Wine Advisor
Shafer, Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
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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: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the finest wines of the vintage. The 14.9% alcohol is barely noticeable given the amazing concentration and intensity. A saturated opaque purple color is followed by scents of vanilla, blackberry liqueur, crushed minerals, and a hint of white flowers. There is stunning intensity, tremendous purity, full body, and a remarkable, seamless finish (amazing given the elevated, austere tannin). Give the 1999 another 2-3 years of cellaring, and enjoy it over the following two decades or longer. A brilliant effort! There are 2,000 cases of this offering, which is aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak prior to bottling. It is head and shoulders above any other Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap appellation, combining an extraordinary elegance, delineation, and purity with a tremendously layered, thick opulence that coats the palate with exceptional purity as well as precision. Even in vintages such as 1998, this is a formidable offering. Tel. (707) 944-2877; Fax (707) 944-9454
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A vintage I was never as fond of as many of my colleagues, the 1999 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select certainly proved that they may have been more correct. Certainly not one of the all-time Shafer Hillsides, but nevertheless, a youthful, tannic, firm, structured wine, with more intellectual than hedonistic appeal at age 16, this wine has a dense purple color to the rim, notes of licorice, tobacco leaf, blackcurrants, followed by relatively high acids for a Hillside Select (or at least they present themselves that way) with some rather massive tannin. This is a big, medium to full-bodied wine with a Bordeaux-like structure imposed on it. It’s still moving in the right direction, and should hit its peak in another 4-5 years and then last for 15-20.
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. The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select exhibits the tell-tale lead pencil, black currant, and mineral-infused fruit with subtle oak in the aromatics and flavors. Seamless, full-bodied, and fabulously concentrated, with a 45-second finish. (Not yet released)
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select reveals an opaque purple color, and a structured, tannic feel in the mouth with tremendous density of fruit, full body, enviable purity, and a remarkable finish. Hints of lead pencil shavings intertwined with vanilla, minerals, and black fruits cascade from the glass. This classic will be at its finest between 2006-2025. In most vintages there are 2,000 cases of what is undeniably one of the New World's most profound Cabernet Sauvignons, Shafer's Hillside Select. It is one-hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 32 months in 100% new French oak (the majority being Taransaud). It is quintessentially Stags Leap, with a Margaux-like elegance as well as the power and layered, textured opulence that comes from northern California's sweet fruit. (Price not yet determined) 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.
