle of the 2007 Relentless. This is a gorgeous wine, rip and very juicy, with black cherry and a hit of plum. This is a very big wine and needed time to open up to fully enjoy this outstanding bottle of wine. As always Shafer never disappoints.
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1/20/2013 - gr8nrg wrote:
Still tight and too much alcohol but really really built well.
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1/17/2013 - jperez68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome explosion of flavors first some earthy tones such as cocoa and tobacco followed by berry fruit and a long semi spicy finish. Could probably use another 2-3 years development but is wonderful right now. Kudos to Shafer for such a great effort.
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12/29/2012 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
It is significant how this wine has expanded since my last tasting. Sage and other herb notes are present along with the blackberry, plum, tar and tobacco. A serious wine with tons of lift and life.
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12/22/2012 - ckleiman wrote: 92 Points
High alcohol. Needs air. Lots of cocoa on finish
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12/8/2012 - dbg wrote:
Dark purple to rim. Intense nose of dark berries, tar, smoke. Full body, intense ripe fruit with plenty of tannins, low acidity but a nice long finish. Excellent to outstanding if you're in the mood for a ripe alcoholic cocktail wine. Not so much if you're looking for elegance or balance.
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11/23/2012 - DavidDay wrote: 92 Points
A riper style of syrah, blackberry, smoke, some oak, full bodied, very enjoyable at this point. Maybe some air would have made it even better, but this was consumed, pop and pour.
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10/23/2012 - Shipleys wrote: 92 Points
Drink with friends. Went great with ribeyes. Solid tannins. Good body/structure. Very enjoyable.
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10/20/2012 - jonysan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Based on prior reviews, I decanted a couple hours before drinking hoping a little air would calm it down. Still a huge wine. Wonderful dark berry flavors, but a touch too much heat threw it a bit out of balance. I like fruit forward wines, but it is a bit over the top at this stage. I enjoyed it none the less. Another one in the cellar that I will wait a few years to pop.
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9/4/2012 - oldwines wrote: 89 Points
Inky dark purple and a little hot on the nose. Jammy, with lots of blueberry and some tannin structure but not well balanced in my view. Not my favorite style. Fruit bomb of major proportions. Some like this style I don't particularly. It probably will settle down some with a little age. But long aging will probably not help. Nothing subtle about this wine. Blueberry and blackberry jam dominate, maybe a little tea tannin as well.
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7/24/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 94 Points
An absolute monster. Huge black fruit with structure to it. The blackberry and blueberry flavors are well balanced with strong acidity. Sweet gripping tannins on the very long finish. Drink now for the pure delicious factor, or if you can afford it, let this sit for awhile to see what happens.
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6/16/2012 - scaredone wrote: 94 Points
A monster, powerful, dark, hot, beautiful. With food, we had roast beef, this was heavenly, hard too imagine anything could be better. Without food much too strong, this needs a bunch of years yet before it hits it's peak. Maybe Temagami 2017.
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6/12/2012 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Does not like this wine: 93 Points
Very thick, dense and creamy texture with unctuous flavors of blackberries, mocha, cola, blueberry pie, and, of course, spice. Has a tangy finish. with tannins still present, but totally drinkable now, and may even lose its strong character the longer one waits. Excellent with barbequed meats. Drink now until 2017.
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5/20/2012 - Tarrant wrote: 95 Points
This is a beautiful, intense bottle of wine, year after year one of the best Shafer bottlings bar none, this will be even better in a few years - Black, full bodied with an intense nose of black and blue fruit, pepper, spice and toasty vanilla, amazing structure, power and finesse, complex, dry, yet sweet, velvety smooth on the palate with a finish that lasts forever, outstanding! (95 Points).
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5/16/2012 - ilcor wrote: 96 Points
One of the best wines I have had in some time, fantastic.
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4/11/2012 - awise45 wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple color with dark cherry and raisin flavors. A little overpowering at first but mellowed after 15 minutes and was smooth and pleasant.
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3/18/2012 - lumpkins wrote: 90 Points
Inky purple in colour. Dark fruit, black cherry nose. Nicely balanced, with good acidity and fine tannins, not overly extracted (for a wine approaching 15% alcohol)
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1/25/2012 - dbg wrote:
Dark purple to rim. I was in the mood for a big ripe gooey California wine and this fit the bill perfectly. Intense nose of dark berries, freshly applied asphalt, smoke. Full body, intense ripe fruit with plenty of tannin, not a lot of balancing acidity but a nice long finish and it certainly scratched my itch. Excellent to outstanding.
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1/13/2012 - WineBarrique wrote: 90 Points
very hot but what can you expect from 15.6% . most of th fruit was hidden. Im waiting a few more years until I open the other
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12/27/2011 - lundmc wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for about 3 hours on Christmas day, then had it with our prime rib roast. Nice and spicy (and somewhat flowery) on the nose, with a gorgeous deep purple color that coated the sides of the decanter as it slid down. Great mouthfeel and balance, with the blue fruits prominent. Glad I have 3 more in the cellar!
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12/25/2011 - cos65 wrote:
Christmas in Maryland for George's 87th: big full, very easy to drink Napa Syrah. No heat, just full peppery dark fruits. ****
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12/6/2011 - shank wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as previious bottle which was a 94. Still big fruit.
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12/6/2011 - fritza wrote: 92 Points
Wow! A Big wine for a Syrah, but worth the price. Dark purple color with great structure. Strong nose with dark fruit and black pepper. Taste shows jamminess with a super finish. Tannins are big, but should mellow.
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9/17/2011 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed to open up but a super Syrah! Brimming with fruit and complexity.
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9/2/2011 - conga523 wrote: 91 Points
Decided to take a chance on this one as I love Shafer cabs. Not having had many Syrahs before don't have a lot of comparison points. I typically like thick velvety cabs and this wine albeit thinner is smooth for it's varietal. As with the other reviews pepper earth spice are here along with a jamminess and hints of caramel. If you are into Syrahs definitely check this one out.
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8/6/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 90 Points
14.9% ABV. Popped and poured, just for grins. Opaque black garnet in the glass. Rather savory nose with a strong roasting coffee bean quality which overlies a savory meat note and some background sweet oak. Full bodied and a bit chewy as you might expect with meaty oaky notes dominating the attack and black fruit starting to show up midpalate. The finishes introduces an additional nutty, meaty quality. Bit closed and not sure where this is headed, but it has potential. I don't care for the roasting coffee bean quality in wine though. Second day it had softened up a bit, but retained essentially the same flavors.
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8/6/2011 - cos82 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious with BBQ beef dogs and burgers at home. Dark purple. Black fruits, plum, pepper and spice on the nose. A big wine on the palate, but yet smooth and delicious. Plum, blackberry earth, pepper and spice on the palate. Just about ready now, but a little more time in the bottle wouldn't hurt.
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7/18/2011 - Matteo's wrote: 93 Points
Seriously great wine. Nice pairing with grilled lamb chops.
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6/22/2011 - omarko wrote: 92 Points
Gift from Microsoft United account team
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5/31/2011 - Mel-o-Vino wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruit and white pepper on the nose. Palate of dark currants, stewed plums with spicy notes. Fruit and leather on the finish. This is drinking beautifully now. The wine continued to improve the longer it sat in the glass. We were impressed!
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5/28/2011 - Jimdailey wrote: 94 Points
Great wine with spicy food!
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5/19/2011 - awise45 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent. What a collection of dark fruit and spices. Long finish, bold and strong, but somehow not overly alcoholic. Thought I was opening it too early but even now it is drinking well.
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5/5/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
All American Tasting (Binny's on Grand): Good rich meaty. Smokey. Shafer's typical blue fruit play. Really nice wine. Not overdone as many California Syrah.
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4/20/2011 - PSUSteve Likes this wine:
At tasting room and not sure how long it was open. Deep, deep purple in color. Dominated by syrah but had an attractive spice and pepper come through. Long finish.
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4/1/2011 - Solombra wrote: 91 Points
Expected more from this name and price. Decent wine still.
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3/19/2011 - Teafan wrote: 91 Points
Young but good
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3/8/2011 - bullmrkt wrote: 91 Points
Glass coating violet purple color, great floral nose. I was surprised how drinkable this was immediately after opening, very young and forward yes, but delicious Syrah. I drank this over 3 days and I can't believe how little it changed. Day 2 was almost absolutely no change, day 3 brought a bit more smoothness and even more nose. This has great potential to improve with many more years in the cellar. 91+
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3/6/2011 - Pinot Evil wrote: 93 Points
Jammy and juicy rich black cherry and currant
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3/1/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 93 Points
paid restaurant price ($95). Decanted. Aromas of tar, cigar, and plum...blackberry and pepper are added when tasted. No major heat or jamminess. While this feels very young, it is drinking well.
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2/23/2011 - KeithSurg wrote: 94 Points
Dark, almost black color. Loads of dark, young fruit without the sweet jamminess I expected. Smooth tannins, great finish. Drinking beautifully now, and will likely get better.
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1/13/2011 - njc2o wrote:
Won't score. Really coming into it's own on day 2. Decant extensively or cellar for at least 3 years I'd think.
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1/1/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
brooding dark plum, currant; some stems; oak is in the background to the big fruit; medium acidity; young and primary but still enjoyable now.
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11/19/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote:
A visit to Shafer (Shafer Winery, Napa CA): I am not going to rate this. I didn't like it. Found it to have lots of oak, a hollow mid palate and heat on the finish. So why not rate? It reminded me of the 99 and 00 Relentless, the last vintage I bought. Yet, recent tastings of both of those years were excellent. For my palate, this wine needs 5 to 8 years of cellaring to develop and fill out. Now, in general, I am not a fan of northern Cal Syrah (with a few exceptions). But, and this is where knowing the label changes my view, I wouldn't be surprised to see this be a 92+ point wine in a few years.
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11/10/2010 - Simonvine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full bodied, spicy, black cherry, cigar box. Looking forward to letting it develop in the bottle a little.
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9/12/2010 - slywka7 wrote: 90 Points
This was very tannic and needs a lot of time. I thought the 06 we had back in May was better.
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2/17/2010 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 83 Points
Rombauer and Shafer at Old Port Wines (Old Port Wine and Cigar): Really nice cherry tone. In the mouth, tannic, dark, with sawdusty tannins, very unyielding. Dunno if this will open up. Could be 90+, but right now it's not so impressive.
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