Date Tasted: 3/15/13
Price: Suggested Retail is $63.00 (Purchased for $62.00)
From The Winery: 15.8% Alcohol. 82% Syrah, 18% Petite Sirah. Napa Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: I picked up Shafer’s 2009 Relentless about a week after the 2008 vintage was named as Wine Spectator’s 2012 wine of the year. Good thing, too, because this wine was flying off the shelf. Given the ratings pedigree for the Relentless, Shafer could easily command more than the extremely reasonable price of $60ish. Let’s hope that they keep the price in that ballpark. The 2009 Relentless is one powerful wine. “Power” and “powerful” were repeatedly jotted down in my notes–not because I like to repeat myself, but more so that I’ve drank a lot of Syrah in the last few months and I haven’t tasted any that packed a punch like this one. It presents with a deep purple color. Big black and blue fruits, particularly plum and blueberry, are beautifully complimented with incense, saline, dark chocolate, expresso, pralines, and sweet spice. There’s a strong oak presence, but this wine is more than large enough to handle it. Full-bodied in the mouth, with big yet tamed tannins and an incredibly long finish. The ABV pushes 16%, but there is little to no heat on the back palate. It’s an incredible wine, and one of the better values in the Napa Valley.
Rating: Stellar (95), 4.5/5 Value
