Wine Advisor
Shafer, Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
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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: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is intensely aromatic and bright. Rose petal, sage, mint and blood orange give the 2011 crazy aromatic presence. Still very fresh and nuanced, the 2011 has aged impeccably and also has the energy to drink well for another decade. The 2011 will always be a lithe, understated Hillside Select, but the pedigree is very much there. The introduction of optical sorting for the first time surely helped.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is gorgeous today. Sweet, floral and expressive, the 2011 speaks to finesse above all else. The 2011 is lithe and elegant, especially within the context of Hillside Select, yet all the elements are in the right place. Savory and floral notes add an attractive upper register on the close. One of the real highlights of the year, the 2011 continues to get better with time.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is gorgeous. Shafer fans will delight in a super-expressive, nuanced wine that won't require cellaring to offer its finest drinking. Blue and black fruit, flowers, spices and exotic hint of orange zest all add complexity on the expressive finish. Naturally the 2011 doesn't offer the typical Hillside Select opulence and power, but in exchange it will drink well pretty much right out of the gate.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select comes across as quite classic and in need of quite a bit of time in barrel, something that won't be much of an issue, as the 2011 is likely to stay in oak for another year. Savory herbs, menthol, licorice and brilliant saline notes linger on the close. The 2011 is striking, but it is also a highly atypical Hillside Select.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is laced with raspberry jam, licorice, violets, spices and crushed rocks. There is no shortage of power, structure or intensity. It will be fascinating to see where the 2011 goes, but the first signs are quite promising. This is a beautifully balanced 2011.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(15.5% alcohol): Dark red with ruby tones. Musky aromas of mocha, coffee, leather, licorice, creosote and herbs. Juicy and intense but without the explosive fruit of the 2010; a touch of asparagus gives the wine a greenness in the middle palate but there's also plenty of supporting dark fruit and graphite minerality. Doug Shafer noted that this fruit was picked at up to 26 degrees Brix, but I still find it a bit light. Finishes with chalky tannins and a continuing element of greenness. Shafer described 2011 as London in Napa Valley: it would not dry out. This was the first year the estate used its new optical sorter.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Possibly the Cabernet Sauvignon of the vintage, is Shafer’s 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Last year I thought it was a strong effort, but it’s even better now that it’s been bottled. With opaque black/purple color and notes of subtle burning charcoal embers, blueberry, blackberry and graphite, the wine has a certain Bordelais minerality, but then the richness of Napa kicks in. It’s full-bodied (somewhat unusual for a 2011) with lighter tannins, and no doubt the wine will be on a faster evolutionary track than vintages such as 2010, 2012 and 2013. Nevertheless, the Shafers and Elias said this was the toughest vintage they’d ever experienced. To be able to produce a compelling wine like this is a testament of their extraordinary skills and craftsmanship. This wine can be drunk now, or cellared for another 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is laced with raspberry jam, licorice, violets, spices and crushed rocks. There is no shortage of power, structure or intensity. It will be fascinating to see where the 2011 goes, but the first signs are quite promising. This is a beautifully balanced 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031. (Not yet released) Shafer doesn’t miss a beat. After more than a month of intense tastings of Napa Valley wines in 2012, Shafer was a clear stand out for their consistency across the board. The Hillside Select Cabernet remains the flagship, but readers will also find plenty of equally compelling and delicious wines in this range. In particular, this year I was impressed with the Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five, which for my money is one of the best wines in Napa Valley in its price range. Although clearly made in a style meant to be enjoyed upon release, a recent bottle of the 2004 was superb, and showed the One Point Five can also age gracefully. My most recent visit ended with the 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, an iconic wine that is still in great shape. John Shafer couldn’t get enough workers to pick his vineyard when he wanted, so fruit spent longer on the vine than he originally intended, giving birth to the Cabernet Sauvignon that today is known as the Hillside Select. Tel. (707) 944-2877
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Possibly the Cabernet Sauvignon of the vintage is Shafer’s 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Last year I thought it was a strong effort, but it’s even better now that it’s been bottled. With an opaque black/purple color and notes of subtle burning charcoal embers, blueberry, blackberry and graphite, the wine has a certain Bordelais minerality, but then the richness of Napa kicks in. It’s full-bodied (somewhat unusual for a 2011) with lighter tannins, and no doubt the wine will be on a faster evolutionary track than vintages such as 2010, 2012 and 2013. Nevertheless, the Shafers and Elias said this was the toughest vintage they’d ever experienced. To be able to produce a compelling wine like this is a testament to their extraordinary skills and craftsmanship. This wine can be drunk now or cellared for another 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select boasts a black/purple color along with beautiful creme de cassis fruit, a wonderful sucrosity from ripe fruit, great length and ripeness, lighter tannins and a more evolved style than usual. It is difficult to believe that such a full-bodied classic could have been produced in a vintage such as 2011. Then again, the Shafers do not fit any conventional mold. This 2011 should be drinkable young, and last for twenty years. This was a fascinating tasting with one of the superstar reference point/iconic wineries in all of California. Shafer-s Relentless project has been a huge success since the debut. Blending Syrah and Petite Sirah, aging it for a long time in French oak, and not compromising on any element of the winemaking process has put them at the top of the Rhone Ranger sweepstakes. From the Stags Leap District, the Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five was named by the Shafers to honor the generation and a half of the family that has been involved in this winery-s success. Turning to Shafer-s Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon is akin to entering one of the world's museums of liquid art. This is unquestionably one of California-s, and the world's, most iconic and greatest wines. When Chateau Latour bought the Araujo estate, I thought the entire value of the Shafers and of this particular vineyard probably jumped by 30-50% because of that purchase. This is a first-growth wine from a magical site, and it has been one of the top half dozen or so California Cabernet Sauvignons in every vintage since the early nineties. That's a remarkable track record. In every vintage it is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged an uncommonly long time (32 months) in 100% French oak, yet you would never know that. The Shafers remain disarmingly modest about what they have achieved, but this is utterly profound, world-class wine that any wine lovers who enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon need to sample at least once in their life. www.shafervineyards.com
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.
