2006 Shafer, Hillside Select, Stags Leap District 1x750ml

Vinous 91+

(14.9% alcohol): Good dark red. Stubbornly reticent, unevolved nose hints at dark fruits, coffee, tar and sea salt. Extremely backward on the palate, conveying a distinctly medicinal character to its flavors of dark cherry, tar and dried herbs. Savory more than sweet and evolving very slowly. Finishes with substantial tannins and a repeating saline character. When I noted that this wine seemed to be in a state of suspended animation, Elias Fernandez told me that "it’s still asleep–and it was always like that." He seemed to be in some doubt that the wine would ever really blossom and open up in bottle. [Stephen Tanzer, 07/01/2016]

Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030

Robert Parker 92

A slightly more compact version of the great Hillside, but nevertheless youthful, the 2006 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has a dense purple color, some notes of damp earth, cedar wood, forest floor, red and black currants, and toast. Some austere tannins kick in in the finish, but the wine is full-bodied, ripe and rich. An outstanding effort, but not one of the monumental vintages for Hillside Select, it should be drunk over the next 20 years. [Robert M. Parker, Jr., 31/08/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034