SHAFER VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon 'Hillside Select' - Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley 2019 Bottle

Description

The 2019 Shafer Hillside Select is a remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon, earning an impressive 98 points from both Decanter and James Suckling, and 97 points from Wine Enthusiast. This wine showcases intense layers of blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark cherry, complemented by intricate notes of graphite, cacao, and subtle spices. Silky tannins and vibrant acidity provide perfect balance, leading to a long, elegant finish that invites contemplation. James Suckling notes its captivating aromas of pitted cherries and fresh herbs, while Vinous highlights its effusive aromatics and silky texture. With such high acclaim, the 2019 Hillside Select exemplifies both the richness and finesse of Napa Valley, offering exceptional ageing potential and enjoyment from 2025 to 2040.

*****

Hillside Select is sourced from a collection of 14 small vineyard blocks planted within an eons-old amphitheater-like structure of rock and volcanic soil that surrounds the winery. Thanks to scant soil nutrients and moisture, yields at harvest are meager and the berries are small, about the size of blueberries. This Stags Leap District site’s combination of rugged, arid soil and climate results in lush Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark color and intense, classic flavor.

Hillside Select is a wine of a place, sourced from carefully selected blocks of Stags Leap District hillside vineyards. These grapes are small and deeply colored, with concentrated flavors enhanced by meticulous winemaking and extensive aging in French oak barrels. Hillside Select consistently expresses the voluptuous fruit, rich flavors, and velvety texture that characterize grapes grown in this renown AVA.

“The 2019 vintage embodies classic Hillside Select richness, vibrancy, and balance. The aromas push out of the glass, offering black cherry, cedar, cassis, and juicy red summer berries with lifted floral tones. Even at this youthful age, the complexity of the vintage is striking, merging dark fruit with tobacco, espresso, black olive, red plum, and black tea. The expansive mid-palate is complemented by ripe integrated tannins that add depth and structure, culminating in a long, profound finish.” — Elias Fernandez, winemaker

JEB DUNNUCK 98+ points
... another magical vintage for this cuvée ... 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.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 98+ points
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Drink Date: 2025 - 2045
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.
Published: Mar 31, 2023

DECANTER 98 points
Tasted by: Jonathan Cristaldi
(at Novato, California, 03 Jan 2024)
Drinking Window: 2024 - 2044
Super attractive nose of mineral-laced blackberry and black cherry fruit, pulverised graphite, sumptuous earth, and wildflowers framed by fragrant cedarwood and a pop of spearmint. Just a classically-fashioned Hillside Select, the flagship iconic wine from Shafer. Medium to -full-bodied with a seamless palate expression that begins with beautifully textured tannins, which are pixelated, extremely fine-grained, and have a chocolatey note. The wine's compact, sweet, dark berry fruit penetrates the mid-palate, lifted by saline minerality. The finish lasts a full minute and weaves in brown spices, sagebrush, currant leaf and tobacco nuances. Most impressive is that at 15.5% alcohol, the wine is perfectly balanced, even cool to the palate. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards in the Stags Leap District, which include Shafer estate vineyard blocks Sunspot, John's Upper Seven, Venado Ilegal, and Firebreak. The wine spent 32 months in 100% new Allier and Tonçais French oak barrels. 2,400 cases produced.

VINOUS 98 points
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 … one of Napa Valley’s most iconic Cabernets. - Antonio Galloni

JAMES SUCKLING 98 points
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 … superb wine.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 97 points
This broad, rich and mouthfilling wine is Shafer's most elite and collectible. Aged for 32 months in all-new French oak barrels, it boasts extra-ripe blackberries and blueberries, accents of mint, cedar and graphite, and a big structure of polished tannins. Tempting to drink soon for its indulgent flavors, the wine should be best from 2027–2037. — Jim Gordon

JANCIS ROBINSON 16.5 points
Deep purple in colour. Concentrated cassis and raspberry on both the nose and palate. Thick and chewy. Lots of warmth and a wallop of oak spice but with plenty of acidity to balance. A hole-in-one, old-school Napa Cab. (SCJ)