Shafer Syrah Relentless Napa Valley 2019

Add 3 bottles to the cart and receive an additional 34% off!

Incredible 3-bottle price today! This powerful and elegant 2019 Relentless Syrah was appropriately named. With ample staying power and loads of layered complexity, it’s more than deserving of its 97 and double 96 point scores, proving there’s more to Shafer than just incredible Cabs!

When John Shafer uprooted his family from Chicago to their new home in Napa Valley in 1972, California wine was still a bit of a wildcard. 209 acres was a huge investment – even if it was just down the road from Nathan Fay’s Stags Leap Wine Cellars. With some epic neighborly advice, John planted the hillsides above the winery – the very parcels that would one day become the now iconic Hillside Select bottling. In 1983, John’s son, Doug, entered the fray, and the Napa Valley would never be the same.

Today, Shafer is a prized bull in the stable of top Napa wineries, and while their Cabernet Sauvignons get much of the attention – their “Relentless” bottling of Syrah and Petite Sirah stands as one of the most heralded and oft-awarded bottlings of Cali-Rhone in history. The 2008 vintage won Wine Spectator’s coveted Wine of the Year award – with a celebrated 96 points. This 2019 is certainly worthy of no less heraldry – with 97 points from Decanter, and a matching 96 points each from Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast. As the name suggests – this is a wine that simply goes on forever – head-down, unbridled power that charges out the gate and keeps on going.

Sourced from the sloping and rugged foothills of the Vaca Mountains, in Napa’s cooler southeast corridor just south of the Stags Leap District, Relentless is named in honor of the estate’s iconic winemaker, Elias Fernandez, and his ongoing pursuit of the best work, sourcing, and artisanry in both the field and cellar. Made of 89% Syrah and 11% Petite Sirah, the deeply purple wine emanates aromas of kirsch, blackberry, dry wild brush, and dark chocolate. The palate brings in more layers of powerful richness – first black cherries, then pepper and sage, followed by violets, and bacon fat, and cocoa powder, and blood orange. Robust with fruit and savory notes, and humming with an electric acidity, this wine culminates with supple and smooth tannins and a remarkably lasting finish. Simply a jaw-dropping wine from a producer long crushing the game in Napa Valley! If you can, opt for a 3-pack to snag an epic price drop!

PAIRING IDEAS: I’m so into these spicy cilantro steak bowls – the richness of the steak, fresh veggies, and heat of the sauce will allow all the intricacies of this Syrah to flourish (and also make a great summer meal).