Release date: September 1, 2011
Suggested California retail: $225
“… one of the New World’s most profound Cabernet Sauvignons …” – Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
“Shafer, of course, has been one of Napa’s most reliable wineries, routinely producing great wines, chief among them its Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet from Stags Leap.” – James Laube, Wine Spectator
We are thrilled to offer 2007 Hillside Select as the 25th vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon from our rugged vineyards. This release displays classic Stags Leap District beauty with rich, perfumy aromatics that seem to push out of the bottle. The flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, warm plum pie, dark chocolate, and a touch of vanilla are elegant and mouthfilling. The tannins are ripe and refined, holding out great promise for decades of cellar age.
Hillside Select is made of 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon fruit sourced from rugged hillside vineyard blocks on our Stags Leap District Estate. Truly a "wine of a place," this Cabernet exemplifies the extraordinary richness and suppleness consistently produced in our little valley within a valley.
Hillside Select is aged a full four years prior to release (three years in Alliers and Tronçais oak barrels and one year in the bottle). While enjoyable today, this wine will gain richness and maturity with up to 20 years of careful cellaring.
More...
Growing season
The 2007 vintage in Napa Valley has long been celebrated as one of the best of the decade so far. The growing season started with a dry, warm spring leading to an early budbreak and ideal conditions for set, the point when vine flowers turn to berries.
In spite of the early start to the season the fruit matured at a leisurely pace thanks to a long cool summer with no weather-related surprises.
With no worries for high heat or incoming rain, we left fruit on the vine until the best possible moment. The lack of rain early in the year gave us smaller clusters, which by harvest time resulted in smaller berries with outstanding concentration.
Winemaker’s Notes
"Our 25th vintage of Hillside Select offers aromatic elegance and classic Stags Leap District flavors of black fruit, mocha, black plums, cassis, juicy black and red cherry, black tea, with spice and warm toast. Ripe, silken tannins result in a pleasing, lengthy finish, smooth texture, and a refined structure which offers the potential for very long term aging." – Shafer winemaker Elias Fernandez
To help mark a milestone in winemaking at Shafer Vineyards, we asked John Shafer about the development of Hillside Select – from the days of moving here with his family in 1973 until today.
Hillside Select® Tasting Notes
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
2007
Our 25th vintage of Hillside Select offers aromatic elegance and classic Stags Leap District flavors of black fruit, mocha, black plums, cassis, juicy black and red cherry, black tea, with spice and warm toast. Ripe, silken tannins result in a pleasing, lengthy finish, smooth texture, and a refined structure which offers the potential for very long term aging.
Drink
now – 20 years
2006
The bottle opens to immediate aromatic beauty. There's nothing closed about this nose. The aliveness is followed in the mouth with a core of juicy, black fruit, chocolate, black plums, cassis, black and red cherry, black tea, and vanilla and spice. Ripe tannins put together good structure for very long term aging.
Drink
now – 20 years
2005
From a year of abundant fruit we selected only the best-of-the-best from our small vineyard blocks. Pure varietal aromas of blackberry and cassis almost seem to press the cork out of the bottle followed by juicy flavors of black cherry, currant, cassis liqueur, black plum, dark chocolate, spice and tobacco. The exuberance of these flavors comes in a knitting of ripe, round tannins that promises, as we’ve seen with this wine, that the power of youth will one day mature into the smoky elegance and complexity of age.
Drink
now – 20 years
2004
This is a classic Hillside Select striking a balance of dark, lush, jammy fruit with youthful elegance. These are the enduring aromas and flavors of our hillside grapes – loads of blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, juicy black cherry, black pepper integrated nicely with oak, char and vanilla all tied up in a bow of silky, firm, easy-to-enjoy tannins. In terms of its weight and style, this one is a close relative of the 1999 vintage.
Drink
now – 19 years
2003
The aromas of blackberry, black cherry and spice combine power and perfume while the wine fills the mouth with a rich abundance of cassis, blackberry, toasty vanilla, mocha, herbs, and a seamless integration of soft, ripe Stags Leap District tannins. Expansive and juicy in the mouth with flavors that remain long after the glass is empty.
Drink
now – 13 years
2002
This Hillside Select is classic Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon from a justly celebrated Napa Valley vintage. Pure, wide-open, dark-fruit aromas and flavors. 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 – 18 years
2001
From the legendary 2001 vintage this Hillside Select offers aromatic, elegant black berry, currant, black cherry, cola, and cassis; rich, stylish dark fruit flavors, with a balanced seasoning of minerals, smoke, vanilla, tobacco, and herbs; a core of sweetness emerges from our hillside fruit with a long, mouth-filling finish of chocolate and spice all surrounded by the classic silky tannins of the Stags Leap District
Drink
now – 14 years
2000
Shows a pleasing range of aromatics — black fruit, pepper, mineral, sweet-spicy vanilla and dense purple-midnight color. Beginning to show age characteristics of cedar and tea. A core of sweetness and supple, mature tannins from our small-berried hillside fruit spread a rounded, rich feel in the mouth and a lengthy finish.
Drink
now – 6 years
1999
After ten years this one continues to fill the glass with aromatic brightness and in the mouth offering raspberry, blackberry, cola and a richness of fruit; its liveliness is just beginning to show a more mature balance of tobacco, herbs and minerals and a core of sweetness. This generously proportioned wine offers a long, lingering. Its masculine tannins are similar to the 1992 vintage of Hillside Select and continue to offer excellent aging potential.
Drink
now – 11 years
1998
We wish we had more of this one in our cellar. It’s gorgeous. Deep color with soft tannins and luscious fruit typical of our hillside vineyards. Aromatics offer a blend of currants, vanilla and mineral in the mouth and a long finish. This was our first vintage to perform berry selection in the vineyard ensuring that the fruit we harvested was the best of the vintage. That work shows here.
Drink
now – 6 years
1997
Just when we thought this one would never grow up, we find it moving past primary fruit with elegant characteristics of cedar, tea and tobacco. Even so, expect the ’97 to remain lively for a few years to come as it still offers big mouthfeel, dark color, with flavors of chocolate and black fruit. A long finish of mocha, vanilla and spice is tied up with the classic tannins of the Stags Leap District
Drink
now – 8 years
1996
With more herbs, cedar and tea than its ’97 sibling, this one offers ripe aromatics and elegantly balanced fruit flavors. Uncork this vintage and you’ll find deep color in the center of the glass with a ring of brick at the edge, with a silky texture and maturing fruit, showing elements of black currant and dark spice with a long finish.
Drink
now - 5 years
1995
At 14 years of age this Hillside Select still shows such richness – lively, lovely, dark and complex. Powerful, elegant and composed, with velvety brick color and maturing Cabernet flavors. Rich with great depth of flavor and a lingering finish.
Drink
now – 4 years
1994
From one of the watershed years where a great vintage and winemaking experience came together. Showing delicate, complex layers of tea, cedar, tobacco and leather. This is bottle bouquet in a delicious phase.
Drink
now – 4 years
1993
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 pleasing depth and finesse.
Drink
now – 2 years
1992
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. In terms of ageability this vintage benefited from the kind of masculine tannins we didn’t see again until 1999.
Drink
now – 2 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 richness. Complexities are still developing. .
Drink
now – 2 years
1990
Beautiful color with flavors and aromas of blackberries, tea, herbs, spice, cedar and developing mushroom. Mature and balanced with a silky texture and pleasing finish.
Drink
now
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
2007 Hillside Select® Reviews
“… unquestionably Shafer's finest Hillside Select since the 2001 and 2002 … it takes concentration and complexity to its highest level in Napa Valley. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of blueberries, blackberries, charcoal and subtle toast. The wine possesses fabulous concentration, a seamless/flawless personality, a textbook integration of alcohol, wood, tannin and acidity, an almost endless finish with a voluptuous texture … it is a colossal wine that will still be going strong in 2050.” – Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate
“Impressive for its richness, elegance and grace, this is spicy and supple, with full-bodied plum, currant and black licorice notes, gaining momentum and ending with a silky aftertaste of loamy earth. Drink now through 2020.” – James Laube, Wine Spectator
“Lusty richness drives this vintage of Hillside Select, from vines John and Doug Shafer planted in the ‘70s on a series of knolls rising below the Stag’s Leap escarpment. It has the site’s trademark tannins, as soft and savory as a bittersweet chocolate cake …” – Wine & Spirits
“Medium-dark purplish ruby color; attractive, rich, intense, complex, plummy, cassis and dark cherry fruit aroma with notes of mocha, tobacco leaf, leather and black tea; full body; big, rich, extracted, concentrated, firmly structured, cassis ad ripe, dark berry fruit flavors with undertones of vanilla and toasty oak; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Impressive now, though deserving another five more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.” – California Grapevine
Hillside Select® Tasting Notes