Shafer "Relentless" Syrah 2021
(Napa Valley, California) - [JS 97] [DM 95] [TWI 95] [VM 95]

About the wine:
Relentless is a blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah that originates in a rugged, sloping vineyard planted in the chaparral foothills of the Vaca Mountains, along Napa Valley’s drier, cooler southeast corridor. The soul of the wine, though, comes from its namesake, longtime winemaker, Elias Fernandez, who the Shafer family honors with this proprietary blend for his relentless pursuit of quality.

97% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah

28 months in 100% new 60-gallon French oak barrels (Allier & Tronçais)

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:
"A supersaturated, deep, almost thick wine that coats the mouth with potent dark fruit flavors and wraps them in a full body and firm, gripping tannins that need time to resolve. It's syrah with a 3% boost of petite sirah, bringing all the deep color, dark blue fruit and peppery spices of the Rhone. Grilled meat, charcoal and dried blackberries, too. Best from 2030."

95 Points - Decanter:
"In this vintage, winemaker Elias Fernandez celebrates his 40th year crafting wine at Shafer. The 2021 Relentless is a blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Petite Sirah, sourced from ridgetop and foothill sites along the Vaca Mountains, just south of the Stags Leap District AVA. Aged for 20 months in 100% new Allier and Tronçais French oak, the wine is remarkably restrained in 2021, showing elegant cherry and spiced plum fruit alongside sandalwood and rose petal nuances. This full-bodied Syrah leads with pronounced mineral tension, revealing cool wet slate and forest berry fruit. The tannins are sleek, polished, and well-integrated, framing a juicy, balanced finish. Despite its 15.8% alcohol, the wine maintains excellent poise and grip, with no noticeable heat. 2025-2035."


95 Points - Vinous Media:
" The 2021 Relentless is a potent, brooding wine. Dark cherry, plum, licorice, cloves, game, scorched earth and black pepper explode onto the palate. Swaths of tannin wrap it all together. This intense, structured Syrah-based blend clearly needs a few years in bottle to be at its best. It's pretty impressive, even in the early going. The 2021 spent six more months in barrel than originally projected because of the delayed 2023 harvest. My impression today is that the extra time in wood robbed the wine of some freshness. (Drink between 2026-2036)" - Antonio Galloni (12/24)

95 Points - The Wine Independent:
"The 2021 Syrah Relentless is composed of 97% Syrah and 3% Petite Sirah. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little shaking to awaken notes of plum preserves, blueberry pie, and Morello cherries, followed by hints of violets, black pepper, and licorice. The full-bodied palate is packed with pepper sparked black and blue fruit preserves, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and lovely tension, finishing long and fragrant. 2025-2035." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Jan 2025)

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Aged 30 months in new barrels, the 2021 Syrah Relentless is a beauty offering some wild, gamey nuances in its black and blue fruits, lavender, iron, and bacon fat-like nuances. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Syrah with a pure, layered, elegant style, fine tannins, and outstanding length." (1/25) 

93 Points - Wine Advocate:

"The 2021 Relentless is a blend of 97% Syrah and just 3% Petite Sirah, all aged 28 months in 100% new French oak. Like the rest of the Shafer red wines, it has effortlessly absorbed the oak treatment, delivering blackberries and blueberries on the nose. Full-bodied, sturdy and tannic, it finishes long and dusty. Give it another couple of years to smooth out and then drink it over the next 15 years. 2026-2040." - Joe Czerwinski (Oct 2024)