Like the Roy Piper, classic modern-style ca cab, but probably more fruit and oak than the Piper. Still quite nice, decent Napa cab. EWG chards and cabs dinner at Glendora CC
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I just don’t get all these mid 90 reviews. This wine continues to be shut down even after a 2 hour decant and then drinking over a two hour period. I’m experiencing this with every William and Mary wine. How can someone rate a closed wine mid 90s unless you can predict the future. It’s a 89 today. Check back in 5 years , maybe the score goes up if it opens up.
Best W&M I've had to date. It pops with blue and black fruit but on a core that keeps it restrained but not tight making it really delicious for it's young age. Some mineral and floral notes mixed in with a finish that just was rocking and making you want another sip right away.
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Needs a few hours decant to unwind and show some depth. Even then is still very young. Dark fruited, mostly currants with mild interwoven herbal cab elements. Oak well integrated ans balanced. Fine rather sweet tannins on the finish. Lengthy finish adding a hint of coffee with repeating black fruit notes. Not heavy at all—was delightful with a burger. Should continue to improve.
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young, but phenomenal. 3 hr decant. Compared to the NV, this is heads and shoulders above. Drinking very well now, but yuo can see how this is going to turn into something even better. First time to taste the Shifflet, glad I did it as I know my buying plans now for the 2019.
Coming out of left field with this young Napa cab.
Deeply concentrated with expressive notes of tobacco, graphite, and dense red and blue fruit. Fantastic structure with gripping tannins and layers of flavors. Clearly a wine that isn’t in the Robert Parker camp (thank god) and one that has an old soul.
Restrained wine like W&M gives me hope that we’ll have more amazingly aged Napa Cabs like we did before the Parker fruit bomb era of low acid and overextraction. Thank you, Will!
It’s exceptional - more sediment than expected and an astonishing amount of complexity for how young it is. Very dark fruited, silky mouthfeel, sweet polished tannins are integrated already and the pleasant grip that I enjoy so much on high-quality young cabs. I’d say it hit stride 30-60 mins post decant. It’ll be hard to let this age given how delicious it is, but has plenty of stuffing to age gracefully. Kudos Will - world class!
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Popped and let sit for a couple of hours before initial pour; dark eggplant color; layered nose begins with ripe blue and black fruits with a little touch of cedar, then kirsch and graphite; palate is big and full, with blackberry cobbler, fresh blueberries sprinkled with those Raw sugar crystals, and undertones of cedar, cassis and exotic spices; super-round, silky mouthfeel; fine, sweet tannins that still offer some grip on the back end but are already seemingly well-integrated; incredible finish that lasts
The nose on this is killer all by itself and can hold my attention for hours alone but the magic is the layered fruit. This is a much darker profile right off the bat than any of Will's previous vintages. Each vintage dating back to the '14, I seemed to get more red fruit up front and it took quite some before any black/blue fruit pushed through. Not the case here and the fruit comes in waves. It's much more opulent than earlier vintages as well. There is very good structure here as well which tells me the wine will hold and age well for years. Best Shifflett Cab thus far and difficult to find its flaws. 97/98+ in my book
Opaque purple. Med+ Aromas of blueberry cobbler, blackberry sauce, raspberry, sweet vanilla, tomato leaf, cedar, clove, and licorice. Layers of spice that will come out even more with time out of bottle and in bottle(for years to come). On the palate this has a surprising medium/medium+ body with a silky texture. High acidity, high alcohol, and medium+ tannins. Tannin quality is amazing providing a soft, plush character with that young Napa grippiness. Flavors just like the nose, blue and black fruit dominate but layers of spice break through that really demand time but are amazing out of the bottle. Tertiary development in probably 10 years will be incredible as it adds to the complexity and intensity of flavors. Med+ to long finish.
Quick morning taste with Will at Rivers Marie. Wonderfully bright nose almost like you can smell the tartness of the acidity. Red currant, red licorice, spice, very polished, great depth, long finish. Expansive yet balanced palate with fairly ripe chalky tannins. Everything I loved about the 2014 at release but to the 3rd power. Will nailed this one, I could gulp this down in a heartbeat. Enjoy now but buy enough to age some. Beautifully done.
4/28/2024 - peternelson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Like the Roy Piper, classic modern-style ca cab, but probably more fruit and oak than the Piper. Still quite nice, decent Napa cab.
EWG chards and cabs dinner at Glendora CC
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1/21/2024 - NYCRye wrote: 89 Points
I just don’t get all these mid 90 reviews. This wine continues to be shut down even after a 2 hour decant and then drinking over a two hour period. I’m experiencing this with every William and Mary wine. How can someone rate a closed wine mid 90s unless you can predict the future. It’s a 89 today. Check back in 5 years , maybe the score goes up if it opens up.
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12/31/2021 - hanasowner wrote: 93 Points
Slow O for 30 minutes ahead of first pour...abundance of red and blue fruit on the nose...some sweetness...velvety smooth with a long finish.
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9/28/2021 - haldolugr wrote: 96 Points
Best W&M I've had to date. It pops with blue and black fruit but on a core that keeps it restrained but not tight making it really delicious for it's young age. Some mineral and floral notes mixed in with a finish that just was rocking and making you want another sip right away.
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9/12/2021 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs a few hours decant to unwind and show some depth. Even then is still very young. Dark fruited, mostly currants with mild interwoven herbal cab elements. Oak well integrated ans balanced. Fine rather sweet tannins on the finish. Lengthy finish adding a hint of coffee with repeating black fruit notes. Not heavy at all—was delightful with a burger. Should continue to improve.
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9/10/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 95 Points
young, but phenomenal. 3 hr decant. Compared to the NV, this is heads and shoulders above. Drinking very well now, but yuo can see how this is going to turn into something even better. First time to taste the Shifflet, glad I did it as I know my buying plans now for the 2019.
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8/30/2021 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 95 Points
Coming out of left field with this young Napa cab.
Deeply concentrated with expressive notes of tobacco, graphite, and dense red and blue fruit. Fantastic structure with gripping tannins and layers of flavors. Clearly a wine that isn’t in the Robert Parker camp (thank god) and one that has an old soul.
Restrained wine like W&M gives me hope that we’ll have more amazingly aged Napa Cabs like we did before the Parker fruit bomb era of low acid and overextraction. Thank you, Will!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
6/19/2021 - gratefulbbq Likes this wine: 98 Points
It’s exceptional - more sediment than expected and an astonishing amount of complexity for how young it is. Very dark fruited, silky mouthfeel, sweet polished tannins are integrated already and the pleasant grip that I enjoy so much on high-quality young cabs. I’d say it hit stride 30-60 mins post decant. It’ll be hard to let this age given how delicious it is, but has plenty of stuffing to age gracefully. Kudos Will - world class!
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5/9/2021 - tcufletch Likes this wine:
Popped and let sit for a couple of hours before initial pour; dark eggplant color; layered nose begins with ripe blue and black fruits with a little touch of cedar, then kirsch and graphite; palate is big and full, with blackberry cobbler, fresh blueberries sprinkled with those Raw sugar crystals, and undertones of cedar, cassis and exotic spices; super-round, silky mouthfeel; fine, sweet tannins that still offer some grip on the back end but are already seemingly well-integrated; incredible finish that lasts
The nose on this is killer all by itself and can hold my attention for hours alone but the magic is the layered fruit. This is a much darker profile right off the bat than any of Will's previous vintages. Each vintage dating back to the '14, I seemed to get more red fruit up front and it took quite some before any black/blue fruit pushed through. Not the case here and the fruit comes in waves. It's much more opulent than earlier vintages as well. There is very good structure here as well which tells me the wine will hold and age well for years. Best Shifflett Cab thus far and difficult to find its flaws. 97/98+ in my book
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/19/2020 - JidR Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opaque purple. Med+ Aromas of blueberry cobbler, blackberry sauce, raspberry, sweet vanilla, tomato leaf, cedar, clove, and licorice. Layers of spice that will come out even more with time out of bottle and in bottle(for years to come). On the palate this has a surprising medium/medium+ body with a silky texture. High acidity, high alcohol, and medium+ tannins. Tannin quality is amazing providing a soft, plush character with that young Napa grippiness. Flavors just like the nose, blue and black fruit dominate but layers of spice break through that really demand time but are amazing out of the bottle. Tertiary development in probably 10 years will be incredible as it adds to the complexity and intensity of flavors. Med+ to long finish.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
9/17/2020 - River Rat wrote:
Quick morning taste with Will at Rivers Marie. Wonderfully bright nose almost like you can smell the tartness of the acidity. Red currant, red licorice, spice, very polished, great depth, long finish. Expansive yet balanced palate with fairly ripe chalky tannins. Everything I loved about the 2014 at release but to the 3rd power. Will nailed this one, I could gulp this down in a heartbeat. Enjoy now but buy enough to age some. Beautifully done.
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