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2009 Shafer "Relentless" Napa Valley Syrah Product Zoom

2009 Shafer "Relentless" Napa Valley Syrah

SKU #1111314 95 points Wine Spectator

Brimming with dark, rich berry, loamy earth, crushed rock and espresso. This is a powerful expression that is also tapered and sophisticated, ending with all kinds of subtle nuances that come alive on the finish. Syrah and Petite Sirah. Best from 2013 through 2024. (Web Only- 2012)

93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2009 Relentless (Syrah/Petite Sirah) wraps around the palate with serious depth. Dark cherries, grilled herbs and menthol take shape in the glass followed by sweet floral notes that add lift on the finish. A rich, round and voluptuous wine, the 2009 impresses for its overall sense of harmony. It isn’t terribly varietal, but is quite pretty if taken on its own terms. The 2009 is 82% Syrah and 18% Petite Sirah. Personally, I prefer the subsequent vintages, where Syrah plays more of a leading role. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. 93+ points. (12/ 2012)

92 points Wine Enthusiast

Relentless is Shafer's Syrah-based red wine. it's always rich, ripe and bold, and the 2009 is no exception. the alcohol is very high, making the wine heady and warm. If you can get past that, you'll find a huge wine, massive in blackberry, plump raisin and chocolate flavors with soft tannins and a long, sweet finish. The blend contins 19% Petite Sirah. (12/ 2012)

K&L Notes

This wine is an excellent followup to the 2008 vintage, which was Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" for 2012. A field blend including 18% Petite Sirah, the grapes for Relentless are sourced from a ridgetop site and a foothills site along the Vaca Mountains just south of the Stags Leap district. The wine spent 30 months in all new 60-gallon French oak barrels. From winemaker Elias Fernandez: "The 2009 offers dense, enticing aromas and flavors of purple/black fruit, smoked meat, spice, incense, black plums and berry. Even at this young age it offers elegance wrapped in extract, with ripe tannins and good structure for aging. In the mouth it’s full and rich from the first taste through the long finish."

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Price: $61.99
WS 95 RP 93 WE 92

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.
Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from the United States.
Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year. For our entire selection of California wines, please visit this link.
Specific Appellation:

Napa Valley

- America's most famous wine region, which encompasses a varied geographical territory running about 20 miles long from the San Francisco Bay northward to the foot of Mount St. Helena. Napa's great diversity, both in terms of climate and terroir, has led to the creation of a number of smaller AVAs like Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Mount Veeder, among others. Cabernet and chardonnay still reign supreme, but just about everything under the sun is grown in Napa Valley, in quality levels ranging from $2 jug wine to $500 a bottle California cab.
Alcohol Content (%): 15.8