Shafer Vineyards, of the Stags Leap District AVA in Napa Valley, produced its first wine in 1978. It quickly became one of the most respected Cabernet Sauvignon producers in the area. And their flagship wine, Shafer Hillside Select, is one of the area’s most iconic wines.

Shafer produces more than just Cabernet Sauvignon though. Their portfolio includes “Relentless” Syrah, TD-9 a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec, and “Red Shoulder Ranch” Chardonnay from their property in Carneros. In addition, proprietor Doug Shafer and winemaker Elias Fernandez make other varietal wines under the Eighty Four label.

Shafer Vineyards reviews

2016 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch Carneros, Napa Valley 94+ 14.9% 750ml $52

Rich gold color in the glass with intense aromas of ripe green and yellow apple, apricot, banana and creme brulée. The palate is full-bodied and juicy from the outset. The flavors of apricot, mango, baked pineapple, lime, Meyer lemon rind, cream, baking spice and toast cling deliciously in mouth for an extremely long finish which turns mineral toward the very end. Enjoy now through 2022.

2014 Shafer Relentless Syrah Napa Valley 95 15.8% 750ml $95

The grapes for this wine, which includes 10% Petite Sirah, come from an elevated vineyard in the Vaca range, just south of the Stags Leap District AVA. After fermentation, the wine aged 30 months in 100% new, French oak barrels.

A distinctly savory take on Syrah for Napa Valley, this opaque, purple-black wine opens with robust aromas of black olive, sage, black plum, leather, Moroccan spices, and espresso. The full-bodied and extremely long palate is loaded with fine-grained tannins which begin plush in the mouth and then become either grippy or creamy, depending on whether or not you’re drinking the wine with a meaty dinner. Flavors include chewy black fruit, espresso, and dark mineral. Now – 2030. Decant if drinking anytime soon.

2015 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 95 15.3% 750ml $95

Most of the fruit for One Point Five comes from Shafer’s estate vineyard and the “Borderline Vineyard” about two miles south. Both are in Stags Leap District. The blend for this vintage is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Malbec. Aged in 20 months in 100% new, French oak barrels.

The 2015 Shafer One Point Five is opaque ruby-black in the glass. The nose is rich weave of cassis, dark earth, violets, heavily toasted wood, and black cherry. Full-bodied and richly flavorful—cassis, black cherry, charcoal, and earthy spice—with copious, very fine, plush texture providing structure. Very long finish. An impressive wine, drinkable now with food but also suitable for at least of a decade of cellaring.

2013 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 97 15.5% 750ml $295

Shafer Vineyards’ flagship, 100% varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon comes solely from among their 14 hillside estate vineyard blocks in Stags Leap District. They include Sunspot, John’s Upper Seven, Venado Ilegal and Firebreak. It’s a dry area with tough, volcanic soils which leads to very small grapes and, thus, an extremely concentrated wine. It is darker in personality and more muscular than the One Point Five. Hillside Select ages 32 months in 100% new, French oak barrels.

Even now, more than five years from vintage, this Shafer Hillside Select is opaque, purple-black in the glass. Aromas of blackberry, five spice (especially star anise), black raspberry, and oak waft slowly, but steadily upward. The palate is full-bodied and enveloped in fine and very fine tannins. They tease offer a tease of velvet and then firm up. The flavors of chewy black plum, dark chocolate, charcoal, manzanita leaf, trail dust, and oak are pronounced and long, but offer just a hint of what lies ahead for the patient collector. Now through 2035+.

Reviews of past Shafer vintages

I haven’t received the current release of TD-9 yet. But here’s my review of that wine’s inaugural vintage.

2015 Shafer TD-9 Napa Valley 93+ 15.3% 750ml $60

A satisfying mouthful of savory complexity with a core of rich blackberry. A bit quiet on the nose now, but very flavorful: dark berries, earth, leather, exotic spice, violets, manzanita leaves, coffee and dark chocolate. Plenty of fine-grained texture with a very long, warming finish. Merlot 56%, Cabernet Sauvignon 26%, Malbec 16%. Decant

Here are some of my past reviews of Shafer wines.

2015 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch Carneros, Napa Valley 93+

2014 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Napa Valley 93

Copyright Fred Swan 2019. Photos courtesy of Shafer Vineyards. Vineyard photo credit Russ Widstrand. All rights reserved.