March 6, 2019 - drank casually paired it with nba. this is a terrific vintage methinks. the 1983 we had seemed a little on the worn/tired side but this was kicking with very fresh fruit albeit seamlessly integrated with the wood and heat.
my score may be a bit low all said. it is a very good wine in a very good place.
May 16, 2018 - Wow. These older non-HSS Shafer Cabs are gorgeous once they're resolved! The nose is shy at first, revealing red, purple, and black fruit with some spice. The palate is no wallflower but not a blockbuster either, with blackberry, dark plum, black cherry, and relatively light spice in a silky smooth delivery. To steal a phrase from a Mike Myers' SNL character: "Like buttah!". What a beautiful expression of Stag's Leap fruit. It's still fresh enough that the fruit pushes the secondary notes of tobacco and leather into the background. This was all on the pop 'n' pour!!!!
For the second glass, the nose was a little stronger and the spice more noticeable. The wine had been in the decanter for about 30 minutes and started to blossom, with the fruit becoming just a pinch tangy but by no means losing any of it's wonderful characteristics.
I'm going to follow this over a few days if the bottle lasts that long. It will be scoring over 95 for sure, possibly flirting with perfection.
Night 2: The spice has kicked up a notch, the fruit seems a little darker, and there's enough acidity to perfectly augment everything. The tobacco and leather notes are also more easily noticed on the extremely long finish. Awesome!
July 3, 2015 - Only bottle of this in the chiller. Cork center turned to dust with corkscrew attempt, needed an ah so to remove it carefully in one piece. The cork is very soft and nearly disintegrating. light bricking at the edges and appears a little thin in the glass and on entry. Not much nose to speak of and initially a sense of tart cherries but with an hour of air in the glass a little more rounded red/black fruit with red predominating. Mild tannin and a decent finish. Probably on it's down side just a bit. I'd drink it up now if I had anymore.
September 22, 2012 - Chocolate chocolate chocolate. Some mint and molasses. Strange tasting wine not consistent with some notes but it was still pleasurable. Plenty of ageability left on it but I don't think it will get better. Drank over 4 hours
October 25, 2011 - WS
September 30, 2007 - Last bottle and it is a shame. This Cabernet is drinking so beautifully. The tannins are fully integrated into the sweet Cabernet fruit. Spice, berry's, beautiful oak. Drank this with a flank steak that was marinated tequila and lime for 24 hours. Fresh grated pepper was added after the marinade was finished. Very hot grill. Charring added flavor. Mashed potatoes with garlic and smoked Serrano peppers. This Cabernet? Heaven. I am truly sad that it is gone.
December 3, 2006 - A beautifully integrated Cabernet. Wondeful nose of berries, cassis, oak. Get's better as it sits (decanted for an hour). Our third-anniversary dinner at Carnegies, Greenfiled, Indiana. Drank the Cab with a breast of plank roasted duck and roasted root vegetables.
April 18, 2004 - A gorgeous deep crimson colour. Oppulent nose of blackcurrant, cedar. Very well balanced palate, with the right proportions of fruit, acidity and tannins. Medium bodied and medium length. A very elegant wine in a Pauillac-like style.