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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.5 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 86 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by G_H on 1/21/2024 flawed bottle: Unfortunately this had a slight issue, but the wine behind that was glorious (408 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 9/23/2023: -- decanted approx. 1 hr. before tasting --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
I last had this wine in 2011 --- that bottle remains the best Napa Cab. I've had. Fast forward 12 years, and we have this bottle here. Cork in pristine condition. Fill was bottom neck. Quite youthful color, considering we're talking a 30 yo wine. Aromatically, this is at peak --- dark, giving, and well into tertiary territory -- beautiful aromatics. On the palate, this was very tasty -- excellent -- but I sense that it is coming down off its peak, as it was a bit lacking in drive. Drink Now and over the near term. (783 views) | | | Tasted by G_H on 4/23/2023 & rated 95 points: Perfectly ripe now. Plums, camomile , leather, fantastic mouthfeel and balance. I think it’s worth opening bottles now, because while I think this has easily 15 years ahead, I think right now it offers most pleasure. (768 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 5/4/2022 & rated 98 points: Tasted blind. Not decanted and none necessary, but feel free to go for up to 1h. Fruit forward bouquet showing refined red cherry and blueberries, dry earth, mineral notes of ash and pencil shavings. There is also a nice spicy touch. But that is only the first impression. Quickly you’ll also discover fine aging notes of tobacco and plenty of cigar box notes. Amazing tension, soft texture thanks to velvety, perfectly integrated tannin. But make no mistake, there is a bold and commanding stature that shines through a finish that goes on and on. With aeration this later added an elements of eucalyptus and menthol with the latter becoming more and more pronounced. All the while, the fruit remains immensely fresh and sweet. One of the best aged Napa cabs I’ve had to date, easily competing with Dominus and maybe even surpassing the Dominus of the same vintage. (2048 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 5/4/2022 & rated 95 points: Tasted double blind. No detailed notes taken. I was convinced this was a left bank Bordeaux, probably a St. Julien. There was so much fresh, pure blue fruit, forest berries, not a shred too ripe, lots of minerality, some tobacco and black truffles in the background. Melted tannins, well-integrated and medium- acidity, good balance and completeness. What was missing for a higher rating is more acidity and tension. Compared to the Dominus 1994 in the next glass, this Hillside had a bit less substance and much less precision and flavor intensity too.Still a great wine and highly elegant and round and for sure the most Bordeaux-esque Hillside I’ve had to date. Only with a lot of time in the glass, more eucalyptus/mint notes and a touch sweetness came out, hinting a bit that this could be classic Napa. 95 pts, only beaten by a stunning Dominus 1994 (rated 97+ pts) in the next glass, which had much better precision and tertiary aroma concentration.
Decanting: Not decanted, followed over a few hours. The wine opened-up a bit but still, I don’t think it needs more than an hour or two in the decanter. (2221 views) | | | Tasted by jimcopland on 6/12/2021 & rated 95 points: Fully mature, integrated tannins. Perfect pairing with sous vide tenderloin steak. (1766 views) | | | Tasted by BROpus One on 2/1/2021 & rated 97 points: This is absolutely stunning and everything I love about aged Napa. I've had 2004 and 2010 Hillside (both 100 pts) and they don't compare to this bottle...although I hope they do with similar age on them in the future. In a perfect drinking window now and I expect it to stay that way for a while. (1842 views) | | | Tasted by KenK on 6/20/2020 & rated 92 points: A bit faded with some warmth poking though yet still nice red fruited rhubarb like flavors throughout. Suggest drinking up, but likely holds just fine. (2078 views) | | | Tasted by bobbubbabs on 5/17/2020 & rated 61 points: Shot. Don’t know why I expected anything different-bottle from 3 year’s ago was gone, too. So disappointing. (1495 views) | | | Tasted by WineWright on 12/20/2019 & rated 95 points: At 27 this was a beautiful experience in every way, with a nose of rich cedar followed by bold but supple fruit and a strong finish. Just excellent. (1762 views) | | | Tasted by mattiasjansson on 10/22/2019 & rated 91 points: Shafer Hillside Select in Boston - Take II (Boston): Soft. Showing age. A hint of prunes. Tired or slightly heat damaged? The table was split on whether it was flawed or not, but I don't think it was beyond the typical bottle variation for a 27-year old wine. I tasted another bottle a couple of years ago and it was even more tired. (1660 views) | | | Tasted by beezer6 on 9/20/2019 & rated 93 points: WX+ Meetup at The Marq with Brian Ball from Skipstone Vineyards (The Marq - Chicago, IL): Lovely. Showing just how it should be at this age.
Subtle dark red fruit and spice. Purple flowers, some mineral.
Very nice and shows the old style of HSS that is nothing like what the wine is today. (1637 views) | | | Tasted by shafer1994 on 9/11/2019 & rated 99 points: A super, once in a lifetime expirience! Deep dark color. Spectacularily rich and terrific concentration, a smoky, rosted nose, layers of flavor and a superbly integrated acidety. A really big wine in any sense. Deep, Deep, Deep!!! You will never forget! (1176 views) | | | Tasted by napasoutherner on 9/6/2019 & rated 94 points: Beautiful old wine from Shafer HSS. Definite age on the rim but still lots of elegance and fruit, giving the bottle lots of life. Definitely on the downside of it's time left but this is a wonderful bottle of wine. Long finish. Goes to show that Napa wines can go for 25-30 years+! (1101 views) | | | Tasted by G_H on 8/29/2019 flawed bottle: Extremely corked (1026 views) | | | Tasted by AWBryce on 1/2/2019: From memory, drinking well, resolved mouthfeel and potent nose. (1139 views) | | | Tasted by rlove on 11/3/2018 & rated 92 points: Soft, pretty nose of plum, blueberry, green herb, and mushroom. Elegant and resolved palate, with flavors of blue and red fruit, silky and pliant. The 1992 Hillside Select is all finesse with none of that vintage's flash. This doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon but I doubt it'll get better. (1333 views) | | | Tasted by TexasBob on 3/13/2018 & rated 94 points: Medium ruby with violet edges. Sweet boysenberry with a hint of mulberry on the nose. Delicious body, mildly sweet, that reflects the nose along with strong strawberry notes at the end palate and into the excellent finish. Solid minerality. solid acids; drinks shockingly young. (2061 views) | | | Tasted by mattiasjansson on 5/26/2017 & rated 88 points: Shafer Hillside Select in Boston (Boston): Fading (2613 views) | | | Tasted by bobbubbabs on 4/12/2017 & rated 61 points: Just flat out shot. Over the hill. In contrast to the '92 Dominus (93 points), which was still in fine form, with years of good drinking still ahead. Disappointing to open bottles well stored for over 20 years and find them undrinkable. (3515 views) | | | Tasted by jsmorris707 on 4/8/2017 & rated 96 points: Double decanted for 30 min, med. ruby, red fruit, soft tannins, mod/long finish; delicious & ready to drink (3147 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 9/24/2016: USA 1995 (@ JK): Unfortunately this wine is not as it should be. Slightly corked. (4116 views) | | | Tasted by jkoenen on 9/24/2016 & rated 93 points: 95 Napa-Retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Suboptimal bottle. Provenance? (3284 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 9/10/2016: Q3 Tasting - Aged Cali (The Apt): Wine #6: I was one of the few that liked it. I called it wonderful and young tasting, but am very aware that we missed by not decanting it (and potentially for a more extended period of time). I'd never have guessed it was a 24 year old wine. Cranberry the most dominant flavor. While not really revisited during the blind, this was one of the bottles that seemed to get finished rather quickly afterwards. (1 penny) (3521 views) | | | Tasted by retired_and_roving on 9/10/2016: Q3 - 2016 Tasting - Aged California Wines - Pre 2006 (New York, NY): #6 of 20 wines tasted double blind. Color is ruby red and youthful looking. On the palate this is tart and bright with red fruits particularly cherry - very youthful and light tasting. My notes say - "not in my wheelhouse" - Shocked to learn later this was SHS. Middle of the pack for me. The group had this tied for last place (12th) with one penny. (2607 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Napa Valley’s 2020s and 2021s (2/16/2023)
(Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vertical Tasting of Shafer’s Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (Jul 2016) (7/1/2016)
(Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/2/2003)
(Shafer, Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Shafer Producer website
John Shafer and his family founded Shafer Vineyards, located in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley, in 1979. From the Shafers' first wine, a 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon,
their wines have won much acclaim. Today, the Shafers farm 200 acres of vineyard in the Stags Leap District, Carneros and Oak Knoll regions. Their flagship wine, Hillside Select,
is produced from selected blocks of the family's hillside vineyards and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. They also produce Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Merlot, One Point Five
(Cabernet Sauvignon) and Relentless (a Syrah/Petite Sirah blend), which was named #1 wine of the year by Wine Spectator's "Top 100" of 2012.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Stags Leap District Stags Leap District |
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