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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.8 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 140 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Tarpon222 on 4/26/2021 & rated 91 points: Drink up. Nice now...not much longer (1253 views) | | | Tasted by Halfeel on 3/20/2020 & rated 93 points: Now is probably a good time to drink this wine up. Still great, but I don't really see it improving with any additional aging. (1597 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 9/21/2019 & rated 95 points: Like butter. Silky smooth, layered, lots of red fruit (1741 views) | | | Tasted by Cleanrun2000 on 7/30/2019: Very good (1791 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 5/28/2019 & rated 93 points: One of the best California merlots and soon to be obsolete. Lots of sweet red fruit, good body and minimal tannins. One could say a fruit bomb, but more sophisticated than that. (1865 views) | | | Tasted by Julieandluca on 4/26/2019: Jummy (927 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 2/16/2019 & rated 92 points: Smooth as silk with good depth and balance. Lots of diffused fruit and a long round. Finish (777 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 8/31/2018 & rated 94 points: This is a great merlot, full bodied, deep dark fruit, soft tannins and phenomenal finish. It’s a shame that they are discontinuing this stellar wine (849 views) | | | Tasted by norsktorsk on 7/31/2018 & rated 93 points: super (1019 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 6/9/2018 & rated 92 points: Smoke, tobacco and oak on the nose, lots of black cherry with a floral/raspberry undertone. Soft tannins and a medium finish. (1010 views) | | | Tasted by wthreadgill on 4/3/2018 & rated 89 points: RATING IS GIVEN BY WINERY (1033 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 2/14/2017 & rated 93 points: My wife's favorite shared on Valentine's Day. Dark fruit and earthy, soft tannins and a long finish. Aged very well (2491 views) | | | Tasted by Paytondogger on 4/15/2016 & rated 93 points: Wow (3420 views) | | | Tasted by Paytondogger on 4/15/2016 & rated 93 points: huge dark expression on the nose of blackberry and cedar. Wonderful currant backbone with explosive flavors of black cherry and mocha .Impressive 30 second finish of wild cherry fruit that coats the mouth I always love Shafer but this was beyond my normal expectations even for a winery that I demand so much from (3184 views) | | | Tasted by Paytondogger on 4/15/2016 & rated 93 points: huge dark expression on the nose of blackberry and cedar. Wonderful currant backbone with explosive flavors of black cherry and mocha .Impressive 30 second finish of wild cherry fruit that coats the mouth I always love Shafer but this was beyond my normal expectations even for a winery that I demand so much from. (3072 views) | | | Tasted by Paytondogger on 4/15/2016 & rated 93 points: Wow, huge dark expression on the nose of blackberry and cedar. Wonderful blackberry backbone with explosive flavors of black cherry and mocha . Impressively long 30 second finish of wild cherry fruit that coats the entire mouth . I always love Shafer but this was beyond my normal expectations even for a winery that I demand so much from. (3042 views) | | | Tasted by Whodeyinsea on 11/21/2015 & rated 90 points: The bouquet here (violet and ripe bold red fruit) is the best I have come across. The palate is not nearly as present. While still good in its own (mature) right. It's not nearly the big chewy fruity Merlot it was 5 years ago. I agree with the "chalky" tannins description. (2081 views) | | | Tasted by Hawk94 on 8/15/2015 & rated 90 points: A solid, complex merlot, sweet, and smooth. A fruit bomb. (318 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 4/17/2015 & rated 91 points: 90 minute decant was not enough. Typically nice Shafer merlot with sweet dark red fruit, medium-plus body, nice structure and acidity. Long finish. Tannins were a bit edgy and chalky which detracted from the wine but was getting better with air. Probably would have scored higher on 2nd day. Can drink or hold (1932 views) | | | Tasted by brockley23 on 12/29/2014 & rated 94 points: From Magnum, no decant. Gorgeous aromas of coffee and chocolate and sweet oak along with nice dark berry and currant. Flavors similar, went great with bacon wrapped pork chop. Second day after being gassed wine was even more integrated and supple. Drinking great right now. I would think 750s would be close to peak, magnums could go another 5 years+. (2205 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 10/3/2014 & rated 93 points: Incredible mouth feel, taste of chocolate and a tinge of tobacco. (2646 views) | | | Tasted by clairenclarence on 6/11/2014 & rated 92 points: pop n pour.drnk side by side with chateau la providence 09(100% merlot).nice energy of ripe fruits but yet with enuff acidity to balance the wine.rather surprise tat its high alcohol but didnt actually feel it.may bcoz of rich lushes fruit to cover the high alcohol.gd structure bttl,quite a balance wine.nice intensity.complexxity is decent.conclusion:wat is slight lacking here is some power to score more points. (3415 views) | | | Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 6/11/2014 & rated 92 points: Merlot Madness (Extra Space): Pop and poured.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, initially tight, but opened up with air to show aromas of blackberries, dark plums, bits of licorice, cinnamon spice, and vanilla oak. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, 14.9% alc that feels like a medium alcohol only, plush medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of sweet blackberries, dark plums, blueberries, bits of licorice, cinnamon spice, mint, vanilla oak. Medium+ finish. Rather elegant and restrained for a New World Merlot from Napa.
Very good quality. Drinking well now, and will last another 3-4 years. (3470 views) | | | Tasted by tuccipa on 5/9/2014 & rated 91 points: Drinking very nice. Smooth and refined. Still a lot of fruit (2362 views) | | | Tasted by Paytondogger on 4/12/2014 & rated 93 points: Black jam blackberry after pop and pour. Closed notes on the nose but suggests hints of blackberry and thyme. Wow wine after 3 hours . Beautiful blueberry note on the nose and palate. Nice soft vanilla hints and nutmeg. Rutherford dust are mingled in on the finish. Great Schafer merlot but needed time to open . Drink until 2016 (2185 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (7/6/2009)
(Shafer Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (5/21/2009)
(Shafer Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, December 2008
(Shafer Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and Vinous. (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 2012.2006 Shafer MerlotBlend: In addition to Merlot, contains 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc.MerlotMerlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.USAAmerican 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)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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