STAGS LEAP DISTRICT

SHAFER ESTATE IN THE STAGS LEAP DISTRICT

With elevations of up to 300' and grades that reach a precipitous 45%, the 54-acre Shafer estate vineyard in the Stags Leap District provides all of the grapes for Shafer's signature wine, Hillside Select® Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as a portion of the grapes used to produce Firebreak®, a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend.

"Looking back on 1983 when I signed on as the winemaker, I can still remember going around that spring and tasting our '82 Cabernet in barrel, each vineyard lot kept separate from the others. One particular lot just jumped out at me...it was head and shoulders above the others."

"It was the Sunspot block and I went to my Dad and said: 'This lot is so great, I think we should keep it separate from the others.' Dad agreed, and we labeled it 'Reserve' - the only Reserve Cabernet we've ever made."

"Later, as I began pouring that wine at tastings, everyone kept asking what made that Cabernet a reserve wine. I told everyone how we selected the best blocks each year from our steep hillside vineyards; about the shallow, rocky soil that limits yields; the ideal sun exposure; the long growing season that allows grapes to fully mature. After a while, I have to admit I got a little tired of repeating the story."

"So I went to Dad and said: 'Let's come up with a name for this wine that doesn't need an explanation.' And that's how Hillside Select was born." -- Doug Shafer