Shafer - Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2021 (750ml)
Price: $395.00
| Producer | Shafer |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Stags Leap District |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 9635 |
| Size | 750ml |
Wine Advocate: 99 Points
All Cabernet Sauvignon from specific hillside blocks on the estate Shafer's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select spent 28 months in 100% new French oak. It's a big ripe wine weighing in at 15.5% alcohol but it remains harmonious from front to back. Deep intense aromas of black cherries and cassis are accented by dried spices on the nose while the full-bodied palate is rich and textural showing tremendous intensity and length on the finish. Based on how previous examples have aged this vintage should drink well through 2050. Now that the dust has largely settled following the 2022 sale of Shafer Vineyards to Shinsegae Property a Korean firm readers should be reassured that wine quality remains high. I visited with Managing Director Matthew Sharp and Winemaker Elias Fernandez during my August 2024 trip to Napa and came away impressed with the current and forthcoming vintages. Sharp has a background in wine sales?he was the winery's commercial director from 2016?2022?and has overseen the acquisition of additional vineyards since his promotion to General Manager and now Managing Director. Controlling fruit sourcing is obviously a focus and Shafer Vineyards now owns approximately 250 acres of vines. The largest parcel remains the original property purchased by John Shafer in 1972 but there are 90 acres in Carneros (source of the Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay) and the more recently acquired Wildfoote Ranch (Stags Leap District 2022) and Altimeter Vineyard (Atlas Peak 2023). Fernandez joined Shafer Vineyards in 1984 and was named winemaker in 1994 giving him a string of 40 vintages at the property. He's the long-term institutional memory seemingly able to remember details of past growing seasons with remarkable acuity. Other winemakers in the Stags Leap District community speak of him and his willingness to offer counsel with reverence. On this visit we tasted the 1994 and 2004 Hillside Selects plus the current release 2021 and barrel samples of the 2022 and 2023. To this taster those earlier vintages are at peak; the newer stuff seems capable of achieving similar 30-year lifespans. Published: Oct 17 2024
The Wine Independent: 98-100 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select was tasted as a barrel sample. Deep garnet-purple in color it charges out with powerful notes of creme de cassis plum preserves and juicy blueberries giving way to an undercurrent of tar candied violets and star anise. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and impactful delivering a firm grainy texture and well-knit freshness to support the generous black and blue fruits finishing long with loads of mineral and exotic spices sparks. This is impressive! Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown Review date: 2023-11-24
jdVinous: 96-99 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Floral and vibrant the 2021 sizzles with tension and a level of delineation I don't remember seeing in the past. Like all the 2021s here the Hillside Select possesses notable purity of fruit and exceptional balance. The tannins need to soften a touch but time should take care of that. I don't see the opulence or inner sweetness of most years but that is not a negative at all. - By Antonio Galloni on December 2023 This was my first visit to Shafer following its acquisition by the Korean firm Shinsegae Property. The new owners certainly have not wasted time as Shafer has been on a buying spree of late picking up choice vineyards across the valley. I don?t see much of a change when it comes to the wines. Elias Fernandez a 40-year veteran at Shafer is still very much in charge as he has been for the last several decades. There are some changes to the wines though. The TD-9 which was formerly a Merlot-based wine is now a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. It has essentially become Shafer?s entry-level Cabernet Sauvignon while the One Point Five is going to transition to a higher-end offering. I don?t see any changes with the Hillside Select. It remains one of the most iconic Napa Valley Cabernets.
Jeb Dunnuck: 97-99 Points
As always the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that will spend 28 months in new barrels. Its deep purple hue gives way to a behemoth of a wine that has incredible cassis black raspberry and even blue fruits to go with loads of camphor minty herbs graphite and darker chocolate. It's full-bodied concentrated yet pure flawlessly balanced and has a great finish.
