Tasting notes on Shafer's signature wine,
the Hillside Select® Cabernet Sauvignon,
from the first through the current vintages.
| Year |
Description |
Aging
Potential |
| 2002 |
This
Hillside Select is classic Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
from a justly celebrated Napa Valley vintage. Youthful and intense.
Pure, wide-open, dark-fruit aromas seem to push out of the bottle.
The movement from nose to mouth to supple tannin to lengthy finish
is harmonious, offering a round, expansive, silky liquid feast
of black cherry, rich plum, black fruit, cassis, and dark chocolate
shot through with toasty vanilla, blueberry, and cedar. Strikes
a balance between extract and elegance. |
Drink
now – 20 years |
| 2001 |
From
the legendary 2001 vintage this Hillside Select offers aromatic
and huge black berry and vanilla, loaded with black currant and
cassis; round, rich, layered dark fruit flavors, with a balanced
seasoning of minerals, tobacco, and herbs; a core of sweetness
emerges from our small-berried hillside fruit with a long, mouth-filling
finish of dark chocolate, vanilla and spice all surrounded by
the classic silky tannins of the Stags Leap District.” |
Drink
now – 15 years |
| 2000 |
Seems
to be in a quiet phase, even so the wines shows a nice
range of aromatics — black fruit, pepper, mineral, sweet-spicy
vanilla and dense purple-midnight color. Beginning to show pleasing
age characteristics of cedar and tobacco. A core of sweetness
and supple, sweet tannins from our small-berried hillside fruit
spread a chocolate-like rounded feel in the mouth and offer a
lengthy finish. |
Drink
now – 10 years |
| 1999 |
Aromatically
bright and youthful, this Hillside Select offers rich raspberry,
jammy fruit, with seasonings of tobacco, herbs and minerals and
a core of sweetness. This generously proportioned wine expands
as it moves through the palate leaving behind an almost chocolate-like
coating. It’s masculine tannins are similar to the 1992
vintage of Hillside Select and should offer excellent aging potential. |
Drink
now – 15 years |
| 1998 |
Showing
beautifully while striking a balance between youth and age. Maturing
a bit early, reflective of the vintage. Deep color with soft tannins
and luscious fruit typical of our hillside vineyards. Aromatics
offer a pleasing blend of currants, vanilla and mineral in the
mouth and a long finish. This was our first vintage to do
berry selection in the vineyard ensuring that the fruit we harvested
was the best of the vintage. That work shows nicely here. This
one has a long way to go. |
Drink
now – 8 years |
| 1997 |
Still
a monster with big mouthfeel, very dark color, lots of chocolate
and dark fruit. Showing signs of moving past the stage of primary
fruit with cedar, tea and tobacco moving toward center stage.
In a couple of years this wine should transition deliciously into
the full beauty of age. A long finish of chocolate, vanilla and
spice all surrounded by the classic silky tannins of the Stags
Leap District. |
Drink
now – 12 years |
| 1996 |
With
more herbs, cedar and tea than its ’97 sibling, this one
is embracing age. Ripe aromatics and big, balanced fruit flavors.
Deep color in the center of the glass with brick at the edge,
silky texture and maturing fruit, showing elements of black currant
and dark spice with a long finish. |
Drink
now - 8 years |
| 1995 |
This
Hillside Select is rich, lively lovely, dark and complex. Uplifted
aromatics. Combines power and elegance, with velvety brick color
and maturing Cabernet flavors. Rich with great depth of flavor
and a lingering finish. |
Drink
now – 10 years |
| 1994 |
From
one of the watershed years where a great vintage and winemaking
experience came together. More complex with age offering tea,
cedar, tobacco and leather. In an age plateau Hillside Select
typically reaches at eight to ten years, where it holds for five
or more years. Overall this wine seems to be going through
a quiet phase just before entering the bottle bouquet phase in
a big way. |
Drink
now – 8 years |
| 1993 |
In
our most recent tasting we were surprised how developed the color
was. A very complete wine in a more subtle way than 1994; this
one almost seems like it belongs in a line-up of our Hillside
Selects from the late 1980s. Showing mature color with a brick-red
rim; oak toast, plums and nice earth/mineral notes in the nose.
Bright, refined fruit that has surprising depth and finesse. |
Drink
now – 5 years |
| 1992 |
Still
a young wine with masculine tannins, the kind we didn’t
see again until 1999. More showy than its 1991 sibling. This was
our first wine produced without sterile filtration. Enjoying the
full pleasures of age in its aroma and flavor profile; balanced
and structured with tannins that have reconciled with the fruit.
Some amber at the edges of the glass. A smooth, seamless wine.
Long finish. Showing bottle bouquet. |
Drink
now – 5 years
Drink now – 5/10 years |
| 1991 |
This
was a fantastic vintage with lots of hang time. In the cellar
we’d learned how to produce our wines with less human manipulation.
Dense color in the center of the glass with red/orange at the
edges, dense flavors, juicy fruit, great length, and richnes.
Complexities are still developing. |
Drink
now – 8/10 years |
| 1990 |
Beautiful
color with flavors and aromas of blackberries, tea, heabs, spice,
cedar and developing mushroom. Mature and balanced with a silky
texture and pleasing finish. |
Drink
now – 5/8 years |
| 1989 |
A
complete, complex wine. Mature Cabernet aromas that lead to complex
herbal, tea and cedar flavors and soft tannins. Still sweet with
nice length. |
Drink
now |
| 1988 |
Medium
dark color, floral notes in the nose. Medium bodied, mature Cabernet
flavors and moderate tannins. |
Drink
now |
| 1987 |
Bigger,
more substantial than 1985 or 1986. Mature, herbal aromas. Complex
Cabernet Sauvignon flavors balanced by soft tannins. |
Drink
now – 5 years |
| 1986 |
Developed
aromas of earth and mature fruit. Complex bottle bouquet. |
Drink
now – 3 years |
| 1985 |
Mature
color with restrained, mature medium/full-bodied flavors. Still
some vibrancy and liveliness. |
Drink
now – 3/5 years |
| 1984 |
Pleasantly
surprising in our most recent tasting. From a warm vintage this
Hillside Select is still showing sweetness (not dried out) with
nice color, herbal aromas. The only year that wasn’t 100%
Cabernet Sauvignon (7% Cabernet Franc added). Medium body, mature
flavors. |
Drink
now - 2 years |
| 1983 |
Fully
mature color and aromas. Nice acidity complements mature flavors
and resolved tannins.
|
Drink
now |
