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2019 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley OWC6
98 points Wine Advocate
Sourced from specific blocks of estate-grown fruit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another highly successful vintage. All Cabernet Sauvignon aged 32 months in 100% new French oak, it boasts intense aromas of pencil shavings, dark loam, cassis and plum on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, super-ripe, rich, dense and concentrated—a truly impressive California vin de garde. Tannic but ripe, it finishes long and firm on the finish, adding a hint of mocha. To be released in September 2023, it's a strong showing and hopefully an indication that quality will remain high under the new ownership.
98 points James Suckling
A beautiful nose of pitted cherries, redcurrants, fresh herbs and violets. Full-bodied with fine, structured tannins. More gravelly, mineral and dark than the nose lets on. Savory almost. Terrific depth and concentration that keeps the palate flavorful through the generous finish. Chocolate, sage, rosemary, bark and moss. Layered. Superb wine. Needs time to come together. Best after 2024 and onward.
98 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another magical vintage for this cuvée. All Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Stags Leap, it offers a vivid purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of cassis, black raspberries, violets, camphor, and spring flowers, with perfectly integrated background oak. Full-bodied but not massive, it’s flawlessly balanced on the palate and has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It’s another 30- to 40-year wine from this incredible team that readers will absolutely love.
98 points Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted at Shafer. Effusive aromatics and silky tannins are immediately captivating. Crushed red/purplish berry fruit, mint, spice, lavender and licorice are all finely knit. We will see, but the 2019 may very well represent a new direction for Hillside Select, one of Napa Valley's most iconic Cabernets.
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2019 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
Highly Rated. Immense Pedigree
Highly Rated. Immense Pedigree
Highly Rated. Immense Pedigree
The 2019 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, one of Napa Valley’s most iconic and collectible reds from the legendary Stags Leap District. This vintage is outstanding—highly rated, beautifully balanced, and built to age.
2019 Standout Vintage
Highly Rated. Immense Pedigree
Highly Rated. Immense Pedigree
The 2019 vintage is a standout. A wet winter, cool spring, and long, steady summer with few heat spikes set the stage for balanced, ripe fruit. Harvested between September 20 and October 10 with no fire or smoke impact, the vintage delivered vivid aromatics, vibrant acidity, and fine tannin structure—hallmarks of a modern Napa classic.
About Shafer Vineyards and Hillside Select
Shafer Vineyards, founded in 1972 by John Shafer, is a family-owned estate in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District. Led by Doug Shafer and winemaker Elias Fernandez since 1984, the winery is known for its commitment to single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Of its 210 acres, 54 are dedicated to the steep, terraced Hillside Select vineyard, where volcanic tufa and sandstone soils shape the wine’s intensity and character.
Hillside Select is grown between 200–800 feet on rocky, low-vigor soils that yield small, concentrated berries. The site’s warm days and cool nights extend hang-time and preserve acidity. Sustainably farmed and 100% estate-grown, the vineyard is managed with cover crops, deficit irrigation, and solar power. In the cellar, the wine ages 32 months in 100% new French oak, developing depth, structure, and longevity.
Always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside Select is crafted from a mix of See, Clone 7, and Clone 337, with vines averaging 30 to 38 years old. Fermentation begins with native yeasts in small stainless tanks, followed by a 12-day maceration with gentle pump-overs and délestage. Malolactic fermentation is completed in barrel, and the wine is aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak from Taransaud, Darnajou, and Demptos. Bottled unfined and unfiltered in July 2022, production is limited to around 2,400 cases, plus select large formats.
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