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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Medium bodied, elegant in style, with good freshness, but lacking the level of depth, concentration and ripeness found in the best vintages. Still, this has nice character and is quite food friendly, mature and easy to drink today.
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Had this with 2 wine loving friends. Opened, poured 3 half glasses and then allowed to sit for 30 minutes before drinking. We finished the bottle (along with a different red) with a steak dinner over 2 hours.
This still has some youthful tasting fruit. Nice hints of vanilla on a big nose. Lots of big dark red fruits, and the tanins are pretty slight at this point. Long finish. Just a little sediment at the end. I think it was drinking great, but something was just missing to reach the outstanding mark (for me 95 points or higher).
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Beautiful cab with great dark red fruit on the nose and hints of cocoa and oak. The mouth feel is silky and full with great depth and complexity. Extremely well balanced with a luscious long finish. We tried it decanted (35-45min) and straight from the bottle and found the fresh red fruits much more appealing without decanting and tannins were fine without decanting but a bit more subtle after decanting.
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This was our 3rd bottle of this since November 2014. We decanted this one for 4 hours. well worth it. Not thick or heavy. Great nose, cedar, mocha, chocolate covered cherries. Very smooth and silky. A little musty but blew off in the glass after 15 min. Well integrated from start to finish. tannins fully resolved. Very smooth with 30 second finish. Drank along side 2005 Grace Family and as the Grace was a little disjointed the Shafer was much more ready to be consumed. Not as Dark or thick as the Grace Family. Shafer Hillside is a great wine and never disappoints.
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Opened the first bottle and decanted for 3 hours. Opened the second bottle and just popped and poured. All 4 of us thought the 2nd bottle was better than the first as the second bottle was much fuller, more body, and definitely more fruit on the finish. Excellent bottle for $200. I have never had a bad Shafer and we drink a lot of them. Even a bad bottle of Shafer is a treat. I would not decant this wine for more than 30 minutes. Its a good shafer but the 2001-2007, & 2010 are certainly better. Tasting notes: The wine is very dark and inky colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, strawberry jam and cherry. There is a little alcohol on the nose and slightly on the finish but not enough to over power the wine. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky smooth texture. The wine finishes medium for 20+ seconds. The wine has low acidity.
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Huge wine with a dark garnet look to it. Loads of read fruit on the nose and taste was long, but most of the tannins have gone away. Did not evolve much on the glass over dinner and drinking by itself after dinner. Beginning to see a shorter cellar life with this wine, but still today, is a nice experience.
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Decanted 2 hours with benefit. Reddish violet color. Nose is full of CS fruit and some tobacco, leather, vanilla/mocha, and with some etoh poking through. The palate is medium+ bodied with supporting acidity and softening tannins. More balanced than complex, either texturally or flavor profile. Etoh again pokes through on the palate just a bit. Either I'm more sensitive or the lessening of the fruit 'load' allows the heat to emerge. Good length and very nice with NY strips.
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Let breathe for 2 hours plus. This is still a full bodied treat but will not get better with age. Drink em if you got em. Time is running out on this one.
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Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): 1998 - a difficult vintage and this is no different with the Shafer Hillside Select. Quite mature in color. It has a lactic nose with hints of leather. Strong dry tannins and acidity. Unbalanced and short. Over extracted berries with no backbone. Drink now - 2018
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Memorial Day Cabin Dinner; 5/25/2013-5/26/2013 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted briefly, this actual improved in the 30 minutes in the decanter from first glass to second. Tart red cherry and grenadine nose, bright acid, wet leaves on the nose. Palate has salty tobacco leaf, wild red berry/cranberry, slightly astringent, not as much depth to the fruit, which is tilted a bit too much toward the tannic cherry/plum skin rather than juicy fruit. This is mature--no reason not to drink immediately.
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This wine does not disappoint. Had with a large porterhouse and they worked together perfectly. The thick purple color, inky texture, pervasive nose, deep fruit taste, and mile long finish make every sip a journey. Can't say enough about this deep elegant fruit and mouthfeel. I only had an hour to decant but I left a glass out for 3 hours. This is great anyway you drink it. Enjoy!
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- Brick color with medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - An amazing wine, decanted for 45 minutes, drank next to a recent vintage of Opus One and this Hillside Select blew it away. Classic Napa Cab, bigger than I expected from the 98 vintage. Well rounded, plenty of fruit, soft tannins but very full bodied. Excellent wine, could go a few more years but I don't know how it could get any better.
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Still very big. And still needs a couple of hours in the decanter. Lots of black fruit, very long finish and just keeps getting more interesting as you get further down the bottle. Only one of these left in the cellar sadly.
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What a great wine. We had Petrus, Guigal, DRC etc on the table but 10 peoples votes made this top the tasting just before 1990 La Chapelle and La Turque from 1998. Maybe it was not really up there for me with this certain vintage but a lovely wine nevertheless.
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Very disappointing given teh pedigree. Too simple for what was paid. There are $40-50 bottles of Napa cab that outshine this. Enjoyable, rich and the fruit shines but no secondary notes and finish was short. Just not worth the money.
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Blind Cabs (32 East Delray Beach): Tasted Blind ( Red Bag #2): Sweet blueberry with a perfume nose with violets. Rich in the mid palate but exhibited some dustiness. Some thought Ritherford fruit. I had guessed Phelps Insignia but was wrong. Finish was a little flat but it had some vanilla and oak in the finish. As the night progressed, picked up some tobacco on the finish. Got dustier as the night went on. Fruit begab to fade quickly.
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For Jill's birthday, with her parents. Served with grilled bison kebabs, roasted potatoes. Rich, silky, so complex through the night. Cassis, cherries, plum, violets, plum. Touch of earthiness, but not overwhelming. Wish I had more of it! Should be good for at least another decade.
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Big bold beautiful wine, inky dark with a powerful nose of bing cherry, espresso and chocolate some blueberry notes. Taste is bold with good fruit, balance and some tannins a linger that goes on and on. This wine will age for years.
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Beautiful red-garnet color, with a wonderful nose sharing youthful and mature aspects. Black cherry; cassis; grenadine; damp earth, grass seed, and underbrush; and faint tinges of vanilla. Palate is well integrated and polished, with red currants and cranberry. The substandard vintage comes through on the edges of the finish, which are slightly tart and green, lacking the concentration and ripeness that the earlier palate seems to foreshadow. Still, with more air the wine gains power in early and middle palate, picking up texture and some darker plum and berry nuances.
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great nose of dark fruits - violets/blackberries/dark cherry. Definitely in its prime. Dark purple. Thick and almost like a syrah. Good central palate focus. The whole experience was present with mid-palate enjoyment and a long finish. I felt the wine was too singular with significant fruit. I expected stronger secondary flavors. A good CA cab but I was hoping for more.
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Wonderful deep nose with hints of blackberry, ash and mild tar scent. Wine was thicker in taste than most other cabs with deep flavor and tremendous punch and 45+ seconds of lasting taste. However, it still felt a bit hot which i figured was mostly due to the high alcohol level. I did decant for 2 1/2 hours and drank over another 3 hours. Even over this period, the Shafer was still somewhat hot upon entry and I did not find this enjoyable. I was expecting it smooth out over time but this did not happen. As a result, i was a bit disappointed and awarded it a 92 which may be a bit generous.
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From 6 liter bottle, decanted 4 hours. Totally smoking. Black fruits, tannins well alive. Great body, crushed rocks, bitter chocolate. Not as sweet as other Hillside vintages. Long finish. In this format, tons of life left.
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This wine flat out rocked. Had with prime rib, alongside an '01 Insignia. Blew the Insignia away. Goes to show you how great Shafer really is considering '98 was a screwy year and how strong '01 was. This was one of those wines where I kept thinking that the money spent was well worth it.
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Opened bottle for an hour and ran this through the Vinturi. Nose was full of blackberry. The palate was velvety smooth and luscious. Good structure with well integrated tannins that lift up the fruit, but doesn't overpower. 30+ second finish and kept me coming back. If this is an "off" vintage, I can't wait to try some of my other Hillside Selects. Drinking incredibly well.
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Beautiful nose of eucalyptus and spice. No part of this huge nose is overwhelming. It smells like it will be delicious.
I can't imagine what this wine tasted like upon release to have aged to this point of perfection. Sweet red berries and tannins that still stick to teeth and lips. Very well balanced now and I would be confused if I had to call this one blind. If you've got one I say open it.
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Decanted for many hours & drank over three days. WOTN, up against '04 Sea Smoke Southing, '04 Caymus Special Selection & '04 Waypoint. An unreal line up. Day one, started to display an earthy, coffee fruit aroma, which evolved into a citrus fruit, but more specifically orange peel. Fruit was a bit muted by a dusty, dry finish. Day two, citrus aroma's in full force, very unique to say the least. Day three, citrus has dissipated, coffee came to the fore. Paired well with filet steaks. Tannins have fully integrated & the flavors linger. I still can taste it an hour later. I'll have to get another bottle one of these days.
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Mid Jul 2009 at Brook‘s steakhouse (Denver vicinity): decanted; purple ink; intense vanilla and cedar plus some cherry and blackberry aromas/flavors; blackberry juice on the palate; strongly adstringent and tannic; full body; very long finish.
Very young Cabernet Sauvignon went perfectly along with a charcoal grilled filet mignon.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.9% alcohol.
Sadly Brook‘s closed down in 2015/2016.
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I had this once before a few years ago, but never would have guessed this was a SHS. Served with the '90 Pignan, two very different styled wines and my personal preference is for the Pignan. Still we all enjoyed it. Needed a long decant to mellow out to drinking condition.
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Decanted 2 hours. Violet red. Really expressive nose of piney cassis, dark berries, tar and a touch of cedar and vanilla. Rich palate with creamy layered fruit and soft tannins. Great persistence and a pleasure to drink. This wine is in a very good place right now.
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very dark thick wine. nose of dark sweet fruits, touch of mint. in the mouth this wine is very young still, dark sweet red and black fruits, silky smooth tanins, the wine had a creaminess to it that made it very pleasant to drink. my WOTN but a very young example and should be even better 5-10 years from now
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Dark purple, almost opaque. Nose is black cherry and plum, with just a hint of green pepper. Great viscous feel in the mouth. Flavour of blueberries, chocolate, with nicely balanced, soft tannins.
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Purple core, dark red at rim. Medium-intensity nose of cassis, herb/veggie, tar, and cedar. Medium-full body, fruit, veggies, and tar carry through to palate, nice balance, thinner and less lush/layered than the best Hillsides with more veggies than most, medium finish with some tannins still present. Should hold for at least 5 more years. Excellent.
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Dinner at home with Mom & Steve & Barb. Drinking quite well despite the fact that we did not decant at all. Medium+ bodied and full of berry scents and flavors. Not at the level of the amazing '97 but still excellent. 50+13+12+8+8 = 91
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I can't get over it. The most recent in a line of truly wonderful 98 cal cabs. Do I like the unheralded less ripe vintages even more than the famous years? Not sure I like them more, but this wine has wonderful rich tanins and a vibrant finish. Dark, peppery, and full of life. Wonderful
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Opened 2 hours, but not decanted. Nice dark purple plum with no sign of maturity. Fine nose of cassis and blueberry.Sweet initial pour of black currant, cassis and purple plum. Evolved to add charcoal and earth. Balanced with a long finish. Very enjoyable.
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This note is based upon the wine being open for 4 hours. Refined and luxuriant notes of black currant, plums, fig paste, cool mint, and a touch of cedar. Full-bodied and seamless on the palate, with well-integrated tannins and nice touch of currant and wet soil to complete the finish. A really lovely wine. 92-93 points.
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Beautifully integrated. Not as full bodied as many SHSS, but still bold and rich. Dark cherry, cassis, a bit of vanilla, and just a hint of spice. Drinking very well right now.
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1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): In another lineup, this could have been WOTN, and clearly showed the winemaking chops of Shafer in a difficult year. Slightly muted strawberry, black cherry, and toasty vanilla oak aromatics. Impressively endowed structure, still some youthful aspects (bright tannins), but clearly evolving towards middle age. [Group placement 6/8]
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My 3rd time of testing this wine. 1st compares with Mouton 2002, it's a little bit more delicious. 2nd with Mouton, it's a same level and this time...almost 10 wines included Lafite 1989, Bond Vecina 2000, Guigal La Landonne 1992, Palmer 1999 etc.
Hillside 1998 is still Rock 'n' Roll to me. Most compact, full-bodied and very very delicious. If anyone doesn't like this wine, shouldn't drink wine anymore.
Once my friend introduces the 1995 to me compares with Mouton 1995. It's much much better then I plan to get 6 bottles of 1998 and it never makes me disappointed.
Great California Wine !!!
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14.9% alcohol. this wine is past it's prime. drink up while there is still some fruit to maybe justify it's original price. a good wine for the vintage, but, ultimately weak.
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The Wine Summit: Shafer Hillside Select - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 10:45 A.M. (The Post Hotel in Lake Louise, AB): Again a dark dense ruby, very thin rim; penetrating berry on the nose – all black currants; well structured wine – acidty and tannins holding the fruit on the frame; excellent fruit – pure – mostly blackberry, but it’s not as persistent as the previous wine; attractive finish, but not as lengthy. Couldn’t decide whether this wine is holding back or whether the vintage didn’t allow the depth as with other wines here.
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Dinner at Sitka and Spruce (Seattle, WA): Was this my favorite because I brought it? Just classic Napa Cabernet, loaded with cassis, hints of olive and stem, drinking gloriously well and an enormous success for a very difficult vintage. If you have 'em and haven't tried yet, time to start popping in my opinion. I don't know how much gas this has in the tank, but it is a classy, classy Cab to enjoy now.
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Tasted April 15, 2007 at an offline. No formal note. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose and palate of dark fruits such as black cherries, plums, melted licorice and a little underlying herbaceousness. Medium acidity and tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now or hold over the short to medium term.
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very good-excellent, pretty ripe fruit, medium body, bit of veggie but not overwhelming, medium finish, good balance, some oak, may actually integrate and improve with time, as it got better with some air
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Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (Zealous - Chicago, IL): Deep ruby with an intriuging nose of black currants, sweet herbs, cedar and tar. Big and concentrated palate. Green herbs infuse the fruits. Well-balanced and in a great place at this age. Showing some of the complexity of the '85 with weight / body of the mid-90's bottles. Clearly not a long termer, but outstanding today. 5+14+17+7=93
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Very dark and a bit muddy (clearly unfiltered). Fine tears. Very spicy and extremely balanced nose. A bit held back on the fruit and sweetness at first, but that all starts to evolve with time in the glass. Very impressive in the mouth. Very focused and sweet, licquer like. Mature and well-integrated. A bit like the 1997 Dominus , but more intense and complex. My guess: left bank Bordeaux 2003. Rating: 95-96
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It has been a while since I had this wine. Big full dark berry nose. Good full round dark fruit on the palate. It sat right on your tongue and coated your mouth with rich cassis and a bit of earth. Finish was lengthy and smooth. What this lacked was a purity of fruit that was not as defined as other vintages. Still an excellent wine... and presents a good value since most have written it off!
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I brought this to a vertical tasting from '90 to '01. While it did not show as well as the others, it did have a surprising rich and rounded fruit texture that helped, and actually over time endeared itself to a few of us. By no means on par with some of the other vintages, it seemed to be an overachiever for the vintage that may or may not yield a stellar experience with time, but non the less a pleasing wine.
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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 1996, dry cherry with a peanut butter (?) and coffee taste and a short finish. This and the 2001 were my favorite wines of the evening, excluding the 01 Sunspot which was gorgeous. Perhaps because this is an early drinker compared to other vintages?
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Very intense fruit nose, more ruby than purple, on palate the ore intense sweet fruit is reflected, more balanced with the cedar and wood flavours. Very big wine, not at all confected or overripe, could do with some more time to integrate perhaps.
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Decanted 30 minutes prior to drinking. Terrific nose of cherries, chocolate and cola. Medium bodied and quite elegant with dark fruit flavors dominating in the mouth. Very nice finish that stays focused for 30 seconds plus. I can't imagine this wine is going to improve much with additional time in bottle...seems to be at its peak now.
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NYC Shafer Weekend; 3/14/2005-3/15/2005 (New York City): One of the best Cali Cabs in a very tough 98 vintage. Big and bold, chocolate with a slight taste of black cherry. Mild tannins, nort built for the long term. Ready with only slight aeration. At its peak, good for 5-7 years.
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Shafer Hillside Select Dinner (Manresa Restaurant, Los Gatos, California USA): Elias regards this as the Napa wine of the vintage. He says this wine is the one of which he is most proud because he was able to make a good wine from bad materials. 1998 had terrible weather during flowering, a heat wave with an unprecedented 117 degree day, and finished up coming in at only 3/4 ton per acre. This wine is a lighter, fruity style of Hillside showing good balance and structure. It is drinking well now.
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Purple, with slight bricking at the rim. Big nose of underbrush and black fruits; the palate was more restrained, showing licorice and cassis fruit. Fairly high acid, medium body, oaky, lots of extract and glycerin. Hollowed out a bit on the midpalate, and the finish turned drying. A well made wine, and a good effort in a bad vintage, but there just isn't enough fruit or complexity. Drink now before it dries out further.
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2004 WS Wine Experience: Shafer HSS Vertical (Hyatt Regency, Chicago): Laube said: “1998 was a tough vintage in Napa, and this wine really shows the talents of the winemaker (Elias Fernandez)”. The yield was only ¾ ton per acre. Elias directed the vineyard workers to pick off green grapes in the clusters to help achieve uniformity. Doug said he was not too pleased by the costs incurred, but realized it was worth it once he tasted it. This is a dark, almost brooding wine. A pleasing mentholated nose, with rich delicious fruit and a polished texture. Drink over the next five years.
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Inky purple colour. Scents of dry leaves, crème de cassis, and cranberry. Large bodied, smooth and chewy in the mouth. Quite dense and concentrated with good weight and balance. Not too complex but very seductive and stylish if not elegant. Smooth finish without edges. 92 points
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Purple in the glass. Great scents of vanilla pudding and liquer. Bark and black currants. Powerful and concentrated. A love the structure here, and the power is backed up by heaps of sweet fruit. The flavours come together in a slightly perfumey fashion. Just a touch hot on the finish.
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Consumed at dinner at Aux Delices. Wine provided by Rob Norberg. Opaque black with violet rim. Intense nose of currants, oak, black cherry and vanilla. Full-bodied and with ample sweet tannins on the palate, the flavors follow the nose. Long, smooth finish. Drinking well now.
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($160) The nose betrays a touch of the vintage in a way - sort of a green minty quality. Sweet, bit Port-like? With mint. Rich with nice concentration. Seemed a bit singular and one dimensional after all the other wines and spicy wild boar sausage pasta. 14.9% Alcohol.
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7/31/2021 - llindahl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still a powerful wine with loads of dark fruit. Very well integrated tannins and acidity to keep it fresh. Great wine
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1/3/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
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
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10/22/2019 - mattiasjansson wrote: 94 Points
Shafer Hillside Select in Boston - Take II (Boston): Surprisingly fruit-forward. Fresh with hints of ground black pepper. Medium tannins.
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10/11/2019 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
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.
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6/25/2019 - bookert wrote: 92 Points
Great effort for a weaker vintage. Less concentration than expected for a Shafer but with delicate fruit that dances around the tongue
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12/31/2018 - Labrador Likes this wine: 92 Points
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.
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4/17/2018 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
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!
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1/7/2018 - Labrador Likes this wine: 90 Points
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.
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1/1/2018 - Bcw1989 wrote: 91 Points
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.
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12/26/2017 - Turneric121 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good. complex with a great finish
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12/23/2017 - ssspore Likes this wine: 97 Points
Still had a nice nose, long finish, and seemed to have more tannic struts left. Should age another 5-10 years
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1/1/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Medium bodied, elegant in style, with good freshness, but lacking the level of depth, concentration and ripeness found in the best vintages. Still, this has nice character and is quite food friendly, mature and easy to drink today.
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11/12/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this with 2 wine loving friends. Opened, poured 3 half glasses and then allowed to sit for 30 minutes before drinking. We finished the bottle (along with a different red) with a steak dinner over 2 hours.
This still has some youthful tasting fruit. Nice hints of vanilla on a big nose. Lots of big dark red fruits, and the tanins are pretty slight at this point. Long finish. Just a little sediment at the end. I think it was drinking great, but something was just missing to reach the outstanding mark (for me 95 points or higher).
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3/7/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Wonderful Cab from a weak vintage.
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4/3/2015 - ebert Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful cab with great dark red fruit on the nose and hints of cocoa and oak. The mouth feel is silky and full with great depth and complexity. Extremely well balanced with a luscious long finish. We tried it decanted (35-45min) and straight from the bottle and found the fresh red fruits much more appealing without decanting and tannins were fine without decanting but a bit more subtle after decanting.
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1/9/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was our 3rd bottle of this since November 2014. We decanted this one for 4 hours. well worth it. Not thick or heavy. Great nose, cedar, mocha, chocolate covered cherries. Very smooth and silky. A little musty but blew off in the glass after 15 min. Well integrated from start to finish. tannins fully resolved. Very smooth with 30 second finish. Drank along side 2005 Grace Family and as the Grace was a little disjointed the Shafer was much more ready to be consumed. Not as Dark or thick as the Grace Family. Shafer Hillside is a great wine and never disappoints.
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11/29/2014 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened the first bottle and decanted for 3 hours. Opened the second bottle and just popped and poured. All 4 of us thought the 2nd bottle was better than the first as the second bottle was much fuller, more body, and definitely more fruit on the finish. Excellent bottle for $200. I have never had a bad Shafer and we drink a lot of them. Even a bad bottle of Shafer is a treat. I would not decant this wine for more than 30 minutes. Its a good shafer but the 2001-2007, & 2010 are certainly better.
Tasting notes: The wine is very dark and inky colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, strawberry jam and cherry. There is a little alcohol on the nose and slightly on the finish but not enough to over power the wine. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky smooth texture. The wine finishes medium for 20+ seconds. The wine has low acidity.
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10/2/2014 - monk1019 wrote: 94 Points
Well, consider it the best Napa Cab I've ever had. Perfect in every way!! Key word? Balance!!!!!
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8/31/2014 - Bcw1989 wrote: 92 Points
Huge wine with a dark garnet look to it. Loads of read fruit on the nose and taste was long, but most of the tannins have gone away. Did not evolve much on the glass over dinner and drinking by itself after dinner. Beginning to see a shorter cellar life with this wine, but still today, is a nice experience.
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2/14/2014 - jackaroo wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic, but not much of a future remaining. Drink up and enjoy!
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2/10/2014 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours with benefit. Reddish violet color. Nose is full of CS fruit and some tobacco, leather, vanilla/mocha, and with some etoh poking through. The palate is medium+ bodied with supporting acidity and softening tannins. More balanced than complex, either texturally or flavor profile. Etoh again pokes through on the palate just a bit. Either I'm more sensitive or the lessening of the fruit 'load' allows the heat to emerge. Good length and very nice with NY strips.
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2/5/2014 - Agreenblatt wrote: 95 Points
Let breathe for 2 hours plus. This is still a full bodied treat but will not get better with age. Drink em if you got em. Time is running out on this one.
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1/9/2014 - Margauxguy wrote: 89 Points
A touch thin, sour cranberries, some richness. Drink up
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7/21/2013 - Frinkcorkz wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic. Complex. Wish I had more.
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7/1/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 90 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): 1998 - a difficult vintage and this is no different with the Shafer Hillside Select. Quite mature in color. It has a lactic nose with hints of leather. Strong dry tannins and acidity. Unbalanced and short. Over extracted berries with no backbone. Drink now - 2018
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5/26/2013 - Giggs wrote: 93 Points
Memorial Day Cabin Dinner; 5/25/2013-5/26/2013 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted briefly, this actual improved in the 30 minutes in the decanter from first glass to second. Tart red cherry and grenadine nose, bright acid, wet leaves on the nose. Palate has salty tobacco leaf, wild red berry/cranberry, slightly astringent, not as much depth to the fruit, which is tilted a bit too much toward the tannic cherry/plum skin rather than juicy fruit. This is mature--no reason not to drink immediately.
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3/9/2013 - Agreenblatt wrote: 96 Points
This wine does not disappoint. Had with a large porterhouse and they worked together perfectly. The thick purple color, inky texture, pervasive nose, deep fruit taste, and mile long finish make every sip a journey. Can't say enough about this deep elegant fruit and mouthfeel. I only had an hour to decant but I left a glass out for 3 hours. This is great anyway you drink it. Enjoy!
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12/15/2012 - Tmurphrey wrote: 95 Points
- Brick color with medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - An amazing wine, decanted for 45 minutes, drank next to a recent vintage of Opus One and this Hillside Select blew it away. Classic Napa Cab, bigger than I expected from the 98 vintage. Well rounded, plenty of fruit, soft tannins but very full bodied. Excellent wine, could go a few more years but I don't know how it could get any better.
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9/1/2012 - AlanM68 wrote: 94 Points
Showed stunningly well against a lot of 2nd and 3rd growth Bordeaux from the 80s and 90s. Impressive wine. I've ordered more.
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7/27/2012 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
BLACKBERRIES AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF LICORICE AND CHOCOLATE. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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4/7/2012 - sinebubble wrote:
Big big big. Finished it off the next day, but it could have lasted much longer.
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4/4/2012 - AlanM68 wrote: 94 Points
Still very big. And still needs a couple of hours in the decanter. Lots of black fruit, very long finish and just keeps getting more interesting as you get further down the bottle. Only one of these left in the cellar sadly.
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1/20/2012 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
What a great wine. We had Petrus, Guigal, DRC etc on the table but 10 peoples votes made this top the tasting just before 1990 La Chapelle and La Turque from 1998. Maybe it was not really up there for me with this certain vintage but a lovely wine nevertheless.
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12/26/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 92 Points
Very disappointing given teh pedigree. Too simple for what was paid. There are $40-50 bottles of Napa cab that outshine this. Enjoyable, rich and the fruit shines but no secondary notes and finish was short. Just not worth the money.
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10/26/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 89 Points
Blind Cabs (32 East Delray Beach): Tasted Blind ( Red Bag #2): Sweet blueberry with a perfume nose with violets. Rich in the mid palate but exhibited some dustiness. Some thought Ritherford fruit. I had guessed Phelps Insignia but was wrong. Finish was a little flat but it had some vanilla and oak in the finish. As the night progressed, picked up some tobacco on the finish. Got dustier as the night went on. Fruit begab to fade quickly.
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8/27/2011 - GA wrote: 92 Points
8/11 Strong fruit and firm tannins - simple well balanced. 92 pts.
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7/3/2011 - DRob wrote:
For Jill's birthday, with her parents. Served with grilled bison kebabs, roasted potatoes. Rich, silky, so complex through the night. Cassis, cherries, plum, violets, plum. Touch of earthiness, but not overwhelming. Wish I had more of it! Should be good for at least another decade.
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6/25/2011 - bflood wrote: 94 Points
Tar and black licorice, inky. Great wine with huge long finish
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1/8/2011 - psmith wrote:
A very nice '98. Very red, well integrated and balanced. Modern but not blowsy or overly ripe. Medium bodied. Clean. Very nice.
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1/3/2011 - mcneil7 wrote: 95 Points
Big bold beautiful wine, inky dark with a powerful nose of bing cherry, espresso and chocolate some blueberry notes. Taste is bold with good fruit, balance and some tannins a linger that goes on and on. This wine will age for years.
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12/26/2010 - Giggs wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful red-garnet color, with a wonderful nose sharing youthful and mature aspects. Black cherry; cassis; grenadine; damp earth, grass seed, and underbrush; and faint tinges of vanilla. Palate is well integrated and polished, with red currants and cranberry. The substandard vintage comes through on the edges of the finish, which are slightly tart and green, lacking the concentration and ripeness that the earlier palate seems to foreshadow. Still, with more air the wine gains power in early and middle palate, picking up texture and some darker plum and berry nuances.
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12/25/2010 - mcneil7 wrote: 94 Points
Big wine loads of dark fruit, with oak, and chocolate and spices. Taste is big fruit, tannins but still smooth.
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8/21/2010 - stanford88 wrote: 94 Points
great nose of dark fruits - violets/blackberries/dark cherry. Definitely in its prime. Dark purple. Thick and almost like a syrah. Good central palate focus. The whole experience was present with mid-palate enjoyment and a long finish. I felt the wine was too singular with significant fruit. I expected stronger secondary flavors. A good CA cab but I was hoping for more.
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8/6/2010 - keithgg wrote: 93 Points
Holding up well.
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5/17/2010 - srkool wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful deep nose with hints of blackberry, ash and mild tar scent. Wine was thicker in taste than most other cabs with deep flavor and tremendous punch and 45+ seconds of lasting taste. However, it still felt a bit hot which i figured was mostly due to the high alcohol level. I did decant for 2 1/2 hours and drank over another 3 hours. Even over this period, the Shafer was still somewhat hot upon entry and I did not find this enjoyable. I was expecting it smooth out over time but this did not happen. As a result, i was a bit disappointed and awarded it a 92 which may be a bit generous.
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5/8/2010 - Phin wrote: 96 Points
From 6 liter bottle, decanted 4 hours. Totally smoking. Black fruits, tannins well alive. Great body, crushed rocks, bitter chocolate. Not as sweet as other Hillside vintages. Long finish. In this format, tons of life left.
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5/3/2010 - Dr. Pato wrote: 91 Points
Nose is still nice but lacking fruit concentration. El Nino washout.
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4/7/2010 - stoll wrote: 95 Points
This wine flat out rocked. Had with prime rib, alongside an '01 Insignia. Blew the Insignia away. Goes to show you how great Shafer really is considering '98 was a screwy year and how strong '01 was. This was one of those wines where I kept thinking that the money spent was well worth it.
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12/31/2009 - novicedave wrote: 93 Points
Opened bottle for an hour and ran this through the Vinturi. Nose was full of blackberry. The palate was velvety smooth and luscious. Good structure with well integrated tannins that lift up the fruit, but doesn't overpower. 30+ second finish and kept me coming back. If this is an "off" vintage, I can't wait to try some of my other Hillside Selects. Drinking incredibly well.
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10/9/2009 - notdilbert wrote:
Beautiful nose of eucalyptus and spice. No part of this huge nose is overwhelming. It smells like it will be delicious.
I can't imagine what this wine tasted like upon release to have aged to this point of perfection. Sweet red berries and tannins that still stick to teeth and lips. Very well balanced now and I would be confused if I had to call this one blind. If you've got one I say open it.
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9/10/2009 - Hollowleg wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for many hours & drank over three days.
WOTN, up against '04 Sea Smoke Southing, '04 Caymus Special Selection & '04 Waypoint. An unreal line up.
Day one, started to display an earthy, coffee fruit aroma, which evolved into a citrus fruit, but more specifically orange peel.
Fruit was a bit muted by a dusty, dry finish.
Day two, citrus aroma's in full force, very unique to say the least.
Day three, citrus has dissipated, coffee came to the fore. Paired well with filet steaks. Tannins have fully integrated & the flavors linger. I still can taste it an hour later.
I'll have to get another bottle one of these days.
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7/13/2009 - Fatty Cat wrote: 95 Points
Mid Jul 2009 at Brook‘s steakhouse (Denver vicinity): decanted; purple ink; intense vanilla and cedar plus some cherry and blackberry aromas/flavors; blackberry juice on the palate; strongly adstringent and tannic; full body; very long finish.
Very young Cabernet Sauvignon went perfectly along with a charcoal grilled filet mignon.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.9% alcohol.
Sadly Brook‘s closed down in 2015/2016.
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7/8/2009 - rjsbxtr wrote: 93 Points
velvet mouth, plenty of fruit and tannins to hold longer but no point. enjoy now
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6/23/2009 - JJL wrote: 92 Points
I had this once before a few years ago, but never would have guessed this was a SHS. Served with the '90 Pignan, two very different styled wines and my personal preference is for the Pignan. Still we all enjoyed it. Needed a long decant to mellow out to drinking condition.
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6/14/2009 - brigcampbell wrote: 91 Points
First Hillside for me thanks to Marty. Light fruit and oak. Very well balance wine. Tannins still showing after a day long decant.
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5/4/2009 - txfireman wrote: 95 Points
Nose is unreal. Bold...unreal. Dark cherry to sight. Suttle oak hints of vanilla. The complexity of the wine is almost mind blowing.
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3/23/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Violet red. Really expressive nose of piney cassis, dark berries, tar and a touch of cedar and vanilla. Rich palate with creamy layered fruit and soft tannins. Great persistence and a pleasure to drink. This wine is in a very good place right now.
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3/19/2009 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
very dark thick wine. nose of dark sweet fruits, touch of mint. in the mouth this wine is very young still, dark sweet red and black fruits, silky smooth tanins, the wine had a creaminess to it that made it very pleasant to drink. my WOTN but a very young example and should be even better 5-10 years from now
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2/21/2009 - tacman wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple, almost opaque. Nose is black cherry and plum, with just a hint of green pepper. Great viscous feel in the mouth. Flavour of blueberries, chocolate, with nicely balanced, soft tannins.
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1/31/2009 - dbg wrote:
Purple core, dark red at rim. Medium-intensity nose of cassis, herb/veggie, tar, and cedar. Medium-full body, fruit, veggies, and tar carry through to palate, nice balance, thinner and less lush/layered than the best Hillsides with more veggies than most, medium finish with some tannins still present. Should hold for at least 5 more years. Excellent.
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1/10/2009 - JeffGMorris wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at home with Mom & Steve & Barb. Drinking quite well despite the fact that we did not decant at all. Medium+ bodied and full of berry scents and flavors. Not at the level of the amazing '97 but still excellent. 50+13+12+8+8 = 91
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12/12/2008 - mappleton wrote:
I can't get over it. The most recent in a line of truly wonderful 98 cal cabs. Do I like the unheralded less ripe vintages even more than the famous years? Not sure I like them more, but this wine has wonderful rich tanins and a vibrant finish. Dark, peppery, and full of life. Wonderful
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11/9/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours.
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7/12/2008 - cos82 wrote: 93 Points
Opened 2 hours, but not decanted. Nice dark purple plum with no sign of maturity. Fine nose of cassis and blueberry.Sweet initial pour of black currant, cassis and purple plum. Evolved to add charcoal and earth. Balanced with a long finish. Very enjoyable.
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5/16/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
This note is based upon the wine being open for 4 hours. Refined and luxuriant notes of black currant, plums, fig paste, cool mint, and a touch of cedar. Full-bodied and seamless on the palate, with well-integrated tannins and nice touch of currant and wet soil to complete the finish. A really lovely wine. 92-93 points.
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4/7/2008 - dbg wrote:
nice fruit, integrated oak, still some tannins, richness, bit less
ripe than other years but still excellent
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3/18/2008 - gotapex wrote: 94 Points
Beautifully integrated. Not as full bodied as many SHSS, but still bold and rich. Dark cherry, cassis, a bit of vanilla, and just a hint of spice. Drinking very well right now.
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1/17/2008 - ERoss wrote: 88 Points
1990s Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (The Cellar Master's Lair (Somers, CT)): In another lineup, this could have been WOTN, and clearly showed the winemaking chops of Shafer in a difficult year. Slightly muted strawberry, black cherry, and toasty vanilla oak aromatics. Impressively endowed structure, still some youthful aspects (bright tannins), but clearly evolving towards middle age. [Group placement 6/8]
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12/30/2007 - Bressler wrote: 90 Points
this bottle had a bitter finish which detracted from the drinking pleasure. hope it was the bottle..
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9/17/2007 - dbg wrote:
excellent, pretty ripe fruit, medium body, bit of veggie but not too
much, medium finish, good balance, some oak, better integrated than
last bottle
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9/15/2007 - noppakit s. wrote: 95 Points
My 3rd time of testing this wine. 1st compares with Mouton 2002, it's a little bit more delicious. 2nd with Mouton, it's a same level and this time...almost 10 wines included Lafite 1989, Bond Vecina 2000, Guigal La Landonne 1992, Palmer 1999 etc.
Hillside 1998 is still Rock 'n' Roll to me. Most compact, full-bodied and very very delicious. If anyone doesn't like this wine, shouldn't drink wine anymore.
Once my friend introduces the 1995 to me compares with Mouton 1995. It's much much better then I plan to get 6 bottles of 1998 and it never makes me disappointed.
Great California Wine !!!
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9/14/2007 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
14.9% alcohol. this wine is past it's prime. drink up while there is still some fruit to maybe justify it's original price. a good wine for the vintage, but, ultimately weak.
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6/22/2007 - phenricsson wrote: 93 Points
Rough and tough. Very concentrated flavors but a touch lean. Impressive with a huge aftertaste but not very ingratiating.
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6/2/2007 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
The Wine Summit: Shafer Hillside Select - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 10:45 A.M. (The Post Hotel in Lake Louise, AB): Again a dark dense ruby, very thin rim; penetrating berry on the nose – all black currants; well structured wine – acidty and tannins holding the fruit on the frame; excellent fruit – pure – mostly blackberry, but it’s not as persistent as the previous wine; attractive finish, but not as lengthy. Couldn’t decide whether this wine is holding back or whether the vintage didn’t allow the depth as with other wines here.
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5/10/2007 - Eric wrote:
Dinner at Sitka and Spruce (Seattle, WA): Was this my favorite because I brought it? Just classic Napa Cabernet, loaded with cassis, hints of olive and stem, drinking gloriously well and an enormous success for a very difficult vintage. If you have 'em and haven't tried yet, time to start popping in my opinion. I don't know how much gas this has in the tank, but it is a classy, classy Cab to enjoy now.
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5/8/2007 - zazoo wrote: 96 Points
Wow, Very impressed. Probably the best 98 California wine I have ever had. Wish I had more.
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4/15/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92?
Tasted April 15, 2007 at an offline. No formal note. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose and palate of dark fruits such as black cherries, plums, melted licorice and a little underlying herbaceousness. Medium acidity and tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now or hold over the short to medium term.
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2/11/2007 - dbg wrote:
very good-excellent, pretty ripe fruit, medium body, bit of veggie
but not overwhelming, medium finish, good balance, some oak, may
actually integrate and improve with time, as it got better with some
air
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1/11/2007 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Vertical (Zealous - Chicago, IL): Deep ruby with an intriuging nose of black currants, sweet herbs, cedar and tar. Big and concentrated palate. Green herbs infuse the fruits. Well-balanced and in a great place at this age. Showing some of the complexity of the '85 with weight / body of the mid-90's bottles. Clearly not a long termer, but outstanding today. 5+14+17+7=93
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12/26/2006 - mgaetzi wrote: 95 Points
Wow, full bodied, cassis, chocolate and herbs. One of the better cabernets I have had!
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12/23/2006 - keithgg wrote: 92 Points
Excellent for the vintage and still drinking well. Very lush and velvety; silky chocolate notes.
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9/16/2006 - budman wrote: 94 Points
Awesome! Dark fruits, licorice, with a deep, strong mouthfeel, and an endless finish!!
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9/13/2006 - jhngo wrote: 93 Points
Big bold rich and still very alive. It is aging beautifully!
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8/14/2006 - gorm wrote: 96 Points
Very dark and a bit muddy (clearly unfiltered). Fine tears. Very spicy and extremely balanced nose. A bit held back on the fruit and sweetness at first, but that all starts to evolve with time in the glass. Very impressive in the mouth. Very focused and sweet, licquer like. Mature and well-integrated. A bit like the 1997 Dominus , but more intense and complex. My guess: left bank Bordeaux 2003. Rating: 95-96
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2/24/2006 - jhngo wrote: 93 Points
It has been a while since I had this wine. Big full dark berry nose. Good full round dark fruit on the palate. It sat right on your tongue and coated your mouth with rich cassis and a bit of earth. Finish was lengthy and smooth. What this lacked was a purity of fruit that was not as defined as other vintages. Still an excellent wine... and presents a good value since most have written it off!
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12/10/2005 - Tejano wrote: 91 Points
I brought this to a vertical tasting from '90 to '01. While it did not show as well as the others, it did have a surprising rich and rounded fruit texture that helped, and actually over time endeared itself to a few of us. By no means on par with some of the other vintages, it seemed to be an overachiever for the vintage that may or may not yield a stellar experience with time, but non the less a pleasing wine.
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12/7/2005 - jwgauthier wrote: 89 Points
This wine was not showing as well as it did on previous occasions for me. Slight herbal flavors and not as smooth as I remember.
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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 1996, dry cherry with a peanut butter (?) and coffee taste and a short finish. This and the 2001 were my favorite wines of the evening, excluding the 01 Sunspot which was gorgeous. Perhaps because this is an early drinker compared to other vintages?
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10/10/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 95 Points
Very intense fruit nose, more ruby than purple, on palate the ore intense sweet fruit is reflected, more balanced with the cedar and wood flavours. Very big wine, not at all confected or overripe, could do with some more time to integrate perhaps.
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4/28/2005 - Quinn_cab wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 30 minutes prior to drinking. Terrific nose of cherries, chocolate and cola. Medium bodied and quite elegant with dark fruit flavors dominating in the mouth. Very nice finish that stays focused for 30 seconds plus. I can't imagine this wine is going to improve much with additional time in bottle...seems to be at its peak now.
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3/14/2005 - tconcilio wrote: 91 Points
NYC Shafer Weekend; 3/14/2005-3/15/2005 (New York City): One of the best Cali Cabs in a very tough 98 vintage. Big and bold, chocolate with a slight taste of black cherry. Mild tannins, nort built for the long term. Ready with only slight aeration. At its peak, good for 5-7 years.
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3/13/2005 - PaulH wrote: 92 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Dinner (Manresa Restaurant, Los Gatos, California USA): Elias regards this as the Napa wine of the vintage. He says this wine is the one of which he is most proud because he was able to make a good wine from bad materials. 1998 had terrible weather during flowering, a heat wave with an unprecedented 117 degree day, and finished up coming in at only 3/4 ton per acre. This wine is a lighter, fruity style of Hillside showing good balance and structure. It is drinking well now.
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1/4/2005 - Siggy wrote: 88 Points
Purple, with slight bricking at the rim. Big nose of underbrush and black fruits; the palate was more restrained, showing licorice and cassis fruit. Fairly high acid, medium body, oaky, lots of extract and glycerin. Hollowed out a bit on the midpalate, and the finish turned drying. A well made wine, and a good effort in a bad vintage, but there just isn't enough fruit or complexity. Drink now before it dries out further.
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11/5/2004 - otisabdul wrote: 92 Points
2004 WS Wine Experience: Shafer HSS Vertical (Hyatt Regency, Chicago): Laube said: “1998 was a tough vintage in Napa, and this wine really shows the talents of the winemaker (Elias Fernandez)”. The yield was only ¾ ton per acre. Elias directed the vineyard workers to pick off green grapes in the clusters to help achieve uniformity. Doug said he was not too pleased by the costs incurred, but realized it was worth it once he tasted it. This is a dark, almost brooding wine. A pleasing mentholated nose, with rich delicious fruit and a polished texture. Drink over the next five years.
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11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
WS CWE 04 - Shafer Hillside Vertical (Marquis Marriott): Medium dark red. Medium aroma of clean reddish fruit. Very nice fruit with the chocolate there. A bit more acidic. 93+ pts. CWE 11/04
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8/12/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 92 Points
Inky purple colour. Scents of dry leaves, crème de cassis, and cranberry. Large bodied, smooth and chewy in the mouth. Quite dense and concentrated with good weight and balance. Not too complex but very seductive and stylish if not elegant. Smooth finish without edges.
92 points
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6/3/2003 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Rareshides tasting at Maguire's: Sweet rich red and black fruit. Cedar with a touch of licorice. Very nice.
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6/1/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 94 Points
Purple in the glass. Great scents of vanilla pudding and liquer. Bark and black currants. Powerful and concentrated. A love the structure here, and the power is backed up by heaps of sweet fruit. The flavours come together in a slightly perfumey fashion. Just a touch hot on the finish.
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12/13/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Consumed at dinner at Aux Delices. Wine provided by Rob Norberg. Opaque black with violet rim. Intense nose of currants, oak, black cherry and vanilla. Full-bodied and with ample sweet tannins on the palate, the flavors follow the nose. Long, smooth finish. Drinking well now.
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11/2/2002 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($160) The nose betrays a touch of the vintage in a way - sort of a green minty quality. Sweet, bit Port-like? With mint. Rich with nice concentration. Seemed a bit singular and one dimensional after all the other wines and spicy wild boar sausage pasta. 14.9% Alcohol.
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