Wine Advisor
Shafer, Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
View analysis
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
Shafer's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is deep, unctuous and super-expressive. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, new leather, menthol and pomegranate are some of the many notes that infuse this heady, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 is not quite as opulent in this tasting as it has been in the past, but I imagine it most likely going through a somewhat close phase. This is textbook modern Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at its best.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A total hedonistic turn-on, the 2012 has developed beautifully since I tasted it last year. The 2012 is not especially subtle. Instead it bursts from the glass with intense raciness and voluptuousness. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, spice and new leather flesh out on the opulent finish. Hints of torrefaction, mocha and French oak are evident and suggest the 2012 doesn't quite have the density or richness of the very best years. In exchange, though, the 2012 will drink well with minimal cellaring and is not likely to shut down.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the more inward wines of the year, but it is also still in barrel, so there is absolutely no rush. The 2012 is a bold, direct wine with plenty of intensity but so far I don't find the pedigree of the very best years. I have seen Hillside Select go through periods of dormancy before. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what happens here.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Like most of the other 2012s here, the estate's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a model of pure, unbridled energy. Today the 2012 impresses for its persistence and intensity, but otherwise the wine is pretty unexpressive, certainly much less so than it was this spring.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(15.5% alcohol): Bright red-ruby. Very sexy aromas of black cherry, cassis, mocha and spices, plus a whiff of caramel. Wonderfully fleshy, inviting and sweet, boasting highly concentrated flavors of currant, licorice and narcissus. For all its early mid-palate creaminess, this is quite powerful and youthful, and yet its full, ripe tannins are perfectly supported by its intense dark fruit flavors and impression of extract.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is not in bottle, but it looks like another three-digit wine in the making. It tips the scales at a lofty 15.3% natural alcohol, but tasters will never feel any “heat” tasting it. This is a beauty, with crème de cassis notes mixed with spring flowers a touch of toasty oak, blackberries, blueberries and cassis, as well as licorice, vanillin and a full-bodied mouthfeel. At this stage, it is more voluptuous and opulent than the 2010 was, simply because that’s the hallmark style of the 2012. No doubt this is a 30- to 50-year wine if you want to cellar it properly and nibble on it over a long period of time, but it will be much more approachable in its youth than most Hillside Selects tend to be. This is, once again, a fabulous effort.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Shafer’s flagship wine, and one of the world’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignons, is the Hillside Select, which comes from the rocky, volcanic soils on hillsides above the winery. Vineyard production is small, and the wine an incredible example of Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in 100% new oak for 32 months and bottled unfiltered, this can generally be expected to be one of the top dozen or so Cabernet Sauvignons in virtually any vintage in Napa, and certainly possesses 25 to possibly 50 years of aging potential. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a perfect wine. It elicits more than a few “wows” when you smell the incredible notes of charcoal, graphite and subtle toast, buttressed and dominated by blackcurrant, blackberry and blueberry fruit. The purity of these fruits, the multidimensional mouthfeel, the seamless integration of acid, alcohol, tannin and wood are all flawless. The 2012 signature adds an extravagant opulence and density that is just mind-boggling, and the wine is a total hedonistic and intellectual turn-on already, although it has 30+ years of life ahead of it.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is not in bottle, but it looks like another three-digit wine in the making. It tips the scales at a lofty 15.3% natural alcohol, but tasters will never feel any “heat” tasting it. This is a beauty, with crème de cassis notes intermixed with spring flowers, a touch of toasty oak, blackberries, blueberries and cassis, as well as licorice, vanillin and a full-bodied mouthfeel. At this stage, it is more voluptuous and opulent than the 2010, simply because that’s the hallmark style of the 2012. No doubt this is a 30- to 50-year wine if you want to cellar it properly and nibble on it over a long period of time, but it will be much more approachable in its youth than most Hillside Selects tend to be. This is, once again, a fabulous effort.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A barrel sample of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select exhibits a nearly impenetrable purple color as well as a luxurious bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, black raspberries and black currants that displays extraordinary purity, clarity and persistence. Full-bodied and rich in the mouth, but surprisingly light on its feet with an energy and vibrancy that make a mockery of those who would find fault with a wine possessing 15.3% natural alcohol, this ethereal Cabernet has everything a connoisseur could ever desire in a world class red wine. Kudos once again to the Shafer family! 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,
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.
