Shafer Vineyards Wine Tasting and Visit
Napa Valley, CA
Tasted December 1, 2014 by djlevin with 355 views
Introduction
As you approach the winery, this is a hilly site that hits you with a luxurious feel of rolling vineyards. It was a gorgeous facility and the tasting room was well-appointed... and that description is just the impression it leaves - very proper. The whole experience was just as this description sounds - expensive, stuffy, high-brow and condescending. My wife and I were tasting with a group of eight consumers. The group tasted the current releases, including the Hillside Select that had a retail price of $250/btl. I spoke to several in the group afterwards and they had already moved on, asking me to recommend other sites in Napa. Not that the wines weren't very good... just that the experience was not engaging and did not leave a lasting impression. For the price of the tasting and the cost of these wines, you would expect something different. The Shafer experience is a throw-back to an American wine experience long, long past. Today, even the wine drinker able to afford this collection of wines, is looking for a more relaxed presentation.
Flight 1 (5 notes)
White
2012 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Lots of citrus on the nose with citrus AND tropical fruit flavors in front on the palate. The tropical fruit character was a nice change from other Napa Chardonnays. The lack of malolactic fermentation adds to the perception of very high acidity, which is a nice counter-point to the creamy mouth-feel. Very Old World winemaking here - lots of new French Oak and a full 14 months on the lees. A very nice Chardonnay.
Red
2012 Shafer Merlot
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose was a bit unusual with a floral character from the 6% Malbec. Once the carmelized butter hits the nose, you know where this is going... a rich, toasty oak experience. The wine is fruit-forward with typical plum flavors in front, but the mid-palate catches you off-guard with a very bitter and sharp dark chocolate flavor that makes the wine difficult to drink. Also, you would expect a little more mouth-feel with a high-end Merlot, than this slightly watery texture. The wine's structure had high tannins and high acidity.
Red
2011 Shafer Relentless
USA, California, Napa Valley
This Syrah fared much better than their Cab releases in the cooler 2011 vintage... as you would expect from a varietal that stands up to cooler temperatures well. Fortifying this blend with Petit Sirah adds plushness to the mouthfeel and deep color. Minty on the nose with lots of plum in front on the palate. The mid-palate moves to pleasant dark chocolate with a medium length finish. What I like most about this wine was the character of the tannins. No grittiness, or bite... the mouth-drying tannins were very soft and smooth. The wine's structure had high tannins and high acidity. This Syrah blend will age well.
Red
2011 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
I didn't know what to expect with this. All the talk of how poor the growing season was in 2011, I was hoping the winemaker had taken an approach to work with the fruit, instead of fight it. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Boysenberry, plum and fresh tobacco on the nose. The palate was fruit-forward with a little more red/black berries, than currant and plum. The mid-palate transitioned to pleasant dark chocolate and fresh tobacco, with a very weak finish. The finish highlights the problem with this wine. The structure included high acidity, but only medium tannins, missing the structure needed for proper aging. The balance was good, but the mouth-feel wasn't there. I would guess a drinking window of another five years, or less, by which time the balance will be lost. The tasting offered two impressions:
1) Fruit from a cool year that was picked too early, due to the rain during harvest that year.
2) A winemaker that attempted a traditional Napa Cab, instead of one with a silkier, lighter elegance - to match fruit from such a difficult growing season
Red
2010 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
By far, this was the most enjoyable wine of the 2014 releases. I wonder where the 2011 vintage will take them? Very fruity plum on the nose with a touch of tobacco and menthol. A blackberry and plum fruit-forward palate with a very long, luxurious dark chocolate finish. Beautifully balanced with soft tannins and a nice acidic backbone. The wine was soft, but not particularly vibrant in the mouth. A very refined style. An excellent Napa Cabernet, but at $250/btl retail, difficult to justify the price.
Closing
In the past, I have purchased Shafer wines via wine brokers. The wines maintain value, but do not seem to appreciate much on the open market, so many 5-10 year old vintages can be acquired at roughly the same price as current releases.
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