2018 Shafer Relentless Syrah Napa Valley

2018 Shafer Relentless Syrah Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

SHAFER 

RELENTLESS SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Shafer Relentless Syrah Napa Valley
Shafer’s Relentless Syrah made its debut in 1999 before capturing three spots on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, including the #1 ranking in 2012. Now in its 20th vintage, this spectacular Syrah/Petite Sirah blend continues to steal the show with its intensely captivating, indulgent style and consistently stratospheric scores from numerous critics.
 
Named for Shafer’s longtime winemaker Elias Fernandez’s relentless dedication to high-quality winemaking, this wine is an individual selection of only the top-quality fruit, just like the Hillside Select. The blend changes each year, and the 2018 vintage is 76% Syrah with 24% Petite Sirah, but what remains the same is the wine’s bold, polished style that’s been consistent for over two decades.
 
SHAFER 
RELENTLESS SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2018
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“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
 
“…the 2018 Relentless looks to be just about sensational, offering a dense purple color as well as rich, loaded notes of blackberries, currants, 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 this cuvée, and my money is on it being one of the best yet.”
96-98 Points
2019 Domaine De La Ville Rouge Crozes Hermitage Inspiration

2019 Domaine De La Ville Rouge Crozes Hermitage Inspiration

with No Comment $30 and underFranceKevin VogtRhone ValleyRhone ValleySyrah

DOMAINE DE LA VILLE ROUGE

CROZES-HERMITAGE
INSPIRATION 2019

2019 Domaine De La Ville Rouge Crozes Hermitage Inspiration
Established in 1919, Domaine de la Ville Rouge sits on the banks of the Rhône River in the Crozes-Hermitage AOC, an area famous for producing wine with explosive, complex flavor profiles. They’ve organically farmed the vineyards since 2009 and converted to biodynamic in 2013, which helps translate the region’s authentic aromas and flavors into your glass.
 
Inspiration is 100% Syrah crafted from 20-year-old vines that were cold-soaked for 3-4 days before fermentation to extract deeper color without accumulating harsh tannins. The wine team fermented the wine with natural yeasts followed by 18 months in stainless steel for a serenely idyllic wine that’s impossible to forget as it proudly speaks of its origin with each sip.
 
DOMAINE DE LA VILLE ROUGE
CROZES-HERMITAGE
INSPIRATION 2019
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2019 Domaine de la Ville Rouge, Crozes-Hermitage “Inspiration” opens with fresh notes of garrigue, anise, blackberries, smoked meat, and caramelized sugar. The bright acidity on the palate balances the flavors of black raspberries, plums, and freshly baked brownies. This wine is ready to drink now and great with barbecued meats but will gain a more earthy complexity with a few years in the cellar.”
93 Points
2019 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Austrailia

2019 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Australia

with No Comment $30 and underAustraliaKevin VogtSyrah

MOLLYDOOKER

THE BOXER SHIRAZ
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2019

2019 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Austrailia
“Mollydooker” is Australian slang for a left-hander, as referenced by the double left-handed boxer on the label. It also represents the punch of intensity the wine consistently delivers. Sarah and Sparky Marquis studied winemaking and began working for Sarah’s parents at Fox Creek in 1994, developing the Marquis Vineyard Watering Program that led to many award-winning wines.
 
The two began their label in 2006, with their first vintage of Mollydooker named the “Best Value Red Wine in the World” by Robert Parker. The grapes for this unabashedly bold Shiraz were grown in McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, fermented and aged in 100% American oak for seamless integration of flavors and a sultry texture on the palate at a fantastic value.
 
MOLLYDOOKER
THE BOXER SHIRAZ
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2019
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Thick, with sink-your-teeth-into-them tannins and powerful, ripe blackberry, huckleberry and blueberry flavors that show aromatic accents of allspice, Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, milk chocolate and dried violet on the finish. Drink now through 2036.”
92 Points
 
“Mollydooker’s 2019 The Boxer Shiraz is—no surprise here—a big, plush wine that’s labeled at 16% alcohol. Despite that, it’s only a bit warm on the palate, with sufficient masses of blackberry fruit and vanillin oak to stand up to the alcohol. Full-bodied and supple, it’s barrel fermented in nearly 50% new oak, all of it American, but somehow comes across as pretty and harmonious, an oversized version of Fantasia’s Hyacinth Hippo dancing to its own beat.”
90 Points
2016 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz Mclaren Vale

2016 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz Mclaren Vale

with No Comment $30 and underAustraliaKevin VogtMcLaren ValeSyrahWestern Australia

SHOTTESBROOKE

ESTATE SERIES SHIRAZ
MCLAREN VALE 2016

2016 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz Mclaren Vale
Nick Holmes began his journey in the wine world in 1981 after he planted his first vineyard and established the Shottesbrooke winery. Today, Nick’s stepson Hamish Maguire is the vineyard manager and head winemaker whose business and science degrees, in addition to his international winemaking experience, have prepared him to continue his father’s legacy.
 
Shottesbrooke is a small boutique winery that is proud to produce wines with vineyard site-specific character from the unique terroir that is McLaren Vale. The Estate Series Shiraz comes from the best fruit from their estate vineyards, reflective of their Australian origin, and among the best the Mclaren Vale region can offer for less than $20.
 
SHOTTESBROOKE
ESTATE SERIES SHIRAZ
MCLAREN VALE 2016
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“Black ruby color. Elegant aromas of nougat, ripe berry melange, pecan, milk chocolate, and damp earth with a velvety, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and a colossal, long praline, candied ginger, tamarind, dill, black pepper, and pimento finish with moderate oak flavor. A distinctive, elegant wine that offers a conversation piece and excellent meal companion.”
92 Points, Gold Medal “Exceptional” “Best Buy”
2017 Wallace By Ben Glaetzer Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley

2017 Wallace By Ben Glaetzer Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAustraliaGrenacheKevin VogtSyrah

WALLACE BY BEN GLAETZER

SHIRAZ/GRENACHE
BAROSSA VALLEY 2017

2017 Wallace By Ben Glaetzer Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley
Grenache and Syrah are superb partners due to their chemical makeup because Grenache tends to oxidize more easily, whereas Syrah is more prone to reduction. This complimentary blend originates from the Southern Rhône and is found in wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape but is also very popular in Australia, adding a new, stunning dimension to traditional Shiraz. 
 
Ben Glaetzer’s wine team sources the fruit from 50-80-year-old Shiraz vines and 50-100-year-old Grenache vines that produce minimal yields of highly concentrated berries. The Grenache is unoaked to preserve the lively fruit aromas, while the Shiraz matured for 16 months in two and three-year-old barrels consisting of 80% French oak and 20% American oak, resulting in a wine that’s truly the best of both worlds.
 
WALLACE BY BEN GLAETZER
SHIRAZ/GRENACHE
BAROSSA VALLEY 2017
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This is a nice drink. Thrills with a chill! I wish I didn’t have to write anything more because to do so, chortles on and contradicts the spirit of a wine that is gulpable because-and not despite of-its virtuous simplicity. Sweet berry fruit notes sashay to Turkish delight and kirsch, all licked by briar and a dash of vanillin oak. There is old-turf-vinosity to this, with length and effusive energy.”
92 Points
 
“Dark magenta. A perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, candied flowers and licorice, along with hints of cracked pepper and cured tobacco. Fleshy blackberry, cherry-cola and floral pastille flavors show very good depth as well as energy and spicy lift. The clinging finish features fine-grained tannins and repeating floral and licorice notes.”
91 Points
 
“Yes, the 2017 Wallace Shiraz-Grenache blend is heavily weighted toward Shiraz (as usual), but it’s the Grenache that makes itself known on the nose, adding lovely florals and raspberries to the slightly darker toned fruit of the Shiraz. Medium to full-bodied, this is supple yet crisp—perhaps a bit youthful and angular—but finishes with silky tannins and plenty of length. In another year or two, it might rival the impressive 2016.”
90+ Points
2018 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

2018 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

with No Comment $90-$100Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesSyrahUSA

BOOKER

FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2018

2018 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles
Dedicated to growing fruit for some of the best wineries in Paso Robles, Eric Jensen farmer and winemaker at Booker Winery, gained valuable experience from neighbors Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, and friend Justin Smith of Saxum. Fracture is one of Booker’s flagship wines, with its name paying homage to the limestone that causes the calcareous soil in the vineyard to crack.
 
Paso Robles welcomed the cooler 2018 vintage, leading to a relaxed harvest of healthy fruit and longer hang-time for the grapes, allowing them to develop more complex flavors and aromas. This 100% Syrah is made in a silky smooth style that Eric describes as “falling into a soft pillow” that is ready to drink right off of the bottling line but also has the potential to age for another 20 years or longer. 
 
BOOKER
FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2018
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Another magical wine, the 2018 Fracture is based on 100% Syrah brought up in new and used French oak. Deep purple-hued, with beautiful notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, vanilla bean, toasted spices, white flowers, and a hints of charcuterie, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated oak, a rounded, lush mouthfeel, and a great finish. This unabashedly Paso Robles Syrah brings loads of fruit yet stays balanced, elegant, and is simply a thrill to drink.”
98 Points
 
“Youthful purple. Heady, spice-accented aromas of blackberry, blueberry cherry liqueur and pungent flowers show excellent clarity and energetic lift. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, displaying sharply defined black/blue fruit, violet pastille, cola and exotic spice flavors that turn livelier as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long, smoky and minerally, with powerful, spicy thrust, a repeating floral note and gently chewy, polished tannins.”
97 Points
2019 Castello Romitorio Super Tuscan Tuscany, Italy

2019 Castello Romitorio Super Tuscan Tuscany, Italy

with No Comment $30 and underChiantiItalyKevin VogtSyrahTuscany

CASTELLO ROMITORIO

2019 ROMITORO
SUPER TUSCAN
TUSCANY, ITALY

2019 Castello Romitorio Super Tuscan Tuscany, Italy
Castello di Romitorio’s history is extensive, beginning as a temple in Roman times with many transformations before its most recent renovation in the 1980s into a winery and art workshop by the owner and Italian artist Sandro Chia. Sandro believes the best expressions of art and wine thrive with a minimalistic approach and that natural progression should never be altered but rather enhanced.
 
The Romitoro IGT encompasses indigenous French varietals, proving that these varieties grow incredibly well in Tuscany, producing high-quality wines. The 2019 Castello di Romitorio “Romitoro” comingles Syrah and Petit Verdot, in a classic and refreshing style that scored 93 points from Robert Parker and James Suckling, offering incomparable value at $25.
 
CASTELLO ROMITORIO
2019 ROMITORO
SUPER TUSCAN
TUSCANY, ITALY
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
“The Castello Romitorio 2019 RomiTòro is a generous Tuscan blend of Petit Verdot and Syrah… This is a terrific value from a vintage that delivers excellent balance, intensity and richness. That beautiful concentration is what drives this wine, imparting dark fruit flavors, plum, spice and sweet tobacco along the way. This was a terrific vintage in both Maremma and Montalcino, the two areas where Filippo Chia makes wine.”
93 Points
 
“Plums and blackberries with black-mushroom and dark bark undertones. Full-bodied with round tannins and a delicious, juicy finish. This needs time to come together, but already so pretty. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
2016 Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah Bennett Valley

2016 Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah Bennett Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtSonomaSonoma MountainSyrahUSA

COURSEY GRAVES

2016 WEST SLOPE SYRAH
BENNETT VALLEY

2016 Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah Bennett Valley
Winemaker Cabell Coursey works tirelessly to uncover and illuminate some of Napa and Sonoma’s lesser-known vineyards that are quietly yielding world-class grapes. He seeks out steep hillside plots that experience cool atmospheric conditions and have rocky soils that share similarities to the austere conditions of Bordeaux. These vineyards are capable of producing concentrated fruit with majestic characteristics that are unique to their origin. When I first tasted his 2016 West Slope Syrah last year, my immediate thought was, I’m getting a case of this for my cellar.
 
Coursey Graves Estate Vineyard is located a thousand feet above sea level on Bennett Mountain, where the ancient volcanic soils and unique micro-climate is ideally suited for Syrah. The wine is powerfully compelling, richly layered, and effortlessly elegant. 
 
Burgundy inspired winemaker Cabell Coursey, and he learned winemaking from the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France. Then he honed his skills in New Zealand and the Willamette Valley before working at iconic producers DuMOL and Kosta Browne. The 2016 release has several stellar reviews, but DougAndrea on CellarTracker may have said it best with his quote, “OMG. Buy more…” 
 
COURSEY GRAVES
2016 WEST SLOPE SYRAH
BENNETT VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“Very savory and smoky, this Sonoma syrah is anything but a fruit bomb. The slightly sappy tannins and smoked-bacon flavor nicely balances the underplayed ripeness. The finish is fresh with plenty of spicy complexity. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
 
“Deep ruby-purple, the 2016 Syrah Estate West Slope has a very pretty nose with scents of violet, stone and graphite with touches of tar and olive over a concentrated core of blackcurrant, warm black cherries and spice box. Full-bodied, it gives up intense, spiced blue and black fruits framed by firm, ripe tannins and good freshness, finishing very long…”
92 Points
 
“This is a thick, rich and unctuously varietal wine, smoky in oak and beautifully wrapped layers of grilled meat and game. A thicket of lavender and licorice gives it complexity and more to ponder.”
90 Points
2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands

2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

HALCON

2017 ALTURAS SYRAH
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS 

2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands
Halcon’s guiding principle is, “the best fruit makes the best wine,” and they planted their vineyard without the slightest compromise. At 2,500 feet, it’s one of the highest vineyards in California, and the densely planted vines grown in heavily metamorphosed sandstone, fractured shale, and quartz-rich rock produce brilliant quality fruit. The location, ocean influence, and altitude form a climate remarkably similar to Côte-Rôtie, and the wines are spectacular.
 
Halcon’s densely-planted, organically-farmed vineyard contains heritage selections from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. Their Syrah’s style is reminiscent of Côte-Rôtie and was co-fermented with Viognier, which adds lift and a beautiful focus to the dense core of fruit. 
 
For added depth and structure, Scott Sharpley, whom you might recognize as the winemaker at ROAR, utilized 50% whole-cluster fermentation in the winemaking process and kept the wine in mostly neutral oak barrels. If you’ve been waiting for the next rising wave in California Syrah, it’s here, and you too will be a believer the moment you try it.
 
HALCON
2017 ALTURAS SYRAH
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $32
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“The 2017 Alturas is another stellar wine in this range. Rich and deep in feel, the 2017 has a bit more body than is typical for the Halcón wines, and yet it retains all of the signatures of the house style. Firm tannins wrap around a core of red fruit, licorice, wild flowers, herbs and rose petal. The 2017 is pretty alluring today, but it will be even better in another few years’ time, once all the elements have come together a bit more fully.” 
94 Points
2016 Westwood Annadel Gap Estate Syrah

2016 Westwood Annadel Gap Vineyard Estate Syrah

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtSonomaSyrahUSA

WESTWOOD

2016 ESTATE SYRAH
ANNADEL GAP VINEYARD

2016 Westwood Annadel Gap Estate Syrah
Westwood spares no expense in both farming and winemaking, and the level of care is obvious in their wines. Their vineyard is one of a handful of Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyards in North America, and Philippe Coderey, a legend in organic and biodynamic viticulture, farms it. Westwood’s winemaker is Philippe Melka, whose vast experience includes winemaking at Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Dominus. In a word, their Syrah is riveting, so don’t miss it. 
 
Westwood’s Estate Syrah arose from the cool, wind-swept Annadel Gap, located between Mt. Hood and Sonoma Mountain. The 2016 vintage is deep, rich, and profoundly layered with classic notes of smoked meats, bacon fat, ripe berries, and wildflowers. 
 
Philippe and his winemaking team paid attention to every detail and picked each clone at the pinnacle of ripeness, before being carefully sorted by hand and fermented in individual lots. The wine was gravity-fed into French oak barrels, where it spent the next 16 months developing on the lees.
 
WESTWOOD
2016 ESTATE SYRAH
ANNADEL GAP VINEYARD
Retails at: $82
 
 
 
“Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Syrah Annadel Gap Vineyard has evocative scents of warm black plums, wild blueberries, Sichuan pepper, smoked meats and violets. Full-bodied and packed with rich, ripe black fruit flavors, it has a firm backbone of rounded tannins and just enough freshness, culminating in a long peppery finish.” 91 Points
 
 
 
“Outstanding Syrah in a rich, complex style. It is full bodied, supple in texture, and intensely flavored (blackberry, black licorice, cedar, pepper, violet, cassis, toasty oak), with good balance and a very long finish. Lightly tannic, warrants aging. Great Value. ” Exceptional | Very Highly Recommended 5 Stars
 
 
 
“2016 was truly a phenomenal vintage and it delivered everything we love in a great Syrah from the Annadel Gap. With gorgeous notes of blackberries, freeze-dried blueberries, smoked meat, and a core of cherry liqueur. As the 2016 Westwood Estate Syrah continues to open, a juicy wash of salted violets, black pepper, and blueberry cedar linger for a long and complex finish.”