Red Wines    Syrah/Shiraz    Napa Valley    California   
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My Rating (circle) :
Date Printed: 6/19/2013
Shafer Relentless 2004
Shafer Relentless 2004
 (search item no. 92801)
The Wine Advocate rating: 92 points
PRICE ON 6/19/2013: $69.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2009 Wine Spectator rating: 95 points
2009 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
2009 International Wine Cellar rating: 91 points
2008 Wine Spectator rating: 96 points
2008 The Wine Advocate rating: 95 points
2008 Tasting Panel rating: 94 points
2008 International Wine Cellar rating: 92 points
2007 Connoisseurs' Guide rating: 96 points
2007 The Wine Advocate rating: 95 points
2007 Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
2007 Wine Enthusiast rating: 93 points
2006 Connoisseurs' Guide rating: 95 points
2006 The Wine Advocate rating: 94 points
2006 Wine Enthusiast rating: 94 points
2005 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
2005 Wine Spectator rating: 92 points
2005 International Wine Cellar rating: 92 points
2005 Connoisseurs' Guide rating: 90 points
2003 Wine & Spirits rating: 90 points
2002 Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
2002 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
2001 The Wine Advocate rating: 92 points
2000 The Wine Advocate rating: 93 points
1999 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 This wine honors long-time Shafer Winemaker Elias Fernandez and his relentless pursuit of quality. Sourced from a single ridgetop vineyard adjacent to the southern border of Stags Leap District, the grapes for Relentless are a "field blend" of Syrah and Petite Sirah.

"This is our sixth vintage of this field blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah and as the vines mature, the wine has evolved into a more complex style – aromas and flavors of blackberry, spice, chocolate, cedar, liqueur, and black licorice. Relentless will always be a blockbuster, but this release is continued evidence of a trend toward more layers of dark, rich aromas and flavors."
– Elias Fernandez
My Notes:

About Shafer Vineyards:

 John Shafer and his family founded Shafer Vineyards, located in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley, in 1979. From the Shafers' first wine, a 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, their wines have won much acclaim. Today, the Shafers farm 200 acres of vineyard in the Stags Leap District, Carneros and Oak Knoll regions. Their flagship wine, Hillside Select, is produced from selected blocks of the family's hillside vineyards and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. They also produce Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Merlot, One Point Five (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Relentless (a Syrah/Petite Sirah blend), which was named #1 wine of the year by Wine Spectator's "Top 100" of 2012.