Shafer
About Shafer
In 1978, the first-ever vintage of the Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon was released and earned a most encouraging 95 points from Robert M. Parker Jr., who called it “a remarkable example of California Cabernet Sauvignon” that “comes across like a Pauillac-styled red”. Today, Shafer Vineyards is managed by Doug Shafer with Elias Fernandez overseeing the winemaking.
An iconic producer of the Stags Leap AVA, Shafer Vineyards has long since been recognized for its outstanding range, in particular the Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. A blend of the best fruit from 14 blocks located on the rugged hillside, the first vintage of the Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon earned 95 points from Robert M. Parker Jr., who called it “a remarkable example of California Cabernet Sauvignon” that resembles a “Pauillac-styled red”.

Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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California | 1 | 94-96 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£524.66 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)I've always loved the Chardonnay from this team, and their 2019 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch has that classic richer, full-bodied style while staying balanced and light on its feet. Buttered lemons, tangerines, green almond, and toasty notes all make an appearance, and it's incredibly textured, with nicely integrated acidity and one heck of a finish. This powerful Chardonnay is going to impress right out of the gate. |
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California | 30 | - |
Inc. VAT
£665.38 |
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California | 1 | 88 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£361.45 |
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Vinous (88)(14.9% alcohol; from a cool summer and a difficult, uneven flowering): Bright, dark red. Lively aromas of dark berries, mocha, tobacco leaf and mint; herbaceous but not overly so. Then juicy and truffley on the palate, with the green flavor shading toward vegetal asparagus. Delivers decent concentration but I wanted more sweetness and juiciness of fruit. Finishes a bit attenuated, with tough tannins. Going nowhere at this point. |
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California | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£4,334.86 |
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Vinous (94+)(14.9% alcohol): Good dark red. Perfumed, liqueur-like aromas of black plum, dark berries, licorice and cocoa powder. Dense, thick and very ripe but still a bit youthfully brooding; shows the darkest fruit character to this point in the tasting. This extremely dense, thick, youthfully brooding Cabernet finishes with serious ripe tannins and good medicinal reserve. If the 2001 is claret-like in the context of this bottling, then the 2002 is classic liqueur-like Napa Cabernet, even if it's in a bit of a shell today. Less detailed today than the 2001 but I'd love to try these wines side by side again in six or seven years. |
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California | 1 | 100 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£401.02 |
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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. |
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|
California | 1 | 99 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,642.43 |
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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. |
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California | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£3,014.26 |
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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. |
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California | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£1,911.89 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Incredible purity and precision, as well as opulence, define the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, and this is as good as any Cabernet Sauvignon in the world today. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a thrilling bouquet of pure crème de cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings, and an incredible minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, seamless texture, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This is classic 2018 Napa Valley with its purity, freshness and precision as well as sensational concentration and perfectly integrated acidity, tannins, and alcohol. It delivers pleasure today yet warrants a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to be a 30- to 40-year wine. |
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California | 1 | 90-93 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£806.69 |
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Vinous (90-93)The 2017 TD-9 is juicy, expressive and pliant, with soft edges that seem to push the fruit forward. Succulent and racy in style, the 2017 should drink well right out of the gate. Stylistically, the 2017 is a bit more lush and overt than the 2016 tasted alongside it. The blend is 63% Merlot, 22% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
California | 1 | 94-96 (JD) |
In Bond
£399.00 |
|||||
Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)I've always loved the Chardonnay from this team, and their 2019 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch has that classic richer, full-bodied style while staying balanced and light on its feet. Buttered lemons, tangerines, green almond, and toasty notes all make an appearance, and it's incredibly textured, with nicely integrated acidity and one heck of a finish. This powerful Chardonnay is going to impress right out of the gate. |
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|
California | 30 | - |
In Bond
£516.00 |
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|
California | 1 | 88 (VN) |
In Bond
£298.00 |
|||||
Vinous (88)(14.9% alcohol; from a cool summer and a difficult, uneven flowering): Bright, dark red. Lively aromas of dark berries, mocha, tobacco leaf and mint; herbaceous but not overly so. Then juicy and truffley on the palate, with the green flavor shading toward vegetal asparagus. Delivers decent concentration but I wanted more sweetness and juiciness of fruit. Finishes a bit attenuated, with tough tannins. Going nowhere at this point. |
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|
California | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
In Bond
£3,591.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94+)(14.9% alcohol): Good dark red. Perfumed, liqueur-like aromas of black plum, dark berries, licorice and cocoa powder. Dense, thick and very ripe but still a bit youthfully brooding; shows the darkest fruit character to this point in the tasting. This extremely dense, thick, youthfully brooding Cabernet finishes with serious ripe tannins and good medicinal reserve. If the 2001 is claret-like in the context of this bottling, then the 2002 is classic liqueur-like Napa Cabernet, even if it's in a bit of a shell today. Less detailed today than the 2001 but I'd love to try these wines side by side again in six or seven years. |
|||||||||
|
California | 1 | 100 (WE) |
In Bond
£331.00 |
|||||
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. |
|||||||||
|
California | 1 | 99 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,358.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
California | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£2,492.00 |
|||||
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. |
|||||||||
|
California | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£1,574.00 |
|||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)Incredible purity and precision, as well as opulence, define the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, and this is as good as any Cabernet Sauvignon in the world today. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a thrilling bouquet of pure crème de cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings, and an incredible minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, seamless texture, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This is classic 2018 Napa Valley with its purity, freshness and precision as well as sensational concentration and perfectly integrated acidity, tannins, and alcohol. It delivers pleasure today yet warrants a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to be a 30- to 40-year wine. |
|||||||||
|
California | 1 | 90-93 (VN) |
In Bond
£633.00 |
|||||
Vinous (90-93)The 2017 TD-9 is juicy, expressive and pliant, with soft edges that seem to push the fruit forward. Succulent and racy in style, the 2017 should drink well right out of the gate. Stylistically, the 2017 is a bit more lush and overt than the 2016 tasted alongside it. The blend is 63% Merlot, 22% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. |