With this Syrah, Shafer honours winemaker Elias Fernandez, whose pursuit of quality has marked nearly two decades at Shafer Vineyards. Multi-layered and expansive, Relentless combines the concentrated black cherry and blackberry flavours of Syrah with black pepper spice and an earthiness derived from Petite Sirah, both planted in Shafer’s Hillside vineyard on the southern border of Stags Leap district.

A deep, dark, delicious wine, Relentless is aged for approximately 36 months in French oak barrels.

There’s heft and structure along with mouth-coating flavours that go on and on. Uncork this bottle and you’ll find layers of blackberry compote, red and black spice, dried black fruit, black tea, tobacco, and earthiness. All this liquid midnight comes with an undercarriage of ripe tannin that promises much more beauty and opulence in the decades ahead.

“A blend of 94% Syrah and 6% Petite Sirah, the 2018 Relentless looks to be just about sensational, offering a dense purple color as well as rich, loaded notes of blackberries, currants, and smoked meats, peppery spice, and violets. Reminding me of a great Cornas on steroids with its gamy, exotic character paired with beautiful richness, it has fabulous purity, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. This will undoubtedly be a great vintage for the cuvée, and my money is on it being one of the best yet.”
96-98 points, Jeb Dunnuck, January 2021

“A young wine with superb depth and polish that shows great depth and brightness. Full and focused with blue fruit and long, fine tannins that are compact and energetic. Slate. Graphite. Sophisticated and curated. So beautiful to try now, but be patient and open after 2026.”
97 points, James Suckling, August 2022

“The 2018 Relentless is fabulous. I can’t remember tasting a Relentless with so much aromatic intensity and finesse. An explosion of aromas and flavours makes a strong first impression. The richness of the fruit is remarkable, as is the level of polish winemaker Elias Fernandez has achieved. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, liquorice, spice and menthol build as this full-bodied, opulent Syrah/Petite Sirah blend shows everything its got.”
94-96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, January 2021