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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.8 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 48 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Milos on 6/23/2023 & rated 93 points: Drank side by side with 1993 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. Colour just slightly redder than the Dunn but every bit as intense and bright. Mid-red and red fruit, forward, balsam and cedar wood on the nose. Palate is great example of Napa, rich fruit, balanced, mouth coating. Tannins still present but have to look for them. Long balanced finish. Also love the low alcohol. This is likely at its prime. (580 views) | | | Tasted by Kepos on 1/6/2023 & rated 90 points: a bit rough and slightly unbalanced, came across a bit "porty", maybe already on its way down (912 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 4/2/2022 & rated 91 points: Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Decanted and served.
We are big lovers of 90s Napa and this was another nice example until you get to the point of the slightly burnt fruit that robs the wine of elegance and makes it light porty and unbalanced. A good 91 nonetheless but far from the mark of what Napa delivers in that period of time. (1603 views) | | | Tasted by Desert Cellar on 12/24/2021: Past prime (1224 views) | | | Tasted by mullins.ryan@gmail.com on 9/18/2021: My wife's drunk friend went in my cellar and drank this while I was away from the home. She thought it "tasted old and weird." She is an idiot and if Molly McFall is ever in your home lock your cellar! (1496 views) | | | Tasted by Quiet Lion on 2/13/2021 & rated 93 points: Decanted two hours. This has aged well, with a porty nose and velvety acid, cedar, mulled cherry, and old leather on the palate. It doesn't have a lot of nuance but it was probably never a great vintage. Yet it has survived very well. (1612 views) | | | Tasted by rgawlowski on 10/13/2019 & rated 94 points: Honey fruit, great balance; great nose; long finish. (2040 views) | | | Tasted by AlexHop on 4/28/2019 & rated 96 points: Dusty elegant nose like and old library. Big mouth feel but feminine. Smooth a balanced with a medium long finish. Not much fruit still. (1976 views) | | | Tasted by WineWright on 12/20/2018 & rated 95 points: Slate and stone initially on the nose with soft floral tones along with cedar and oak. I loved the acidity and dark fruits, and the finish was stout for this 25 year old. It had a velvety viscosity that led to an elegant yet powerful, mouth-coating experience. What a treat at Christmas! (Posted picture) (2074 views) | | | Tasted by Gringo on 11/1/2017 & rated 94 points: This wine is quite lovely, though past it's a bit past its prime. It has a beautiful nose and a deep garnet hue. The fruits on the tongue are a subtle blend of quince and tart cherry with a muted mix of mint and earthy undertones. The finish was lingering and supple. Drink up! (3439 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 12/8/2015: This was an elegant, well-aged, excellent wine. I sometimes find consuming new world wines on the heels of old world a bit overwhelming with the stylistic differences. Not the case here. We drank after a '98 and an '81 Bordeaux and this showed why aged Napa can compete. A great blend of fruit and leather and spice but not overdone or too in your face. Well enjoyed by all who tried (and surprised a few who couldn't believe Napa could be as elegant). (5637 views) | | | Tasted by Paradigm Media on 4/10/2015: Celebrated our 21st Anniversary with wedding year wines. All showed beautifully and were distinctive. The Opus was full of rich stewed fruit, the Hillside Select was powerful and opulent. The Rausan-Segla was the surprise. It was delicious with rose petal on the nose - almost like a Barolo. (5407 views) | | | Tasted by Claretman on 6/3/2014 & rated 93 points: still has some time left, drinking well with 30 min decant, classic HS, fruit still fresh, structured, silky on the palate, nothing subtle about this, not the best vintage but worthy of the name (6589 views) | | | Tasted by Paradigm Media on 10/28/2013 & rated 97 points: Very nice nose of violets and dark plum. Bight clean fruit, and silky smooth with a perfect finish. I was nervous opening this bottle - we have had it for 18 years - but it was outstanding. We drank it next to Arietta '01 and La Jota 1998 Cabernet. It was the best of the group. (7251 views) | | | Tasted by unionst on 7/11/2013 & rated 93 points: Dark cherry color. Showing some brown on the edges. Ripe dark cherries, plums and cassis dominate the nose with licorice, vanilla and, what I have always felt to be characteristic of Hillside Select, root beer (emphasis on the root). At the twenty-year mark the fruit has quieted and now allows for a nice medley with earth, tree bark and brown sugar. Age has treated this wine well - elegant where it once was racy. (6706 views) | | | Tasted by Wine_lvr on 7/1/2013 & rated 89 points: Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): Mature brick color. Malty nose with hints of green vegetables (peppers). It shows chocolate and is quite elegant but all in all too short for a Hillside. Good wine considering the difficult vintage. Drink now - 2015 (5881 views) | | | Tasted by thomaskeil on 1/28/2013 & rated 92 points: Decanted 2 hours (tons of thick sediment and was a bit closed on opening). Reddish violet. Dark fruits on nose with tobacco, earth, spice. Silky palate with soft tannins, good acidity and a touch of heat. Not heavy or cloying in the least. Good persistence. Complex flavors and a little exciting texturally. Terrific with rib eyes. Must be near peak (probably past), but will hold just fine. (5191 views) | | | Tasted by lpartridge on 7/12/2012 & rated 96 points: Awesome...prime time! (5096 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 6/7/2012: Another pretty wine, this seems to track what you'd imagine is the evolution of the 1991. Medium red color with perhaps the barest hints of bricking at the edge of the glass. Fragrant nose of cassis and berry fruit, lots of earth notes, and tobacco. In the mouth, an identical mouthfeel to the delicious 1991. Showing a flash more fruit than the 1991 and perhaps a touch more sweetness, with terrific complexity, less leafy and more earthy, with a greater spice and tobacco component. A light acidic bite and long, luxurious finish. Beautiful. A (4093 views) | | | Tasted by davidwhitedc on 4/18/2012: Epic Wine Dinner at Bourbon Steak (Washington DC): Possible flaw. While some caught TCA, I smelled nothing but burnt oak and burnt molasses. Not sure what was going on with this wine. (4928 views) | | | Tasted by allenAchilles on 2/25/2012 & rated 94 points: Brilliant full bodied rich cab, drinking at its peak, but fades fairly quickly. At Le Pidgeon in Portland with V & B. Fantastic restaurant. (3594 views) | | | Tasted by wabi47 on 7/3/2011 & rated 89 points: checkered storage history; decanted for sediment and cork pieces; opened up over 30min with layered dark currant, berry, then ripe black cherry; some dusty/chalky notes; a little flabby; modest finish; enjoyable but no wow factor. (3914 views) | | | Tasted by scollier on 12/4/2010 & rated 94 points: i liked this a lot. this cab is ready. enough fruit and layers on the palate to keep you coming back for more. very nice texture. tannins are all but gone. not sure of any benefit to sitting on this one any longer--she sure seems ready. paired well with Kobe flank steak. looking forward to trying other vintages now. (4570 views) | | | Tasted by JLeader on 7/27/2010 & rated 91 points: Very polished, elegant serious cab. Fully mature but not in danger of falling apart any time soon. Perhaps a little short, but great blend of dark fruits, mineral, tobacco. A somewhat lighter style than in blockbuster vintages but a very nice showing. (4974 views) | | | Tasted by Knicksfan on 7/25/2010 & rated 91 points: Nice place - soft tannins but well integrated fruit. Drink up (4857 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| 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. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of 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.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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