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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.3 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 141 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by vitroman on 4/21/2024 & rated 85 points: Definitely past it’s prime. (28 views) | | | Tasted by kwarning8@gmail.com on 9/9/2022 & rated 93 points: Very good just now! (515 views) | | | Tasted by Drakes Wine on 4/3/2020 & rated 97 points: Excellent wine!! (1251 views) | | | Tasted by haBu on 1/2/2020 & rated 92 points: Hitting its beautiful drinking window (1351 views) | | | Tasted by Robert Pavlovich on 5/3/2018: Bold ripe++ fruit, sweet boysenberry and other dark fruit that's chocolate and vanilla covered, with some spice support. Alcohol pretty well masked if you are drinking slightly chilled (recommended), but you sure feel it! Don't drive after drinking multiple glasses ; ) (2869 views) | | | Tasted by UMhemePA on 12/10/2017 & rated 92 points: Great bottle, blackberry, dark chocolate notes, deep ruby red near black. Long finish. Drinking well, but can go a few more years I think. (2836 views) | | | Tasted by Slaz on 7/11/2017 & rated 92 points: Corkage at Bouchon (Yountville); bought at Shafer earlier in the day. Unlike the 2014 vintage that is currently being poured at Shafer and is totally shut down, the 2008 is shining bright with a brief decanting. Great texture and good purity of fruit on the palate, with a moderately long finish. Has more than a few years ahead of it still. (3226 views) | | | Tasted by DJFIII on 6/3/2017: Debbie smooth not a lot of tannins on finish (2953 views) | | | Tasted by timbobwhite on 5/13/2017 & rated 92 points: 80% Merlot 20% Cab. 2-1/2 hour decant. Some sediment. Dark, brooding, nose of black fruit and oak. Mouth filling cherry, blackberry and black current. Firm, bold structure, tannin for years to come. Long, lingering finish. Very much looking forward to the 1.5 later this year. (2918 views) | | | Tasted by bambam on 4/14/2016 & rated 91 points: Dark cherries, mild oak, tannins are also mild. Typical Shafer Merlot. Enjoyed (3814 views) | | | Tasted by jmottern on 4/2/2016 & rated 92 points: Another excellent Shafer merlot. Deep dark red wine with a beautiful nose. Excellent merlot fruits highlighted with plum, cherry and light oak. Super finish. (3273 views) | | | Tasted by timbobwhite on 1/8/2016 & rated 92 points: 80% Merlot 20% Cab 2 hour decant. Deep purple to the edge, Cherry and plum on the nose. Rich! With cherry, plum and varietal fruit. Good balance and bracing tannin. Lingering finish. Got better with steak. Some nuance of grilled meat was a perfect fit for the meal. This is big, rip, rich and very good but still a bit closed in. Could stand a few more years in the cellar. A bit of sediment so decant carefully. (2868 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 12/31/2015 & rated 93 points: Paired with Kobe sliders that had Gruyere, spicy bacon and touch of jam. They exploded off each other. Slow ox as I wanted to preserve the fruitiness of the wine for this pairing. The wine was dark, lush but not flabby. Good structure behind the fruit. Some wood spice and milk chocolate. Dark red fruit. Long finish. Hedonistic, well made new world merlot. (2674 views) | | | Tasted by jbehrendt on 12/29/2015 & rated 93 points: Served with grilled tenderloin steaks with Beth and Ardis. One of the most enjoyable Merlots we have had in awhile. Full bodied, complex and just the right amount of fruit and tannins. (2540 views) | | | Tasted by kbhiggins on 11/3/2015 & rated 91 points: Mellowed quite a bit from last tasting this 2 1/2 years ago. Well balanced and still very enjoyable. (1429 views) | | | Tasted by Hamersly on 9/28/2015 & rated 93 points: Another great wine from Shafer. Has that lush mouth feel that seems to be the exclusive province of well made Merlots. A wonderful nose, and the mix of dark fruits on the palate is both interesting and delicious. Very accessible, this was a hit with all four people in our group. (1507 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 8/25/2015 & rated 93 points: Had this as one of 6 wines (5 reds) at a Shafer Wine night steak dinner. The entire group liked it, even those that normally don't like Merlot. I think Parker really underscored this one, as he gave it an 88. We decanted this for about 15 minutes, and sadly finished it before the steaks arrived, so I can't really say how it would have gone with the food. But on its own, it was really good. (1488 views) | | | Tasted by jmottern on 8/19/2015 & rated 92 points: Deep dark red full body merlot. Complex plum and blackberry fruit followed by a satisfying finish. Another classic Shafer merlot. (1411 views) | | | Tasted by woofy on 2/21/2015 & rated 93 points: We had this bottle today with lunch, a salad with grilled chicken, fresh cilantro and dill. The wine was perfect for this meal, on a cold, but not brutal day in NYC. I think Shafer's Merlot is underrated, the effect of Sideways debasing Merlot, but those who have this wine can enjoy with pleasure. And it still has plenty of life in it. (2163 views) | | | Tasted by RJurman on 1/31/2015 & rated 91 points: Drinking perfectly at this point. Medium to full bodied with a nice finish. Perhaps still a bit of heat but it's juicy and delicious. Really good Merlot. (1912 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 1/23/2015 & rated 90 points: Decanted. A nicely structured, balanced and integrated Napa merlot. Black cherry and oak notes are most prominent. Ready now, but should have a few more years. (1809 views) | | | Tasted by jmottern on 1/18/2015 & rated 88 points: Nice nose, medium body. Blackberry fruit with a little minerality. This bottle lacked the typical Shafer "big fruit" either because it is young or I did not let it open enough. (1661 views) | | | Tasted by Doc90 on 11/27/2014 & rated 90 points: Nose of ripe raspberries, fresh lobster, and acetone. Full bodied, creamy, bursting with ripe red fruit, spice falls in at the end for a medium-plus finish. Needs a few more years. (1941 views) | | | Tasted by jviz on 10/24/2014 & rated 93 points: Such a high quality product. Pure and fruit driven, quite sweet, with ample oak and moderate tannins. Plum and kirsch seem to dominate with a touch of lead on the nose. Harmonious balance. Might have guessed Grenache as much as Merlot but it's so soft on the palate. Would happily buy again (1701 views) | | | Tasted by aidyl on 9/6/2014 & rated 90 points: Initial taste after popping the cork suggested it could still use some decanting time. Even after 1 hour, it was still just a touch "hot" or "tight". I would suggest decanting for at least an hour or giving it another year or two in the cellar, as it has clearly not yet reached its peak. This is a very bold, structured Merlot that does indeed drink a lot like a Cab...partially because it is 20% Cab Sauv, and partially because they clearly age it in a lot of new oak. The tannins are still pronounced, and this wine will stand up very well with bold dishes (such as our grilled burgers made with 50% beef and 50% bacon). Presents with tart black cherry and cedar, followed by a hint of chocolate mint and spice on the lingering finish, this is a very structured Merlot that still has plenty of aging potential. Not quite as balanced or elegant as a Carter or similar high-end Merlot, it is nonetheless excellent and recommended for those seeking something more weighty than the typical Merlot. (1734 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (7/6/2011)
(Shafer Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2011, IWC Issue #156
(Shafer Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (2/24/2012)
(Shafer Merlot) Medium dark ruby color; redolent, ripe blackberry, violets, black currant nose; tasty, black currant, blackberry, violets palate; medium-plus finish (80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20 mos. in French oak, 75% new; 15.3% alcohol) 92 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/5/2011)
(Shafer Merlot) Nearly opaque purple red violet color; violet, berry, blackberry, vanilla nose; rich, berry, blackberry, vanilla palate; medium-plus finish 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and Vinous and RJonWine.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.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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