2008 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 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, 01/07/2016]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2026

Robert Parker 96

The estate’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of those rare wines that looks like it will be absolutely delicious pretty much at any point in its life. Super-refined and silky, the 2008 caresses the palate with layers of deeply expressive dark fruit. The 2008 is a wine of exceptional textural finesse and pedigree. According to Doug Shafer, cool weather in the spring resulted in small clusters with high skin to juice ratios, always a plus for high quality wines. Today the 2008 does not look like a huge Hillside Select, but is rather a wine built on polish and elegance. It will be interesting to see if the 2008 fills out in bottle, or it remains more restrained in its personality. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. [Antonio Galloni, 12/01/2012]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038