July 31, 2021 - Still a powerful wine with loads of dark fruit. Very well integrated tannins and acidity to keep it fresh. Great wine
January 3, 2021 - Great spot at 22. Deep color, a bit must initially but after a 45 min decant, lots of fruit, sweet CA cab flavor, long finish. Drink
October 22, 2019 - Shafer Hillside Select in Boston - Take II (Boston): Surprisingly fruit-forward. Fresh with hints of ground black pepper. Medium tannins.
October 11, 2019 - Opened, but not decanted, at a NYC Steakhouse, for over an hour before pouring. This is still very fruit forward, it seems to taste much younger than its age. Really no change from my previous bottle a few years ago.
June 25, 2019 - Great effort for a weaker vintage. Less concentration than expected for a Shafer but with delicate fruit that dances around the tongue
December 31, 2018 - This was a beautiful wine - yet surprisingly youthful - it should be decanted. It had great depth and richness made up of dark fruit. Once the air got to it, it became expressive and exhibited just that perfect hint of sweetness, that was balanced with its richness. It was mouth-coating and the finish went on and on.
April 17, 2018 - A Capella (My place): From a supposedly lesser vintage, this beauty shined tonight. Dense, opulent with notes of creme de cassis, four-fruit-jam, cedar and tobacco. Wow!
January 7, 2018 - This is an incredibly big wine that we started on Friday evening and finished on Sunday while enjoying dim sum. It was double decanted through a Vinturi on Friday and was still big. It had smoothed out by Sunday. It was a balanced wine of rich dark fruit but without the expected sweetness.
January 1, 2018 - This wine was decanted for about 1 hour prior to dinner. Seems initially very tired and worn out. Not much fruit or any tannins. Over the course of the evening this wine held its own. Fruits began to show up and evolve just before dinner. This Shafer was delightful with dinner and food definitely brought out more of the characteristics of the wine. Even several hours after dinner, this wine was still going strong. I would drink them if you have some.
December 26, 2017 - Very good. complex with a great finish