Wine Advisor
Shafer, Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
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Description
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.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Napa Valley Vintners tasting, my note simply reads “WOW”. It has a compelling, intense nose of blackberry, cedar, cassis and violets that just sucker the senses into submission, whilst the full-bodied palate is extraordinarily complex and exuding a tangible sense of mineralite beneath those pure heavenly fruit. It has wonderful definition on the graceful finish. One of the best Californian wines that I have ever tasted. Tasted May 2001.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select appears to be a clone of the 1994. Like many of the finest wines of this vintage, it is already very expressive (much like the 1994), with an intense, explosive fragrance of flowers, licorice, and creme de cassis. It is medium to full-bodied, with copious quantities of blackberry and black currant fruit that have masked any hint of the 100% new oak barrels in which it is aging. The 1997 is unquestionably compelling. Since the 1991 vintage, one of the stars of the Cabernet Sauvignon sweepstakes has been Shafer's Hillside Select. Approximately 2,000-2,200 cases of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon are produced. The wine is aged in 100% new oak for 30 months. Recent vintages have all been spectacular. In short, attempting to decipher qualitative differences between them is akin to splitting hairs. I just hope that Cabernet lovers have the discretionary income and accessibility to cellar a few bottles. Tel. (707) 944-2877; fax (707) 944-9454.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1997 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a relatively evolved style for Hillside Select and seemingly more advanced than the older vintages, such as 1995 and 1994. Nevertheless, there is plenty to excite. It’s a big wine, dense purple in color with some lightening at the edge, plenty of crème de cassis fruit, lead pencil shavings, sweet vanilla and earth. It is very ripe, full-bodied, opulent and voluptuously textured. This is terrific stuff, hedonistic, showing secondary/tertiary nuances in the aromatics and essentially a full resolution of the tannin. This wine also seems to have come into its own and is clearly at its peak of flavor. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Very deep garnet colored with a hint of purple, this has a powerful nose of blackcurrant cordial, kirsch and prunes with plenty of baking spices and dark chocolate. Very big, full and rich in the mouth, it has a firm level of velvety tannins, crisp acid and a very long finish.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Since 1991, Shafer's Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon has unquestionably been one of the top dozen or so California Cabernets. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 32 months in 100% French oak casks (the majority Taransaud), it possesses the elegance and finesse one would expect from the Stags Leap area, but also monumental power, richness, and intensity. Is the prodigious 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select a perfect wine? Bottled in June, 2000, this effort is about as spectacular as Cabernet Sauvignon can be. The soaring bouquet of sweet, lavishly rich black currants, plums, cherries, toast, minerals, and smoke cascades from the glass. Opaque purple-colored, extraordinarily intense, and full-bodied, yet amazingly well-balanced, this flawless Cabernet Sauvignon will be at its peak between now and 2030. One of the greatest young Cabernet Sauvignons I have ever tasted, it represents the quintessential Napa Cabernet, combining both elegance and power. (Not yet released)
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
There are 2,200 cases of the profoundly rich and complete 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Aromas of lead pencil, mineral, cassis, and new oak tumble from the glass with remarkable purity and ease. The wine reveals a fabulously sweet mid-palate, a multi-layered, stunning texture, explosive richness, and a fabulous finish (45+ seconds). This seamless, flawless Cabernet Sauvignon should be at its best between 2002-2030. (release date 9/01) Tel. (707) 944-2877; fax (707) 944-9454
About the Producer
John Shafer, the founder of Shafer Vineyards, was a vice president of a Chicago publishing company when he left his 23-year career in publishing in mid-life. For 35 years, he and his son Doug have run the winery, which has earned a reputation as "one of the best wines in Napa". Today, Sifford is considered to be a full-scale winery, having expanded over the years to over 80 hectares of vineyards. Today, Sifford produces red and white wines with an annual production of 360,000 bottles. Located in the Stag's Leap AVA, the vineyards of Sifford Vineyards are situated in the southeast of Oakville in the middle of Napa Velley, with the Vaca Mountains to the east and the rolling hills and Napa Valley to the west, hence the name "Valley within a Valley". The soil of Deerleap is divided into two types, a volcanic ash layer to the east and a river alluvium layer to the west, consisting of more fertile soils with sub-clay. The vineyards are planted mainly with Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The location on the hillside means that the sunshine, the oceanic fog streams in the evening and the cool nights are ideal for perfect ripening of the grapes. Standing at the foot of the hill and looking upwards, the vineyards slope downwards and, because of the steepness of the slope, the vines need to grow downwards in a desperate attempt to root, allowing the grapes to gain more nutrients and flavour. The long growing period means that the grapes ripen better, with smaller grains and lower yields, resulting in a richer flavour. In order to save energy and reduce the greenhouse effect on the atmosphere, Château Sèvres has installed solar power and does not use the electricity grid at all. In addition, the winery has been growing its grapes organically since the 1980s. The Shafer, Stag's Leap District Hillside Select is one of the top wines of the estate and one that has put it among the top wines in the world. Made from the ripest, most perfect Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, the wine is fermented and then matured for 2-3 years in new oak barrels. The wine has a concentrated fruitiness, heavy tannins and a majestic presence. Since 1990, Château Sifford's Deer Leap Mountain Selection has never scored low with the major names, with Parker rating it 100 and 99 points in 2002 and 2001 respectively, and 94-97, 95-97, 97 and 95 points in 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 respectively.
