Wine Doctrine
2010

Shafer Relentless

Tasted 7 September 2015 California · Napa Valley

PnP with notes of dark purple and black fruit notes, alcohol, and baking spice. Full of energy and just a little bit of initial, unresolved tannins, the 2010 Relentless is an electric, fascinating wine. A beautiful…

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Producer
Shafer
Tasting history

This bottle, other nights

5 August 2018 2010 and 2015 Shafer Relentless served side-by-side. 13 January 2018 Same as all of my previous notes. Always a solid performer. A bit of air coaxed out some really nice bitter chocolate, tar, railroad tie, and black… 29 November 2017 Same as before. A solid red over the course of two days. A little tight on PnP and in need of some air throughout consumption. Ultimately, I'd… 14 July 2017 Same as all of my previous notes on this wine. PnP was the way to go. Performed optimally at 54 degrees throughout service. Solid 95 points during… 9 March 2017 Same as all of my other notes on this wine. Decanted for a couple of hours just for the hell of it, but it really didn't even need it. Taking a step… 25 October 2016 Previous notes on specific flavors still apply. Awesome wine, and inching its way up in score for me as time goes on. PnP was near-perfect and ready… 4 August 2016 Same as my previous notes on this wine. Nice dark fruits and some notable minerality. Drinking well with an hour or two decant, or hold until early… 10 March 2016 Same as my CT notes from 09/07/2015. Great stuff. Improved with two hours in the decanter. Could probably use another year in bottle for total…
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Other vintages of Shafer Relentless

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2008

Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select

Napa Valley · Stags Leap District

A solid performance with this particular bottle. Decanted for a few hours, which really allowed the firm tannins to soften and the black fruit and obsidian notes to emerge. No green peppercorn or…

Reviewed 5 July 2026
1986

Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select

Napa Valley · Stags Leap District

Gently decanted for an hour in a small vessel. Plum, deep and dark red and black muddled cherry, leather, old cigar, torched orange rind, soil, and black currant.

Reviewed 5 January 2025
2016

Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select

Napa Valley · Stags Leap District

Honed, focused, chiseled, mineral, black goth berry-rock, and a mean streak all up and down it, the 2016 HSS is serious business in the best of ways. Give it another 5+ years and be rewarded. It…

Reviewed 25 May 2024
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