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2004 RELENTLESS®
Syrah and Petite Sirah Make Delicious Partners in Wine
In the southern part of Napa Valley, 2004 gave us classic conditions for the development of rich, ripe wines.
Long, sunny, dry days gave way to chilly evenings. Temperatures rose slowly and evenly throughout the season.
“In 20 years at Shafer, it’s the earliest budbreak I’ve seen, about two weeks ahead of
schedule, and that led to a harvest that flew out of the starting blocks in September,” says Shafer
Winemaker Elias Fernandez.
Flavors were there early, coming on steadily through August. At the start of September we got a long blast
of 100 degree heat and sugars climbed fast. In order to achieve the right balance of flavors, sugars and
acid, the vineyard team had to pick more quickly than originally expected.
The wine offers a great volume of color and flavor, giving us a vintage that looks like a close relative
of classics such as ’94, ‘ 97 and ’01.
“This is our sixth vintage of this field blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah and as the vines mature,
the wine has evolved into a more complex style. Relentless will always be a blockbuster, but this release
is continued evidence of a trend toward more layers of dark, rich aromas and flavors,” says Fernandez.
2004 Relentless is released with a suggested California retail price of $65.
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Shafer Vineyards is a 34,000 case winery in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District managed by the father
and son team of John and Doug Shafer. The Shafer family owns and farms 200 acres of vineyards, sources for
Shafer’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Syrah.
