2013 Shafer Syrah Relentless
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Tasting notes
The anomaly in the Shafer portfolio is the Relentless, which is created from the southern foothills of the Vaca mountain range and was debuted largely at the insistence of Elias Fernandez. The first vintage was 1999, and this big, massive, Rhône Valley-inspired wine is certainly a wine capable of lasting 20-25 years. A blend always dominated by Syrah, but with various percentages of Petite Sirah, the 2013 Relentless has a tiny quantity of Petite Sirah (only 3%). It is a stunning wine, with notes of roasted meats, beef blood, lavender, new saddle leather, blackberry and pepper, followed by a wine with a huge, massive, plush texture, an opulence and richness that are stunning, and a long, long finish. It can be drunk young for its exuberance and boisterous character or cellared for another 20+ years.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Relentless is powerful, tightly wound and in need of time in bottle. Dark cherry, plum, spice, mocha and new oak are all pushed forward. Like so many wines in 2013, the Relentless is going to require a bit of patience. The 2013 is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel.
The 2013 Relentless melds together lovely aromatic nuance and pliant, explosive fruit, with beams of supporting acidity and tannin that give the wine its sense of proportion. Lavender, sage, menthol, licorice and plums are all given an extra kick of brightness on the finish. Varietal notes abound in the 2013.
The 2013 Relentless comes across as dark, inward and reduced, but there is plenty of potential. A dark, brooding wine, the 2013 is going to need time to fully come together, but it offers outstading potential. Blackberry jam, graphite, smoke and incense are some of the notes that linger in the empty glass.
About the producer
The site of Shafer has been around since 1880, and grapes continued to be grown here, even during prohibition. It is said that some wine was made here during that time. In 1972, John Shafer bought the property in the Stag’s Leap district, he immediately began planting the Cabernet on the hillside.