Shafer Proprietary Red Relentless Napa Valley 2018

"Year in year out, this is one of the superstar wineries, not only in Napa Valley and all of California, but in the entire world... One of the world’s great wines and profound expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon...The quality of the wines soared to first-growth standards, and have remained there for the last twenty-plus years.” - Robert Parker

These wines, from the quiet masterwork winemaking of Elias Fernandez (truly, one of the greatest people and winemakers in the Valley), remain rock-solid, polished, powerful and beautifully well-made wines in the entire Valley, year after year. The new wines are here and the Relentless just crushes it this year. 96-98 points and one of the most compelling versions of this wine (to my palate) since the legendary 2008 which earned the Wine of the Year honors from Wine Spectator almost a decade ago. More peppercorn, minerality and Cote Rotie-like complexity than ever before in the wine, WOW! This is also a bit lighter on its feet than previous vintages with extreme polish and beautiful balance. It's as classy as they come and a wine that should age gracefully for decades.