2011 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch |
| Vintage | 2011 |  | |
| Type | White | ||
| Producer | Shafer (web) | ||
| Variety | Chardonnay | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | Red Shoulder Ranch | ||
| Country | USA | ||
| Region | California | ||
| SubRegion | Napa / Sonoma | ||
| Appellation | Carneros | ||
| UPC Code(s) | 013528100022 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2014 and 2019 (based on 12 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 91 pts. in 109 notes) | |
| Tasted by DoubleMagnum on 2/12/2024 & rated 91 points: The color is deep gold now. Nose is still enticing and quite old worldy, but on the palate it is definitely not as elegant and polished as seven years ago. There is a bit of oxidation but more than that, it feels quite concentrated and more fleshy than I remember. Persistent on the palate. Finish is long. This is on the down slope. Drink up. (233 views) | |
| Tasted by bobbylion on 12/31/2023 & rated 92 points: It’s going down. Should have drank it 2 years ago. Still enjoyable, but not at its peak anymore. Acidity is low - some oxidation. Old chard. Was great at peak. Increasing my score on day two. Got better. Acidity is coming through, no fat. Oxidation wiff gone. Burgundian. Still, drink now. (224 views) | |
| Tasted by West Coast Wine on 10/23/2021 & rated 92 points: Great gold color, stone fruit/some honey notes in the nose. Still showing med acid and med+ body. This has balanced out great and it is not last it’s prime but in tasting great right now. If you have any drink over next 2-3 years. (1254 views) | |
| Tasted by kenthecpa on 3/24/2021 & rated 89 points: A wine past its prime but still somewhat enjoyable. (1558 views) | |
| Tasted by bobbylion on 1/1/2021 & rated 92 points: On day two. Was our New Years wine with Tom Kha Gai. Still excellent. My last bottle. Acidity and minerality keeps it going. Full and fruity with good oak. (1630 views) | |
| Tasted by bobbylion on 6/19/2019 & rated 93 points: Beautiful wine. Creamy, oaky, still enough minerality. Alcohol is high, but not really noticeable. Can really drink it on its own. Almost too good for food. Absolute pleasure! (2045 views) | |
| Tasted by Pontifax on 10/30/2018 & rated 90 points: A big brawny Napa Chard. On nose: creme brulee, vanilla and ripe peaches. On palate: follow through of the above flavours plus high minerality , hints of caramel and ripe apple ....the only thing that drags down the score is the persistent oak , coupled with the heat of the alcohol ( 14.8%!)....I have tasted better from this producer.....not quite in the class of Ramey's superb Ritchie Vineyard 2010, reviewed last year. (2308 views) | |
| Tasted by edjBoca on 9/2/2018 & rated 91 points: Big Chardonnay with vanilla and carmel. I would not call this elegent. (1934 views) | |
| Tasted by olioli on 6/16/2018 & rated 93 points: Plusieurs participants étaient à Meursault.. Magnifique vin équilibré, mais un peu boisé à mon goût habituel. Beaucoup moins exotique que le 2010 bu il y a une semaine. Riche, complexe, long. (2077 views) | |
| Tasted by DoubleMagnum on 9/15/2017 & rated 92 points: Wow... I would've said Meursault on a blind. This tastes so old world it's crazy. Quite mineral but with a bit of oak in the background. There're no tropical notes. (2588 views) | |
| Tasted by Andrew Hunter on 9/8/2017 & rated 90 points: Green apple and pear flavors predominate. Great glass of wine on a Friday afternoon as the sun goes down. (2211 views) | |
| Tasted by mdmcgonigal on 7/29/2017 & rated 92 points: Amber yellow, wonderful oaky nose. Bold flavors of honey and stray. Powerful oak if you like it that way, smooth lingering finish. (2115 views) | |
| Tasted by lslayton@me.com on 7/2/2017 & rated 93 points: Rich, buttery with notes of pear, apple and citrus, awesome with steamed lobster. (2111 views) | |
| Tasted by markcic on 6/21/2017 & rated 91 points: Really nice chardonnay, we had it with sushi. The palate of apple, pear and citrus with a light touch of oak. A nice long finish. (1909 views) | |
| Tasted by vincemcd61 on 4/13/2017 & rated 92 points: Delicious had with chicken thighs, mango, rum and cashews (1600 views) | |
| Tasted by wmccone54 on 9/24/2016 & rated 89 points: This is very good but not worth the $70+ price tag ordered directly from the winery (taxes & shipping included). There are far better alternatives in the $20 range. If this were a "wow" wine I could understand the high tariff, but this is just not worth the price, and stylistically not my preference. (2293 views) | |
| Tasted by winejnky on 7/3/2016 & rated 93 points: A go to bottle year after year, this is a well-balanced Chardonnay with a wonderful lemon-lime and tropical fruit profile, but balanced with good acidity and the eight punt of oak to complement the fruit flavors and bring it all together. Great pairing on the 4th with corn and lobster. (2413 views) | |
| Tasted by rmcnees on 6/5/2016 & rated 90 points: Straw colored, medium bodied, subtle lemon and citrus accented by tones of apple and pear with nice, well balanced crisp acidity and a clean structured lingering finish. http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/06/backus-sassicaia-dead-arm-highlight.html (2467 views) | |
| Tasted by martcouz on 5/9/2016 & rated 91 points: Didn't come out as strongly as I was expecting, but still a nice drink ! (2541 views) | |
| Tasted by Mad Dog Mikey on 3/20/2016: Youthful near transparent color, butterscotch, tropical fruit, crowd pleaser, perhaps slightly sugary for my taste, and a bit more structure and acidity wouldn't have hurt. It helps to keep the wine cold after opening (in the glass for a long time, with dropping temperature accentuated the sweetness of the wine). (2731 views) | |
| Tasted by Racer117 on 2/13/2016 & rated 90 points: Very weighty but by no means over-oaked. Moderately prominent nose of mixed fruit (citrus and pear being dominate), similar flavors along with vanilla, minerality, and a very pleasant and interesting unsweetened butterscotch note as well. (2109 views) | |
| Tasted by wmccone54 on 12/11/2015 & rated 89 points: Similar to my winery tasting back in October 2013. I'm a big Shafer fan, but for the price, there are far better Chardonnays even in the mediocre 2011 vintage. Still slightly closed nose with flavors of vanilla, citrus, pear, and some spice. Average finish. Very good but not what I'm used to from Shafer. (2096 views) | |
| Tasted by winejnky on 10/3/2015 & rated 94 points: Pineapple, lemon, apricot fruit profile up front, with a wonderful balance, laser focused, cleansing minerality and acidity; light on its feet, but with a full, rich butterscotch finish. Yum! (2243 views) | |
| Tasted by toddmk on 9/25/2015 & rated 92 points: Delicious and drinking very well right now. (2445 views) | |
| Tasted by dbarco on 9/16/2015 & rated 90 points: How can you not like this. The oak is under control. Substantial weight with wonderful citrus, apple and spice flavors continuing through a very long and delightful finish. This is the type of chard that first sparked my interest in fine wine, although with the oak in better balance. (2465 views) | |
| Tasted by Bbaldinger on 6/21/2015 & rated 90 points: - Yellow color. (2252 views) | |
| Tasted by thelostverse on 4/24/2015 & rated 93 points: Opened at Anvil with Jeff and Kay. This was beautiful with lemon citrus, green apple and a deft touch of oak. Lovely balance with a lengthy finish that lingers. This is in my wheelhouse. (2205 views) | |
| Tasted by SMZ on 2/26/2015 & rated 93 points: Beautiful Chardonnay with incredible purity and freshness. (2227 views) | |
| Tasted by Doc90 on 2/11/2015 & rated 93 points: Vibrant electric lemon colored. Definite citrus notes on the nose along with hints of butter, oak, and beach scents. Balanced lemon zest and pineapple on the front. Transitions to a buttery mid palate. What sets this apart from the herd is the complex finish. (2182 views) | |
| Tasted by ajfret01 on 2/7/2015: Apple and ginger. Buttery. Very nice. (2113 views) | |
| Tasted by Beauchad on 1/5/2015 & rated 93 points: I like this wine a lot and it has been a consistent performer. I agree with some previous notes that this is a good balance of everything without any one trait overwhelming the others. I will be curious how this holds up to some bottle age. (2231 views) | |
| Tasted by Magnum Bill on 10/28/2014 & rated 93 points: Wonderful bottle of wine! Light nose with a lovely, lingering finish. Great balance of acid, fruit and body, with none overwhelming the other. Can be enjoyed with food or as a cocktail. One of my favorite Cali chards. (2430 views) | |
| Tasted by ssspore on 10/18/2014 & rated 92 points: Color dark straw, nose of pear, apricots, peach, honey suckle. Palate green apple, acidic, crisp, very good finish improved time. (2151 views) | |
| Tasted by Cuellar's Cellar on 7/28/2014 & rated 90 points: Very nice chardon. Had a hint of melon, oak, lime zest. Would buy again :) (2666 views) | |
| Tasted by ajfret01 on 5/23/2014: Rich and buttery. Not as crisp as I remember it. (2831 views) | |
| Tasted by SMZ on 5/16/2014 & rated 92 points: Quite nice, super crisp and flavorful. I generally like the lush buttery style of a Rombauer, but I really enjoyed this wine. (2751 views) | |
| Tasted by WineGuyFL on 5/11/2014 & rated 91 points: A little closed. Pale yellow in color. Nice wine, but a little disappointing in light of the price point. (2312 views) | |
| Tasted by cawineaux on 4/13/2014 & rated 82 points: Very yellow in the glass. Nose was toasty and nutty. A little out of balance with the oak and acidity. The palate was so strongly oaky that the chardonnay flavors were muted too much for my liking. (2413 views) | |
| Tasted by SoccerMark on 3/26/2014 & rated 93 points: Good value for the price (2260 views) | |
| Tasted by Jbird73 on 3/15/2014 & rated 91 points: Pretty gold in glass and nose as you would expect from carneros. A little more warmth for those grapes make this a more full bodied easy drinking pleasure. Great paired with a grilled halibut with mango salsa. (1982 views) | |
| Tasted by tfharris on 2/8/2014 & rated 91 points: Really great chard. (2237 views) | |
| Tasted by rocknroller on 1/12/2014 & rated 94 points: Light-medium gold. PNP, drank 2 glasses over an hour. I was really blown away by this wine tonight. I always like RSR, but this was the best I've ever had. This has a fantastic nose with a wonderful array of florals and fruit mixed with the smell of brisk sea breezes and a touch of earth. Orange blossoms, lemon, citrus, apple, and pears are present. The palate has racy acidity, great finely honed minerality, well delineated fruits of lemon, lime, apple, and pear, that flows into a dazzling finish. The power and finesse was striking. This was a dead ringer for an outstanding Grand Cru Chablis. Very exciting, and very young, could this really get better?! 94+pts. (2651 views) | |
| Tasted by Cullens on 12/31/2013 & rated 90 points: I know this is a great wine. One of the best Cali Chards I've tasted. Something was off tonight. (2410 views) | |
| Tasted by TexasBob on 12/29/2013 & rated 93 points: Light golden yellow color. Gorgeous nose featuring Pears and banana leaf. Notes of honey, lemon, with a lovely, buttery texture that can almost be described as viscous. Mild banana leaf notes with citrus take over into the lingering finish. It is drinking fantastically now and while I don't think it will improve much my guess is that it should continue to drink well for six-ten years. Of course, I don't really know jack about Chardonnay. (2335 views) | |
| Tasted by Skendig2000 on 12/28/2013 & rated 93 points: Nice pear and citrus on the front. Nice oak in the middle and delicate finish. Really enjoy this Shafer I just wish it was at a better price point. Very good. (2135 views) | |
| Tasted by PDD on 12/26/2013 & rated 95 points: Pineapple, citrus, oak. Perfectly balanced. One of my favorite chardonnays! (2116 views) | |
| Tasted by smphelps on 11/14/2013 & rated 93 points: Tasted at holiday tasting, this reliable white showed quite well. Medium yellow, clear, and offering fresh tropical fruits on the nose balanced deftly with vanilla. Not overbearing at all, rather elegant with a long lingering finish. (2272 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 11/9/2013 & rated 93 points: Bouquet with white fruits and flowers. Same on the palate. Some candy as well and a lot of good freshness. Well dosed oak. Some pleasant bitterness in the finish. Aromatic and concentrated with an enormous length. (2398 views) | |
| Tasted by Wine Canuck on 10/31/2013 & rated 85 points: Off the bat the nose has some appeal with subtle notes of pear, lemon, and seashells. Chablis like except a touch more ripe. This was served very cold which may have helped. Palate is very powerful, modern, and sweet. It is the antithesis of Chablis. Tastes like sweet canned fruits in syrup. Short finish. Yikes. (2410 views) | |
| Tasted by wmccone54 on 10/29/2013 & rated 88 points: Shafer Winery tasting. Closed nose that shows slight hints of citrus, pear, and vanilla. Produced using non-malolatic fermentation which allows a crisper house style. Aged in 75% new oak and 25% stainless. Nice crisp mouthfeel culminating in a nice long finish. Overall, disappointing and not up to the level of previous Red Shoulder Ranch Chards. This opinion was shared by the other members of my party. (2016 views) | |
| Tasted by cono_sur on 10/21/2013 & rated 91 points: Medium-high intensity aromas featuring elegant and balanced oak, orchard fruit, citrus and butterscotch notes. Medium-bodied palate with nice aroma replays. Finish is long and smooth. Lovely! (1347 views) | |
| Tasted by bigdogflow on 10/2/2013: Tasted during Napa trip 10/1/13 thru 10/3/13. (2264 views) | |
| Tasted by JDV.DDSPHD on 9/23/2013 & rated 87 points: Shafer Tasting (Napa Valley): Golden yellow in color. Citrus components with some pineapple and pear. HIgh acidity and decent backbone. I think it's lacking the structure of an amazing chardonnay but overall it is a decent not over oaked chardonnay. (2643 views) | |
| Tasted by europat55 on 9/14/2013 & rated 88 points: Very good, fairly typical California Chardonnay nose (B+). Rich palate. Some oak (B+). (2185 views) | |
| Tasted by RickyT12 on 9/12/2013 & rated 90 points: Shafer dinner. Light yellow nose is fresh cut grass, with hints of lemon and light cheese. Flavors are pears covered in brown sugar, a lot of butter coming through especially on the finish. Butter popcorn and toasted oak on the flavor. Nice Cali standard chardonnay. Would definitely try again. (2596 views) | |
| Tasted by SonnyChiba on 9/9/2013 & rated 89 points: Dinner with Doug Shafer. Nice chardonnay, good fruit, beautiful nose - really liked the nose on this one. Good creamy texture, tastes of pear, buttered popcorn, toast, a bit awkward in the finish, buttery toasted oak. Overall I liked this one. (2200 views) | |
| Tasted by toddmk on 9/8/2013 & rated 90 points: A primo example of a big, buttery, rich Napa Chard. Not my style but very good if you like that style of Chard. (2001 views) | |
| Tasted by drumice on 8/9/2013 & rated 89 points: Medium straw yellow color. Nice aromas of flora, wood, pineapple and melon. There's an interesting salty/urinish aroma that I can't pin down. On the palette, powerful flavors of melon, clove, petrol, citrus fruit in background with long grapefruit finish. Beautiful, crisp acidity. Very nice food wine. (1681 views) | |
| Tasted by tfharris on 8/5/2013 & rated 91 points: Outstanding and robust Chard. Enjoy! (2137 views) | |
| Tasted by Jbird73 on 7/7/2013: Same notes as before. If only this were $10 cheaper per bottle. Really nice Chardonnay. (2173 views) | |
| Tasted by Jbird73 on 5/27/2013 & rated 91 points: Pretty gold in color with almost a glistening quality. Nose is full of lemon, pear, rose petals. Mouthfeel is medium with acidity on the tip of the tongue through to mid palate. Finish is medium length. A really good bottle of wine that I would happily enjoy again and again. (2319 views) | |
| Tasted by walkerjfw on 2/22/2013: At the PNV tasting, medium gold color. Well some in a difficult vintage. Great Chard (2709 views) |
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| CellarTracker Wiki Articles |
ShaferProducer websiteJohn 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. ChardonnayThe Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican 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-PetersonNapa / SonomaSONOMA: The Yorkville Highlands AVA, approved in 1998, is located in the southwestern corner of Mendocino County, between Sonoma County's Alexander Valley to the South and Mendocino County!s Anderson Valley to the North. The region is 25 miles long, roughly in the shape of rectangle and bisected by Highway 128 which runs the length of the AVA. The region!s terrain is hilly and forested, with elevations ranging from 1,078 to 2,442 feet above sea level.The distinguishing features of the Yorkville Highlands AVA are rocky soils with a high gravel content and the climate, which is cooler than Alexander Valley but warmer than Anderson Valley, and significantly cooler at night than the surrounding areas. CarnerosStraddles the southern ends of Napa & Sonoma Counties. |