99’ Shafer ‘Relentless’
Splash decanted for 2 1/2 hours or so, recorked and decanted for an hour more.
Nose was huge, extracted, ink, iodine, earth, blue fruits, intense and layered more on the Aussie side than the Rhone but clearly California. Moderate acid helps along an angular mid palate that shows moderate depth and complexity. Rock, smoke, Char, young, mark the palate that slowly opens and evolves.
The wine was a horrible match to most of the food except the chocolate, it found it’s balance and showed it’s verve.
This wine shows the touch of a Cab maker going over to Syrah, granted this is one of the first vintages if I remember it right, but it really feels like a Cab. Good wine but I would probably never seek out again.
Jb
I bought a bunch of these and never really liked them on release. This was the first vintage. I really wish I had held them because I think they take 10 years to really develop and show their stuff. Not so unusual with good PS fruit though. I have had it a couple times in the last couple years and really like the wine.
I opened this up last night and was floored by how good it was; it almost tasted young as if it is just coming into its prime. Very good juice…didn’t take any notes, but very balanced and big…I plan on trying to track down a few more bottles.
I have not had the 99, but really enjoyed the 01 and 02 when I had them as youngsters in 04 and 05. They were part of a series of tastings I did for my Masters work at UC Davis, looking at tannin development in syrahs, and those two were two of my faves out of over 225 wines tried.
In fact, I dug the syrah/petite sirah blend so much that I made my own - called The Climb. Love what a little petite can add to syrah . . .
Cheers!
I bought a few bottles here and there of this wine (probably off of critical scores), and when they are young, they are quite dense, closed and monolithic. Not bad, and not hot or sweet or any of the other things you might fear, but just extremely brooding and closed.
I have opened two bottles of the 2003 in the last year or so, and I think I’m finally getting to see where these wines are going, and it’s pretty impressive. I’m going to hold my assorted other bottles to the 10-12 year mark before checking into them.
Good advice, Chris. I’ve hidden my last few bottles from me!!!