2008 Shafer, Hillside Select, Stags Leap District 1x750ml

Vinous 91+

(15.5% alcohol): Dark red. Highly perfumed scents of redcurrant, wild sage, licorice, spices and vanillin oak. Then vibrant but a bit pinched in the mouth, with firm acidity accenting the wine’s herbal and salty elements. Narrower than the preceding three vintages but aromatically complex and full of life. Finishes with slightly dry-edged tannins and a repeating herbal quality. Does this wine have enough fruit to expand with more time in bottle? [Stephen Tanzer, 07/01/2016]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2026

Robert Parker 93

Vanilla, toast, blackcurrants, graphite, earth and foresty notes are all present in the 2008 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. It has great fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and quite a perfumed personality, but not quite the intensity and length of its predecessor. It could be one of those troublesome pairings where this just happened to follow an out-of-this-world compelling wine. The 2008 is certainly outstanding, just not one of the all-time greats. [Robert M. Parker, Jr., 31/08/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030