James Suckling (98)

Extremely bright flowers and citrus with graphite, currants and blueberries. The nose is like going into a flower shop. Medium- to full-bodied with extremely polished tannins that caress your palate. Firm at the finish, which tells you that there is plenty coming in the future. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 25% malbec, 9% carmenere, 6% petit verdot. Try after 2028, but already open and enticing.

James Suckling (98)

Extremely bright flowers and citrus with graphite, currants and blueberries. The nose is like going into a flower shop. Medium- to full-bodied with extremely polished tannins that caress your palate. Firm at the finish, which tells you that there is plenty coming in the future. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 25% malbec, 9% carmenere, 6% petit verdot. Try after 2028, but already open and enticing.

Immerse yourself in the spectacular world of the Sequitur Ribbon Ridge Chardonnay 2021. Born in the esteemed Ribbon Ridge AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley, this single-vineyard Chardonnay is the manifestation of meticulous vinification. It's produced by Sequitur, headed by famed winemaker Michael Etzel, who champions bio-dynamic farming and minimal intervention techniques.

Cooled by coastal breezes and rooted in marine sedimentary soils, the vines here produce a Chardonnay of breath-taking elegance, layered with seamless complexity. The wine reveals a luminous golden colour. On the nose, one experiences alluring bouquets of ripe apple, white flowers, and hints of fresh brioche. Upon sipping, it unveils delectable flavours of citrus, pear and subtle vanilla, all framed by a balanced acidity and structure that compel a long, sophisticated finish.

Indulge in the fine craftsmanship of the Sequitur Ribbon Ridge Chardonnay 2021 - an unforgettable encounter with this organically nurtured offering from one of Oregon's pioneering vineyards.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2001 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is the first of these back-to-back perfect wines from Shafer that, at age 13, is still a baby, but, wow, what an amazing wine. A fabulous growing season produced a wine with inky/purple black color, stunning crème de cassis notes, with additional hints of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, cedar wood and forest floor. It is full-bodied, sensationally concentrated, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol. This is a great, monumental Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that is still an infant, at age 13, going on 14. This has got at least three decades of life left in it, and probably won’t hit its peak for another 5-7 years.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

A perfect score has to be considered in the context of its region. Shafer's 2004 Hillside Select is tremendous as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that competes with its peers at the highest levels. It's always a fabulous wine, but in warm 2004, Shafer's amphitheater vineyard sheltered the grapes, ripening them to perfection yet protecting the "iron fist in a velvet glove" structure that André Tchelistcheff defined as Stags Leap. This 100% Cabernet is tremendous in cassis, black currant and mocha flavors, and the 100% new French oak provides perfect additions of smoke and caramel. It's soft and gorgeous enough to drink now, and should age well in a cool cellar for the next 20 years.

Wine Advocate (99)

One of the world’s great wines and profound expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. This wine spends more than 30 months in 100% new oak, and, year in year out, has been one of the most singular and profound examples of Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. It seems Shafer began to ratchet up performance during the 1990s, and the first decade of the 21st century has provided a treasure trove of either perfect or nearly perfect wines, including the 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 and more recently the 2010, 2012 and, in all likelihood, the 2013. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (about 2,000 cases produced) is another one of those “wow” wines, but it does it with a sort of measured richness and restraint and extraordinary subtle character, like the Gary Cooper of Napa Cabernet Sauvignons – authentic, tall, straight-boned, but substantial and worthy of introspection. Inky purple, with a classic nose of creme de cassis, licorice, a touch of vanilla and forest floor, the wine hits the palate with a gorgeous display of measured, but substantial fruit, body and intensity. Not a component is out of place, and the wine remarkably pure and persuasive. Combine great winemaking with great viticulture and a special terroir, and this is the result. Readers are in the presence of genius when tasting this wine.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep purple-black colored, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select exudes beautiful notions of violets, dark chocolate, black olives, spice cake and cedar chest with a core of crème de cassis, blackberry pie, plum preserves and fragrant earth plus a waft of unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied, super concentrated and jam-packed with multilayered black and blue fruits, it has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long with tons of exotic spice and savory sparks.

Wine Advocate (100)

Shafer’s flagship wine, and one of the world’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignons, is the Hillside Select, which comes from the rocky, volcanic soils on hillsides above the winery. Vineyard production is small, and the wine an incredible example of Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in 100% new oak for 32 months and bottled unfiltered, this can generally be expected to be one of the top dozen or so Cabernet Sauvignons in virtually any vintage in Napa, and certainly possesses 25 to possibly 50 years of aging potential. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a perfect wine. It elicits more than a few “wows” when you smell the incredible notes of charcoal, graphite and subtle toast, buttressed and dominated by blackcurrant, blackberry and blueberry fruit. The purity of these fruits, the multidimensional mouthfeel, the seamless integration of acid, alcohol, tannin and wood are all flawless. The 2012 signature adds an extravagant opulence and density that is just mind-boggling, and the wine is a total hedonistic and intellectual turn-on already, although it has 30+ years of life ahead of it.

James Suckling (99)

Wonderful floral aromas with perfumed roses plus hints of blackcurrants and spearmint. Full-bodied and so powerful and muscular but always showing the brightness and beauty of fruit. Winemakers say this reminds them of the 1978, their first year. It certainly has the structure — "those tannins" as they put it. Finish is so impressive with tar, iron and spices. Available in September 2017. Try in 2023.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection, the prodigious 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select reveals an even deeper purple/blue hue as well as extraordinary notes of unsmoked tobacco, crushed rocks, graphite, crème de cassis, and blueberries. With a massive, full-bodied profile and a texture that builds incrementally on the palate, it has a stacked mid-palate, ultra-fine (yet lots of them) tannins, flawless balance, and a monster of a finish. It’s tight and closed at the moment, so hide bottles for a solid 7-8 years. It should age at a glacier pace.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another perfect wine, although readers will need to have patience, as it’s still a baby. Deep purple-hued with a perfumed, vibrant bouquet of blue fruits, graphite, spring flowers, and lead pencil, it’s full-bodied, sensationally concentrated, has perfectly integrated acidity, tannin, and alcohol, not a hard edge to be found, and an incredible finish. This monumental Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is 7-8 years away from maturity and will have 40-50 years of overall longevity.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a good bit darker and richer than the Alexander Valley bottling from the same vintage tasted alongside. Very primary and open-knit, the 2017 is quite a young wine, but it speaks to a restrained approach that works very well. Cassis, pipe tobacco and spiced plum tones are nicely framed by a warm blanket of supportive yet present oak. Full-bodied and plush, the 2017 is in a fine place to drink today but should also put on some complexity with a few more years in the cellar.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a good bit darker and richer than the Alexander Valley bottling from the same vintage tasted alongside. Very primary and open-knit, the 2017 is quite a young wine, but it speaks to a restrained approach that works very well. Cassis, pipe tobacco and spiced plum tones are nicely framed by a warm blanket of supportive yet present oak. Full-bodied and plush, the 2017 is in a fine place to drink today but should also put on some complexity with a few more years in the cellar.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a good bit darker and richer than the Alexander Valley bottling from the same vintage tasted alongside. Very primary and open-knit, the 2017 is quite a young wine, but it speaks to a restrained approach that works very well. Cassis, pipe tobacco and spiced plum tones are nicely framed by a warm blanket of supportive yet present oak. Full-bodied and plush, the 2017 is in a fine place to drink today but should also put on some complexity with a few more years in the cellar.

Introducing Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, one of the prominent agrarian treasures of Alexander Valley. Perfectly harmonised with a unique blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, accompanied by Merlot, Petit Verdot, and a trace of Cabernet Franc, this creation is a testimony to the artisanal craftsmanship of Silver Oak. The grapes undergo meticulous selection, with only the most robust clusters forming this stellar vintage.

Brimming with lush layers of blackcurrant, liquorice, and wild herbs, it unfurls to reveal an opulent mouthfeel marked by satiny tannins and a poignant finish. Aged for 24 months in American oak, it contributes deep-rooted flavours of vanilla and clove, rendering it a harmonious symphony of elegance and restraint.

By venerating tradition and sustainable practices, Silver Oak's commitment to the finest expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon is distinctly evident in this 2019 vintage. Every sip is sure to invigorate your palate with its enduring complexity and profound depth.