2007 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 1x750ml

Vinous 95

(15.5% alcohol; this is the 25th anniversary edition of this bottling): Saturated bright ruby. Very deep, dark, almost liqueur-like aromas of cassis, black cherry, cocoa powder and mocha. A huge, chocolatey-ripe wine with an obvious warmth and compelling sweetness to its fine-grained cherry liqueur and dark berry flavors. Big but harmonious tannins spread out to saturate the entire palate on the very long back end. This wine is just now embarking on its plane of peak maturity and will probably remain there for quite some time. Some critics of flamboyantly ripe Napa Cabernets may find this wine a bit extreme (as is the case with numerous other 2007s) yet it manages to retain its balance–and its depth of fruit is extraordinary. [Stephen Tanzer, 01/05/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035

Robert Parker 98+

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has the potential to be a perfect wine in 5 to 6 years. Although it has shut down since I tasted it last year, it is unquestionably Shafer’s finest Hillside Select since the 2001 and 2002. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for 35+ years. This selection is made from the Eisele clone of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in a choice 50-acre parcel. It takes concentration, graciousness and complexity to its highest level in Napa Valley. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of blueberries, blackberries, charcoal and subtle toast. The wine possesses fabulous concentration, a seamless/flawless personality, a textbook integration of alcohol, wood, tannin and acidity, an almost endless finish and a voluptuous texture. Exhibiting more tannin and structure than it did last year, this is a colossal wine that will still be going strong in 2050. [Robert Parker, 12/01/2010]