Shafer Vineyard - Syrah Relentless 2019

Wine Enthusiast

This is a heavy, brooding and impressive wine, a blend of 76% Syrah with 24% Petite Sirah. Shocks of white pepper, violet and rich black fruit wrap around a thicket of firm tannin and hearty oak, the wine sinewy and richly layered. This is the 20th anniversary vintage of this wine.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 Relentless is a barrel-sample blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Petite Sirah. It sings of crushed black cherries, mulberries and black plums plus cracked pepper, garrigue, lavender, Indian spices and licorice hints. The palate is full-bodied, firm, spicy and energetic with rounded tannins and a long, peppery finish.

James Suckling

A young wine with superb depth and polish that shows great depth and brightness. Full and focused with blue fruit and long, fine tannins that are compact and energetic. Slate. Graphite. Sophisticated and curated. So beautiful to try now, but be patient and open after 2026.

Wine Spectator

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2018 Relentless might be the finest vintage of this I’ve tasted. Based on 90% Syrah and 10% Petite Sirah, this beauty boasts a saturated purple hue as well as a full-bodied array of ripe blackberries, peppery herbs, smoked game, and spring flowers. Pure, concentrated, and plush, it nevertheless stays graceful and light on its feet, with a great finish. I love it today, but it’s going to keep for 10-15 years.