Opened for the 2021 Thanksgiving Dinner and tasted alongside the 1997 Penfolds RWT Shiraz... This one came in second best by unanimous consent.. Deep dark red, almost black in the center. On the nose cedar, tar, tannins. On the palate there was some sweet fruit and chocolaty impressions. Overall the wine lacked complexity, charm, depth and length and seemed to be past its prime. It tried hard to impress but - for me - did not succeed. This confirmed again my perception that Napa Cabernets will not shine much beyond 15 year of age. Shame on me for keeping it too long!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had a very "blue fruit" nose, with a touch of woodiness. Quite full bodied, it had round blackish fruit on the front of the palate that accompanied the slightly drying tannins all the way through the finish. Background notes of minerals and earth were present as well. Very smooth, but probably past its prime. Drink up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I bought mine on release. A case. Last bottle tonight with short ribs. It may not be as good as it was but it’s darn good. If I had another I’d drink it next year. If I knew a year or two ago what I know now I’d have drank it then.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP then decanted over couple of hours. Off bottle or just a bit tired as the bitterness shone through a bit too much not allowing the dark fruits to come through. If this bottle is representative than these are waning.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about an hour then back in the bottle. Opened again it about three hours later in a restaurant. Delightful. Could possibly last another year but I probably would drink now (Aug 2018) . Might have been better a couple of years ago.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good texture, just flavor is not what you want from a big ticket wine. Held together nicely and improved with time in the glass/decanter, but just not what you want.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted at a Shafer wine dinner at a NYC Steakhouse. Not my favorite vintage of the Hillside Select, but this bottle was singing. Still some fruit left, a heady nose and a long finish. We didn't taste them blind, but even if we had, this would have been WOTN.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Time has been kind to this vintage. Decanted for at least 2 hours before we started dinner. It went beautifully with food, and it has a medium-long finish. A great nose, its got good structure, and it is full bodied. I'm not sure if it is fully mature, or how much life it has ahead of it, but this bottle, last night, tasted as if it could go a few more years, at least.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed. This wine was more reserved than warmer vintages and it gave it class. Shined w food as a partner having nice structure and acidity with ample stuffing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My second bottle of this and my thoughts on it hasn't changed. It was served as part of a NYC Steakhouse Shafer wine night with 10 people. It was decanted and served last, so it was able to sit for over an hour before we poured it. It still tasted a bit young, even at this age. It was eons better than the 2011 HSS that we had before it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Parker in Dec 2014 gave this a 94 rating, and I would agree. I had it at a steakhouse dinner along with another 2000 Napa Cab, Ridge's Monte Bello. We decanted it for about 20 minutes, and then drank away. Still very lively, loads of big black fruit and some tannic backbone. Long finish, and suitable for drinking with our without the steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dark berry, cassis and (too much) not quite integrated oaky tannin. Hasn't come together--disappointing. Not sure what to make of this, but will hold remaining bottle for a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a bit of a disappointment (esp compared to the other bottle we had a year ago). Decanted maybe 2 hours before drinking and rebottled to bring to dinner. It started very disjointed - flavors were disparate and the start/mid-palette/finish don't all come together. Sat in the glass for ~1-1.5 hours and right at the end it was starting to integrate a bit better. Got some blackberry, spice, some oak. Wish we'd given it the time it needed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazingly lively for its age, with solid black cherry fruits, some sweet black plum and bittersweet expresso notes on the finish. Very nicely tiered in its flavor profile, with a wonderfully rich mid palate and distinctively plush tannins. Still a lot of life left to this slow aging baby.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good clarity. Purple tinged dark ruby color. Nose of cherry, blackberry, blueberry, chokecherry. Taste of intense fruit up front, with same flavors as the nose. Very fresh and vibrant. Develops into notes of leather and minerality with a very quick onset of the tannins. Tannins hold for a very substantial length. Wine comes off as disjointed with the fruit up front being abruptly overtaken by the tannins. Decanting helped but did not resolve this structure issue. Length is overall long but lacks complexity associated with other Hillside Select vintages. A good wine but not top pedigree for Shafer. This wine lost a blind tasting for preference against a 16 Euro Barolo from 2003 I picked up in a super market in Vercelli Italy. Will not be restocking Shafer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blackberry and plum aromas with licorice, cassis, eucalyptus, black pepper support. Fresh and ripe black fruit flavors with robust spice. Good balance overall, moderate length. Slightly less ripe the second day, making it slightly better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bottle decanted about one hour, fully matured, intense black fruits and silky tannins, perfect with steak. long finish, unlike the 01, which need more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): Intensive red and still purple in the center. In the nose there was quite a bit of alcohol covering the berry flavors. Quite an opulent wine, with cassis and cherries. Overall considering the vintage a great effort but at the end all is a bit short. Drink now - 2020
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best word for this wine is delicious - we opened maybe an hour or two before actually drinking and even with that it really opened up over the time in the glass. Huge big blackberries that are so ripe they feel like they are falling off of the vine. There's a depth of character that maybe if I was writing the note while drinking the wine I could pinpoint, but as we drank it at dinner a few hours ago I am less able to give specific detail. Beautiful wine though and looking forward to our remaining bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. dark, deep and long, tannins still firm. Long way to go The wine looks Inky colored. The body is Full. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Exceptional napa cab. Aged well, could go somewhat longer, but this was a magnum. I suspect the 750's are ready now. Dark, some anise at the back. Smoothed out tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent for a 2000. From magnum. Very expressive nose with ripe dark fruit, licorice, cassis, vanilla, flowers, spice and some damp earth with air. Full bodied, supple creamy palate with very few plush tannins. Not as complex or long as the best vintages, but still great. Drink soon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dropped by B/Bs house and they warmed up some left over zachary's deep dish pizza and popped this baby; elegant plum with a smooth/full mouth feel; the match worked but not as well as a younger more rustic ridge geyserville zin always does. lowish tannin/acidity and only minor secondary flavors of tobacco/earth, so i wonder if this will age well; but it is fun to drink; thanks guys.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Epic Wine Dinner at Bourbon Steak (Washington DC): In a Shafer HSS flight (of 4), the most disappointing. While deliciously hedonistic, the fruit borders on overripe. It's marked by notes of baked blackberries, purple powerade, and maple syrup -- with a hint of loam and seawater to make things interesting.
Concentrated bouquet. On the palate a firm amount of sweetness, ripe blackberry and blueberry juice. Soft tannin with still a good bite. Great length. Modern and great wine with still potential for at least another 3 - 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for Turkey day. This bottle was hitting on all cylinders. Not fading at all, with smooth tannins. Pretty darn good for an off-vintage and all. Dare I say... outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ate Italian--veal chop, filet mignon and creamy pasta. First impression was great...a very refined napa taste...at least 94+ initially...compelling creamy nose, deep mids, excellent long finish. however as it breathed more, it evolved into an earthier very slight hint of musty forest floor flavors. Final sips did not impress as much. Maybe my expectations were too high. But overall, very enjoyable. Had a great time!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Can great winemakers make great wine in off vintages? The answer is clearly yes, but not in this case. Smells young, somewhat thin in palate with mature cherry. Short and acidic finish. Past its prime for my likings.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. We tend to like fruit forward wines and enjoyed this immediately upon opening. Notes are very similar to tasting from last year. Nice and lush right out of the bottle, with tamed dark fruits and the tanins present but much softer and more evolved/integrated compared to LY. After 2 hours the wine was very pleasant but softer than I prefer, and began taking on faint green notes. In the heart or slightly past its prime drinking window, but still capable of sitting for several more years. An outstanding showing for the vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red to rim. Not showing as well as prior bottles. A bit hot and alcoholic and lacking the depth of fruit of most Hillsides and even other bottles of 2000. Drank from magnum - perhaps decanting would have helped but this rates no better than very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted a magnum of this wine for 3 hours before drinking. Even being a light year, it was big with dark fruits, well blended with overlapping flavors of fruit, vanilla and some floral qualities. Color was a dark hue could barely see through the glass up to the light. Drinking well now in the Magnum but could age another 10 years effortlessly. That being said it is near peak now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
well done bottle of wine this will last a few more years as well thought the massive fruit and deep purple color were very interesting went very well with steak .......89-91 type rating very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WAY better than expected , WOTN as it should be against 2000 CDL & 2000 Montelena Estate , but it VERY GOOD . If this is an off vintage then I am psyched to see what else comes out of my cellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
it is said that 2000 was a crap vintage. laser red raspberry fruit. great menthol. tannin is starting to integrate. great mouthfeel and no plum notes in the background.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. Nice and lush right out of the bottle, with tamed dark fruits and the finest of tanins - Mrs. davidandrose first thought this was an aged syrah. After 2 hours the wine began taking on some green-stemmy notes and a bit of sourness. Has to be in its prime drinking window; would not decant this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice full-toasted American oak with dark fruit, seductive nosing, very easy delicious, a little bit bitter at the end, good finished. Too expensive...I feel like I prefer Opus One...Unbelievable !!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very consistent with last bottle. Dark red to rim, currants, blackberries, hints of tar and earth on the nose, ripe fruit on palate, full-bodied and rich with creamy mouthfeel, not as layered as most Hillsides, smooth tannins and fruit on the finish. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark fruit on the nose, Thick and chewy, good tannins fruit and spice with hints of brick and black licorice on the long finish. Wonderful wine but agree with previous trackers that the complexity is off a bit compared to other HS's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and allowed to sit, in bottle, for 1 hour. Dark, dense and brooding in color. Rich, deep and enchanting aromas of dark berries, cassis and chocolate with a coffee bean secondary. Full bodied and mouth filling with the fruit and chocolate coming through to the palate. Silky in texture. Not particularly complex in nature but thoroughly enjoyable none the less. This bottle dispayed an absolutely amazing layored display of aromas, however it came up a bit short on the palate in comparison. Long finish. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red to rim, nice nose of currants, blackberries, hints of tar and earth, ripe fruit carries through on palate, full-bodied and rich with creamy mouthfeel, but lighter and not as rich and layered as most Hillside Selects, smooth tannins run neck and neck with fruit on the finish. Excellent, but not up to the standard set by Shafer HS over the past 15-20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The lightest Shafer HSS I've ever drank, all due to the vintage, though that being said, it's still a dense beautiful wine. Drink now while you let the older and younger HSS's rest and age. Nice pour, but nothing to brag about.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first taste of HSS. Black in color with a somewhat restrained nose. No bricking at all on this wine despite the age. The tannins are soft at this point, not sure it will improve. Very satisfying wine. Liked it but not worth the price of admission.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Currants and violets on the nose. The palate is dominated by pure currant, black raspberry, and red licorice. It glides accross the palate--racy and lively. The finish goes on and on, with supple tannins. In texture and impression, it reminded me of a Lafite-Rotschild. Decanted for three hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours (reductive aroma present for about 5 minutes). Very dark red violet. Deep aromas of dark berries, cassis, vanilla, earthiness and chocolate. Huge mouth-coating fruit with substantial weight. Firm tannins and dancing acidty ending with a little heat. Persistent flavors though not too complex. Wonderful with dry-aged rib eyes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think this wine is undervalued (if you can say that about a wine that costs $150). There is plenty of black fruit--perhaps not as much as the biggest CA cab--and I appreciate the restraint. That fruit is sitting on a very velvety bed of almost a cinnamon like spiciness. The finish is not overly long but it is very fresh, which is also a plus in the realm of big Cali cabs. Very approachable now and very enjoyable for one who admires a more restrained CA wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First opened, not decanted, and allowed to sit for two hours. At this point, the aromas were wonderful and fruity, but there was a slight green wood flavor, and the wine was a bit shut down. During the drinking window from 2.5-3.5 hours the green flavor dissipated and ultimately disappeared, and the wine took on some great dark fruits along with cigar and currants. As noted elsewhere, not the longest finish, but good weight, balance and an excellent showing for the vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Happy Memorial Day '07, at home with the Strongs,Nicky P. and the kids.Drank 4,each one better than the last.Jammy, lots of cherry, creamy, classic Napa style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Textbook modern Cali cab nose - dark fruits and spice. Full, and with none of the vintage green character. Balanced structure. More reserved, and maybe more enjoyable, than a 2002 last week.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First try with HS albeit from a bad vintage I got what I was expecting. Somewhat subdued nose of blackberries and cherries with a little chocolate. Very fine mouth feel with decent midpalate intensity with a very smooth finish. Finish was short and left you wanting more but I know that is a reflection of the vintage and not Shafer. Glad i experienced it and will definitely be seeking a bottle of one of the finer vintages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This continues to impress. Recently went through a string of disappointing wines... But this came through. Not much more I can add to my note a year ago. Deep, dark, penetrating nose, good structure. Finish is shorter than typical Hillsides (not surprising given it's a 2000), but other than that, this is an incredibly open, lush wine. I find none of the sharp, angular characteristics that I have tasted of other 2000's. Truly impressive. Enjoy now! Has anyone done this wine in a blind tasting?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Leave it to the HSS to prove that 2000 wasn't a loss for all the Napa Cabs. Can't ever go too wrong with the HSS. We decanted for three hours... Somewhat reticent nose of licorice and leather notes. Took some coaxing to get the nose on this...Nice hit of sweet fruit, earth, and cassis right up front on the palate, but a tad hot on the back end. Finishes with a sweet blueberry-vanilla bean flavor that lingers for a while. I think it could stand 5 more years easily, but it's approachable now and doesn't apear to be packing much beyond what we got tonight. Not that you need me to tell ya, but the weakest of the five HSS I've had including '95-'98.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I wasn't too impressed. Everything was there but paled next to the 2002 Bond Melbury. The color was deep red. The nose was muted (Double decanted 3 hours before) with some fruit and oak. smooth seamless but short on the palate with a hint of green. Not at all as good as 99 or 01.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opaque black/purple color. Huge black fruit aroma with notes of coffee. Rich big black fruit with coffee notes continuing through the palate – very rich, especially for the difficult vintage. ? pts. 6/06
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
TTG#4 (Salon, Coche, Jasmin, Pape Clement, HSS, Yquem, Joly...) (Rico's Kitchen): Deep and dark purple, still looking very primary. Nose shows a richness of dark blackberry and very pure cassis fruit wrapped in some vanilla-oak sweetness. With a little more time, this gets into a little bit of choco-coffee spice. On the palate, this is voluptuous with a sweet tannin entry and a load of graphite-accented berries expanding in the mid-palate. Along the way, there is blueberry, blackberry, raspberry – all sweet and delicious but somehow shy of jammy or cloying. Never notice any acid or greenness, but something must be going on underneath to keep this in balance. Tannin and spice come out again on a long and sweetly concentrated finish. A type of wine I very seldom drink and one I’d have a hard time matching with the food I eat. However, this is undeniably delicious in a lip smacking way and a good indicator of why I sometimes prefer “off” vintage wines. Any more ripeness or fruit stuffed into this package might just be too much of a good thing. Matt Kramer describes SLD in general and Shafer SLD/HSS in particular as having a “corseted voluptuosity”. He said it better than I ever could. Great fun to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
You'd never know that this was an "off" vintage. Deep and bright red. Fantastic concentration and the essence of fruit-driven CA cab good length. Certainly not the ultimate HSS but I'm very glad to have 5 more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at holiday part with Zeke Boston, Rigga, and emottram on 12/17. My first HSS. Demonstrative of Shafer's ability to produce excellent wine in difficult years. One of, if not the, best Cali cabs from this vintage that I've tasted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I tried this in Las Vegas last month at the VLV III offline. Quite concentrated with notes of cocoa, licorice and mocha. Thick texture. Full bodied. 91 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is the third time I've had this wine I have been disappointed on all three occasions. The flavors are a bit too green for me and I think it is less balanced than the 98.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. This to me shows no signs of the 2000 vintage other than lacking the massiveness of a good year... Dark, concentrated and packed. This is a multilayered beauty possessing graphite, cassis, sweet blackberries. Full bodied, extremely focused, balanced, silky, pure and long in the finish. Despite its concentration, it is also light on its feet - a sign of a great wine IMO. If served blind, no way would I have ever guessed the vintage - hard to believe it's a 2000. A pleasant surprise. This bottle suggests to me that there are no vintages to pass up when it comes to Shafer's HSS. BTW Thanks Hudak!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at Beltramo's with Doug Shafer in attendence. Per Beltramo's the wine was poured into the glasses about 1 hour prior to tasting. All vintages (1995-2001) appeared to me to be the same color due to the lighting which was a red purple color.
Similar nose to the 2001; the taste was thick fruit, peppery and a dry powdery finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
good casis and vanilla on the nose. palate is fleshy and full, with quick black fruits and moccha, but quickly turns medicinal and acidic. almost road tar-ish. pretty darn dry and almost difficult to taste. not sure if this is standard or not. every other vintage from 90 on which ive had were out of control, esp the 99. thoughts? tasted twice identical notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just delicious. Large and in charge, this wine lays right on you tongue and stays there. Big dark fruit, just massive and expansive. Well structured, this wine can still be put down for a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
When I drank this wine last year, shortly after release, I thought it was one of the best young California Cabs I had tasted - soft, velvety, packed with fruit and an incredibly long finish. Last night's bottle was considerably more closed . The nose and fruit had both shut down somewhat, although the velvet mouth feel remained. Very pronounced, rather bitter tannins at the finish. I shall wait about three years before opening my next bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hrs and consumed over following 2 1/2 hrs. Nice burgundy color, ripe but indiscrening aromas. Ripe and soft, tasting much more mature than it's age. Given the vintage, a very impressive offering. Great drinker today and for the next 4-8 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2000 Cali Cab Dinner (Vancouver, BC Canada): At our past '99 Cali Cab dinner I noted that I just didn't get Shafer HSS and lamented having several bottles and two magnums of '99 in my cellar. Well tonight I got this wine and it was very lovely and one of the more full bodied wines of the night. One of the bigger noses of the night and a nice mouth coating finish. In comparison to how some of the other 2000's fared tonight it's no wonder there's a wait for this list.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was excellent. Great on the nose. Medium bodied with a delicious, slighly fruity finish. Tastes a lot like a good Bordeaux. This is a great wine, but is obviously very pricey. Repurchase.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2004 WS Wine Experience: Shafer HSS Vertical (Hyatt Regency, Chicago): A very similar vintage to 1998, in that there was an uneven fruit set on the vine. So Elias again had the workers pick out the underripe grapes by hand from the clusters. This was the most candied wine on the table, with a boysenberry/blueberry streak running from the nose through the finish. It finishes tannic, but it is not a brick wall – you can break through it easily. Laube said: “This is an example of why I sometimes like to drink young cabernet. It has voluptuous upfront fruit with pretty oak.” Drink now through 2010.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark purple. Forward aroma of clean bright red/black fruit. Rich full flavors of chocolate black fruit. Huge long finish. Firm but round frame. (Grand tasting, 95 pts.) 11/04
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/31/2023 - grapefuldave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent cabernet, it's softened nicely over the last 23 years. Quite balanced, not such an unctuous bottle as its younger counterparts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2023 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
solid but disappointing in proportion to the heft of the bottle; drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2021 - Bandreas wrote:
Opened for the 2021 Thanksgiving Dinner and tasted alongside the 1997 Penfolds RWT Shiraz...
This one came in second best by unanimous consent..
Deep dark red, almost black in the center. On the nose cedar, tar, tannins.
On the palate there was some sweet fruit and chocolaty impressions. Overall the wine lacked complexity, charm, depth and length and seemed to be past its prime.
It tried hard to impress but - for me - did not succeed.
This confirmed again my perception that Napa Cabernets will not shine much beyond 15 year of age.
Shame on me for keeping it too long!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2021 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Quaffable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2021 - DickMull Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had a very "blue fruit" nose, with a touch of woodiness. Quite full bodied, it had round blackish fruit on the front of the palate that accompanied the slightly drying tannins all the way through the finish. Background notes of minerals and earth were present as well. Very smooth, but probably past its prime. Drink up.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2021 - dmodguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
I bought mine on release. A case. Last bottle tonight with short ribs. It may not be as good as it was but it’s darn good. If I had another I’d drink it next year. If I knew a year or two ago what I know now I’d have drank it then.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2021 - Rschmidtlsu Likes this wine:
Good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 91 Points
plum, espresso, black cherries, anise, black currant and earth
secondary fruit, more earthy now. doesn't have enough acidity to hold up much longer IMO
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2020 - LiteItOnFire wrote: 89 Points
PnP then decanted over couple of hours. Off bottle or just a bit tired as the bitterness shone through a bit too much not allowing the dark fruits to come through. If this bottle is representative than these are waning.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2020 - WineWright Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was fabulous. Nose of blueberry. Soft but beautiful fruit with surprisingly mellowed oak. So smooth. Loved this 20 year old!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Cabernet (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): I served this double blind in Cabernet from around the world tasting. Nothing shy here. Ripe black fruit with sweet spice, but clearly enough structure to retain its balance. Very good length.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2019 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2018 - DBSingleton Likes this wine:
This wine was 18 years old when we opened it and it was possibly the best wine we had over the New Years holiday. We did not decant.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2018 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous. Lush and showy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2018 - DBSingleton Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for about an hour then back in the bottle. Opened again it about three hours later in a restaurant. Delightful. Could possibly last another year but I probably would drink now (Aug 2018) . Might have been better a couple of years ago.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2018 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
Good texture, just flavor is not what you want from a big ticket wine. Held together nicely and improved with time in the glass/decanter, but just not what you want.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted at a Shafer wine dinner at a NYC Steakhouse. Not my favorite vintage of the Hillside Select, but this bottle was singing. Still some fruit left, a heady nose and a long finish. We didn't taste them blind, but even if we had, this would have been WOTN.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Time has been kind to this vintage. Decanted for at least 2 hours before we started dinner. It went beautifully with food, and it has a medium-long finish. A great nose, its got good structure, and it is full bodied. I'm not sure if it is fully mature, or how much life it has ahead of it, but this bottle, last night, tasted as if it could go a few more years, at least.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2017 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful, perfect balance, fruit, a bit smiley, long finish, great nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2016 - JBVino wrote:
Enjoyed. This wine was more reserved than warmer vintages and it gave it class. Shined w food as a partner having nice structure and acidity with ample stuffing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
My second bottle of this and my thoughts on it hasn't changed. It was served as part of a NYC Steakhouse Shafer wine night with 10 people. It was decanted and served last, so it was able to sit for over an hour before we poured it. It still tasted a bit young, even at this age. It was eons better than the 2011 HSS that we had before it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2016 - brucegolfer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent cabernet. Drank with steak. Full-bodied, good structure and balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Decanted for 2 hours but could have more. Vegetal with green pepper on the nose.
Dark chocolate and rich body with a hint of heat. A finish of berries in the long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2015 - GA Likes this wine: 94 Points
5/15 Huge wine with years of cellar life from an unacclaimed vintage. 94 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Parker in Dec 2014 gave this a 94 rating, and I would agree. I had it at a steakhouse dinner along with another 2000 Napa Cab, Ridge's Monte Bello. We decanted it for about 20 minutes, and then drank away. Still very lively, loads of big black fruit and some tannic backbone. Long finish, and suitable for drinking with our without the steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2015 - wabi47 wrote: 88 Points
dark berry, cassis and (too much) not quite integrated oaky tannin. Hasn't come together--disappointing. Not sure what to make of this, but will hold remaining bottle for a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2014 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
This was a bit of a disappointment (esp compared to the other bottle we had a year ago). Decanted maybe 2 hours before drinking and rebottled to bring to dinner. It started very disjointed - flavors were disparate and the start/mid-palette/finish don't all come together. Sat in the glass for ~1-1.5 hours and right at the end it was starting to integrate a bit better. Got some blackberry, spice, some oak. Wish we'd given it the time it needed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2014 - AlexHop wrote: 95 Points
Wow, perfectly balanced and elegant. Still solid tannins, but silky. Nice oak. Long long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2014 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazingly lively for its age, with solid black cherry fruits, some sweet black plum and bittersweet expresso notes on the finish. Very nicely tiered in its flavor profile, with a wonderfully rich mid palate and distinctively plush tannins. Still a lot of life left to this slow aging baby.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2013 - cristian_m Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good clarity. Purple tinged dark ruby color. Nose of cherry, blackberry, blueberry, chokecherry. Taste of intense fruit up front, with same flavors as the nose. Very fresh and vibrant. Develops into notes of leather and minerality with a very quick onset of the tannins. Tannins hold for a very substantial length. Wine comes off as disjointed with the fruit up front being abruptly overtaken by the tannins. Decanting helped but did not resolve this structure issue. Length is overall long but lacks complexity associated with other Hillside Select vintages. A good wine but not top pedigree for Shafer. This wine lost a blind tasting for preference against a 16 Euro Barolo from 2003 I picked up in a super market in Vercelli Italy. Will not be restocking Shafer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Birthday Celebration (Del Frisco - Chicago IL): Brief note. Ripe, but good balance. Drinking well now, with good textures, good charm.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry and plum aromas with licorice, cassis, eucalyptus, black pepper support. Fresh and ripe black fruit flavors with robust spice. Good balance overall, moderate length. Slightly less ripe the second day, making it slightly better.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
Bottle decanted about one hour, fully matured, intense black fruits and silky tannins, perfect with steak. long finish, unlike the 01, which need more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): Intensive red and still purple in the center. In the nose there was quite a bit of alcohol covering the berry flavors. Quite an opulent wine, with cassis and cherries. Overall considering the vintage a great effort but at the end all is a bit short. Drink now - 2020
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2013 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Best word for this wine is delicious - we opened maybe an hour or two before actually drinking and even with that it really opened up over the time in the glass. Huge big blackberries that are so ripe they feel like they are falling off of the vine. There's a depth of character that maybe if I was writing the note while drinking the wine I could pinpoint, but as we drank it at dinner a few hours ago I am less able to give specific detail. Beautiful wine though and looking forward to our remaining bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2013 - Tarpon222 wrote: 94 Points
Dynamite. Opaque, inky. Velvety finish but with punch. Gorgeous nose with dark fruits on the palate.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2013 - simba-mk@cox.net wrote: 95 Points
Wow. dark, deep and long, tannins still firm. Long way to go
The wine looks Inky colored. The body is Full. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2012 - WojoWineCave wrote: 93 Points
Aged nicely. Great wine to drink on Xmas.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2012 - AlexHop wrote: 92 Points
Solid but not as complex and interesting as other vintages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2012 - Tmurphrey wrote: 95 Points
Exceptional napa cab. Aged well, could go somewhat longer, but this was a magnum. I suspect the 750's are ready now. Dark, some anise at the back. Smoothed out tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2012 - DarinC wrote: 91 Points
Excellent for a 2000. From magnum. Very expressive nose with ripe dark fruit, licorice, cassis, vanilla, flowers, spice and some damp earth with air. Full bodied, supple creamy palate with very few plush tannins. Not as complex or long as the best vintages, but still great. Drink soon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2012 - arniec wrote: 92 Points
Nicely integrated. Lush fruit from attack through finish. No tannins. Feel that it is beginning to fade. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2012 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
dropped by B/Bs house and they warmed up some left over zachary's deep dish pizza and popped this baby; elegant plum with a smooth/full mouth feel; the match worked but not as well as a younger more rustic ridge geyserville zin always does. lowish tannin/acidity and only minor secondary flavors of tobacco/earth, so i wonder if this will age well; but it is fun to drink; thanks guys.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2012 - davidwhitedc wrote: 90 Points
Epic Wine Dinner at Bourbon Steak (Washington DC): In a Shafer HSS flight (of 4), the most disappointing. While deliciously hedonistic, the fruit borders on overripe. It's marked by notes of baked blackberries, purple powerade, and maple syrup -- with a hint of loam and seawater to make things interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/17/2012 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Concentrated bouquet. On the palate a firm amount of sweetness, ripe blackberry and blueberry juice. Soft tannin with still a good bite. Great length. Modern and great wine with still potential for at least another 3 - 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2012 - gmat5497 wrote: 93 Points
Great wine. Very well balanced and pronounced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2012 - shiel wrote: 95 Points
Drinking wonderfully. Great balance of tannins and fruit. Just delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2011 - lewisrise wrote: 95 Points
Nose of dark fruit, briar patch, and asian spice. Blackberry with carmel and vanilla mid palate with a very long chewy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2011 - cbero wrote: 93 Points
Opened for Turkey day. This bottle was hitting on all cylinders. Not fading at all, with smooth tannins. Pretty darn good for an off-vintage and all. Dare I say... outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2011 - bhalljr wrote: 92 Points
Nice fruit and nose. Seemed fresh. Can't wait to try the Hillside Select from some of the better years!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2011 - km5 wrote: 93 Points
Ate Italian--veal chop, filet mignon and creamy pasta. First impression was great...a very refined napa taste...at least 94+ initially...compelling creamy nose, deep mids, excellent long finish. however as it breathed more, it evolved into an earthier very slight hint of musty forest floor flavors. Final sips did not impress as much. Maybe my expectations were too high. But overall, very enjoyable. Had a great time!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 86 Points
Can great winemakers make great wine in off vintages? The answer is clearly yes, but not in this case. Smells young, somewhat thin in palate with mature cherry. Short and acidic finish. Past its prime for my likings.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2010 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. We tend to like fruit forward wines and enjoyed this immediately upon opening. Notes are very similar to tasting from last year. Nice and lush right out of the bottle, with tamed dark fruits and the tanins present but much softer and more evolved/integrated compared to LY. After 2 hours the wine was very pleasant but softer than I prefer, and began taking on faint green notes. In the heart or slightly past its prime drinking window, but still capable of sitting for several more years. An outstanding showing for the vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2010 - dbg wrote:
Dark red to rim. Not showing as well as prior bottles. A bit hot and alcoholic and lacking the depth of fruit of most Hillsides and even other bottles of 2000. Drank from magnum - perhaps decanting would have helped but this rates no better than very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2010 - vinsman wrote:
Amazing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2010 - dvogel001 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted a magnum of this wine for 3 hours before drinking. Even being a light year, it was big with dark fruits, well blended with overlapping flavors of fruit, vanilla and some floral qualities. Color was a dark hue could barely see through the glass up to the light. Drinking well now in the Magnum but could age another 10 years effortlessly. That being said it is near peak now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2010 - jsebiri wrote:
well done bottle of wine this will last a few more years as well thought the massive fruit and deep purple color were very interesting went very well with steak .......89-91 type rating very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2009 - GRot wrote: 94 Points
drinking great. if you have any enjoy and drink up!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2009 - JDB wrote: 93 Points
WAY better than expected , WOTN as it should be against 2000 CDL & 2000 Montelena Estate , but it VERY GOOD . If this is an off vintage then I am psyched to see what else comes out of my cellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
it is said that 2000 was a crap vintage.
laser red raspberry fruit. great menthol. tannin is starting to integrate. great mouthfeel and no plum notes in the background.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Nice and lush right out of the bottle, with tamed dark fruits and the finest of tanins - Mrs. davidandrose first thought this was an aged syrah. After 2 hours the wine began taking on some green-stemmy notes and a bit of sourness. Has to be in its prime drinking window; would not decant this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2009 - apeisach wrote: 99 Points
had the Hillside Select last night and i believe this is California Cab at its best. Right time to drink it. would buy all i can get my hands on!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 91 Points
Nice full-toasted American oak with dark fruit, seductive nosing, very easy delicious, a little bit bitter at the end, good finished. Too expensive...I feel like I prefer Opus One...Unbelievable !!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2009 - dbg wrote:
Very consistent with last bottle. Dark red to rim, currants, blackberries, hints of tar and earth on the nose, ripe fruit on palate, full-bodied and rich with creamy mouthfeel, not as layered as most Hillsides, smooth tannins and fruit on the finish. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2009 - bflood wrote: 92 Points
Deep dark fruit on the nose, Thick and chewy, good tannins fruit and spice with hints of brick and black licorice on the long finish. Wonderful wine but agree with previous trackers that the complexity is off a bit compared to other HS's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2009 - KSC02 wrote: 94 Points
Opened and allowed to sit, in bottle, for 1 hour. Dark, dense and brooding in color. Rich, deep and enchanting aromas of dark berries, cassis and chocolate with a coffee bean secondary. Full bodied and mouth filling with the fruit and chocolate coming through to the palate. Silky in texture. Not particularly complex in nature but thoroughly enjoyable none the less. This bottle dispayed an absolutely amazing layored display of aromas, however it came up a bit short on the palate in comparison. Long finish. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2008 - dbg wrote:
Dark red to rim, nice nose of currants, blackberries, hints of tar and earth, ripe fruit carries through on palate, full-bodied and rich with creamy mouthfeel, but lighter and not as rich and layered as most Hillside Selects, smooth tannins run neck and neck with fruit on the finish. Excellent, but not up to the standard set by Shafer HS over the past 15-20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2008 - patwjr wrote: 93 Points
The lightest Shafer HSS I've ever drank, all due to the vintage, though that being said, it's still a dense beautiful wine. Drink now while you let the older and younger HSS's rest and age. Nice pour, but nothing to brag about.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 91 Points
no where close to the richness I experienced with the 03 HSS.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 93 Points
My first taste of HSS. Black in color with a somewhat restrained nose. No bricking at all on this wine despite the age. The tannins are soft at this point, not sure it will improve. Very satisfying wine. Liked it but not worth the price of admission.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2008 - FieldingYost wrote: 96 Points
Currants and violets on the nose. The palate is dominated by pure currant, black raspberry, and red licorice. It glides accross the palate--racy and lively. The finish goes on and on, with supple tannins. In texture and impression, it reminded me of a Lafite-Rotschild. Decanted for three hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2008 - thomaskeil wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours (reductive aroma present for about 5 minutes). Very dark red violet. Deep aromas of dark berries, cassis, vanilla, earthiness and chocolate. Huge mouth-coating fruit with substantial weight. Firm tannins and dancing acidty ending with a little heat. Persistent flavors though not too complex. Wonderful with dry-aged rib eyes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2008 - cgrant wrote: 94 Points
Amazing....had it with Lobels wagyu Beef.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2007 - RNA_Polymerase wrote: 93 Points
Tastes of vanilin, blackberry, pepper and an earthy overtone. Great flavor and a fair amount of tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2007 - JeffW wrote: 97 Points
beautiful wine. dark purple, deep and rich. This is drinking really nice. I think its about as good as its going to get.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2007 - johnphinney8 wrote: 94 Points
I think this wine is undervalued (if you can say that about a wine that costs $150). There is plenty of black fruit--perhaps not as much as the biggest CA cab--and I appreciate the restraint. That fruit is sitting on a very velvety bed of almost a cinnamon like spiciness. The finish is not overly long but it is very fresh, which is also a plus in the realm of big Cali cabs. Very approachable now and very enjoyable for one who admires a more restrained CA wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
First opened, not decanted, and allowed to sit for two hours. At this point, the aromas were wonderful and fruity, but there was a slight green wood flavor, and the wine was a bit shut down. During the drinking window from 2.5-3.5 hours the green flavor dissipated and ultimately disappeared, and the wine took on some great dark fruits along with cigar and currants. As noted elsewhere, not the longest finish, but good weight, balance and an excellent showing for the vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2007 - tommydiesel wrote: 94 Points
Happy Memorial Day '07, at home with the Strongs,Nicky P. and the kids.Drank 4,each one better than the last.Jammy, lots of cherry, creamy, classic Napa style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2007 - orcharddude22 wrote: 92 Points
Decent cab, enjoyed with dinner. No where close to the 01's or 02's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2007 - tommydiesel wrote:
out at Bravo Nader. Great balance and depth,best of a so-so vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2007 - psmith wrote:
Textbook modern Cali cab nose - dark fruits and spice. Full, and with none of the vintage green character. Balanced structure. More reserved, and maybe more enjoyable, than a 2002 last week.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 92 Points
First try with HS albeit from a bad vintage I got what I was expecting. Somewhat subdued nose of blackberries and cherries with a little chocolate. Very fine mouth feel with decent midpalate intensity with a very smooth finish. Finish was short and left you wanting more but I know that is a reflection of the vintage and not Shafer. Glad i experienced it and will definitely be seeking a bottle of one of the finer vintages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2007 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (Zealous - Chicago, IL): Deep ruby color with a unique cigar, ashtray and black currant nose. Great concentration and weight. Green herbs add further complexity. 5+13+17+7=92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2007 - JeffW wrote: 94 Points
Very nice wine. Great nose. Very dark, heavy current and dark berries. Finish isn't long, but its a nice balance of fruits and tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2006 - Dteng wrote: 93 Points
This continues to impress.
Recently went through a string of disappointing wines...
But this came through. Not much more I can add to my note a year ago. Deep, dark, penetrating nose, good structure. Finish is shorter than typical Hillsides (not surprising given it's a 2000), but other than that, this is an incredibly open, lush wine. I find none of the sharp, angular characteristics that I have tasted of other 2000's. Truly impressive. Enjoy now!
Has anyone done this wine in a blind tasting?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2006 - decaturwinedude wrote: 92 Points
Leave it to the HSS to prove that 2000 wasn't a loss for all the Napa Cabs. Can't ever go too wrong with the HSS. We decanted for three hours... Somewhat reticent nose of licorice and leather notes. Took some coaxing to get the nose on this...Nice hit of sweet fruit, earth, and cassis right up front on the palate, but a tad hot on the back end. Finishes with a sweet blueberry-vanilla bean flavor that lingers for a while. I think it could stand 5 more years easily, but it's approachable now and doesn't apear to be packing much beyond what we got tonight. Not that you need me to tell ya, but the weakest of the five HSS I've had including '95-'98.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2006 - Mike V wrote: 90 Points
I wasn't too impressed. Everything was there but paled next to the 2002 Bond Melbury. The color was deep red. The nose was muted (Double decanted 3 hours before) with some fruit and oak. smooth seamless but short on the palate with a hint of green. Not at all as good as 99 or 01.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2006 - winefool wrote:
Opaque black/purple color. Huge black fruit aroma with notes of coffee. Rich big black fruit with coffee notes continuing through the palate – very rich, especially for the difficult vintage. ? pts. 6/06
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2006 - shadow wrote: 90 Points
good structure, mild and mellow, try with lamb
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2006 - jrufusj wrote:
TTG#4 (Salon, Coche, Jasmin, Pape Clement, HSS, Yquem, Joly...) (Rico's Kitchen): Deep and dark purple, still looking very primary. Nose shows a richness of dark blackberry and very pure cassis fruit wrapped in some vanilla-oak sweetness. With a little more time, this gets into a little bit of choco-coffee spice. On the palate, this is voluptuous with a sweet tannin entry and a load of graphite-accented berries expanding in the mid-palate. Along the way, there is blueberry, blackberry, raspberry – all sweet and delicious but somehow shy of jammy or cloying. Never notice any acid or greenness, but something must be going on underneath to keep this in balance. Tannin and spice come out again on a long and sweetly concentrated finish. A type of wine I very seldom drink and one I’d have a hard time matching with the food I eat. However, this is undeniably delicious in a lip smacking way and a good indicator of why I sometimes prefer “off” vintage wines. Any more ripeness or fruit stuffed into this package might just be too much of a good thing. Matt Kramer describes SLD in general and Shafer SLD/HSS in particular as having a “corseted voluptuosity”. He said it better than I ever could. Great fun to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2006 - ken-yyz wrote: 92 Points
You'd never know that this was an "off" vintage. Deep and bright red. Fantastic concentration and the essence of fruit-driven CA cab good length. Certainly not the ultimate HSS but I'm very glad to have 5 more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2005 - M-driver wrote:
Drank at holiday part with Zeke Boston, Rigga, and emottram on 12/17. My first HSS. Demonstrative of Shafer's ability to produce excellent wine in difficult years. One of, if not the, best Cali cabs from this vintage that I've tasted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2005 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
I tried this in Las Vegas last month at the VLV III offline. Quite concentrated with notes of cocoa, licorice and mocha. Thick texture. Full bodied. 91 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2005 - jwgauthier wrote: 87 Points
This is the third time I've had this wine I have been disappointed on all three occasions. The flavors are a bit too green for me and I think it is less balanced than the 98.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2005 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Really about 91.5 but I round down to enter the score. Quite good especially when consumed while winning at Blackjack. <smile>
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2005 - Dteng wrote: 94 Points
Wow. This to me shows no signs of the 2000 vintage other than lacking the massiveness of a good year...
Dark, concentrated and packed. This is a multilayered beauty possessing graphite, cassis, sweet blackberries. Full bodied, extremely focused, balanced, silky, pure and long in the finish. Despite its concentration, it is also light on its feet - a sign of a great wine IMO. If served blind, no way would I have ever guessed the vintage - hard to believe it's a 2000. A pleasant surprise. This bottle suggests to me that there are no vintages to pass up when it comes to Shafer's HSS. BTW Thanks Hudak!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2005 - tanglenet wrote:
Tasted at Beltramo's with Doug Shafer in attendence. Per Beltramo's the wine was poured into the glasses about 1 hour prior to tasting. All vintages (1995-2001) appeared to me to be the same color due to the lighting which was a red purple color.
Similar nose to the 2001; the taste was thick fruit, peppery and a dry powdery finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 94 Points
More fruit than the 1998, perfumed intense nose, very full, a cigar smoke / coffee rules the finish, perhaps less likey to age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2005 - Koods wrote:
good casis and vanilla on the nose. palate is fleshy and full, with quick black fruits and moccha, but quickly turns medicinal and acidic. almost road tar-ish. pretty darn dry and almost difficult to taste. not sure if this is standard or not. every other vintage from 90 on which ive had were out of control, esp the 99. thoughts? tasted twice identical notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2005 - jhngo wrote: 94 Points
Just delicious. Large and in charge, this wine lays right on you tongue and stays there. Big dark fruit, just massive and expansive. Well structured, this wine can still be put down for a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2005 - keithgg wrote: 91 Points
When I drank this wine last year, shortly after release, I thought it was one of the best young California Cabs I had tasted - soft, velvety, packed with fruit and an incredibly long finish. Last night's bottle was considerably more closed . The nose and fruit had both shut down somewhat, although the velvet mouth feel remained. Very pronounced, rather bitter tannins at the finish. I shall wait about three years before opening my next bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2005 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs and consumed over following 2 1/2 hrs. Nice burgundy color, ripe but indiscrening aromas. Ripe and soft, tasting much more mature than it's age. Given the vintage, a very impressive offering. Great drinker today and for the next 4-8 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2005 - PaulH wrote: 93 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Dinner (Manresa Restaurant, Los Gatos, California USA): Mid-weight palate with black fruit and good structure; not particularly ripe. Plush structure instead of big character and backbone of a more normal HSS vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2005 - DelYap wrote: 91 Points
2000 Cali Cab Dinner (Vancouver, BC Canada): At our past '99 Cali Cab dinner I noted that I just didn't get Shafer HSS and lamented having several bottles and two magnums of '99 in my cellar. Well tonight I got this wine and it was very lovely and one of the more full bodied wines of the night. One of the bigger noses of the night and a nice mouth coating finish. In comparison to how some of the other 2000's fared tonight it's no wonder there's a wait for this list.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2005 - JJA wrote:
This was excellent. Great on the nose. Medium bodied with a delicious, slighly fruity finish. Tastes a lot like a good Bordeaux. This is a great wine, but is obviously very pricey. Repurchase.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2005 - JJA wrote:
Fruity, smooth, elegant finish. Medium bodied. We really loved this wine. Very drinkable now. Repurchase.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2004 - lewisrise wrote: 97 Points
Tasted at Chicago Wine Spectator. Equal to Caymus special selection 2002. Very fruit forward. WS 95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2004 - otisabdul wrote: 91 Points
2004 WS Wine Experience: Shafer HSS Vertical (Hyatt Regency, Chicago): A very similar vintage to 1998, in that there was an uneven fruit set on the vine. So Elias again had the workers pick out the underripe grapes by hand from the clusters. This was the most candied wine on the table, with a boysenberry/blueberry streak running from the nose through the finish. It finishes tannic, but it is not a brick wall – you can break through it easily. Laube said: “This is an example of why I sometimes like to drink young cabernet. It has voluptuous upfront fruit with pretty oak.” Drink now through 2010.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
WS CWE 04 - Shafer Hillside Vertical (Marquis Marriott): Deep purple color. Nice big black fruit with noticeable acidity. Cndied element but also a touch of sourness. (HSS vertical, 92pts.) 11/04
Deep dark purple. Forward aroma of clean bright red/black fruit. Rich full flavors of chocolate black fruit. Huge long finish. Firm but round frame. (Grand tasting, 95 pts.) 11/04
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment