2009 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Made entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Hillside Select has a deep garnet color. Wow—it explodes from the glass with this atomic nose of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, baked plums and boysenberries plus hints of licorice, mocha, cedar chest and pencil lead with a waft of garrigue. Full-bodied, the palate is a concentrated, full-on behemoth, possessing fantastic balance and expressiveness, finishing with epic length and a fantastically velvety texture.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Saturated ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cassis, blackberry and licorice are lifted by a violet element. Concentrated, chewy and penetrating, with its powerful dark fruit flavors enlivened by wild herbs, spices and violet. Not a particularly thick vintage for this consistently outstanding bottling: as savory as it is sweet and light on its feet. The wine's strong fruit blows past the firm, harmonious tannins on the very long back end. Still a youngster, and evolving even more slowly than I predicted a few years ago. This wine should eventually merit an even higher score. (15.5% alcohol; aged for three years in oak)
Saturated ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cassis, blackberry and licorice are lifted by a violet element. Concentrated, chewy and penetrating, with its powerful dark fruit flavors enlivened by wild herbs, spices and violet. Not a particularly thick vintage for this consistently outstanding bottling as savory as it is sweet and light on its feet. The wine's strong fruit blows past the firm, harmonious tannins on the very long back end. Still a youngster, and evolving even more slowly than I predicted a few years ago. This wine should eventually merit an even higher score. (15.5% alcohol, aged for three years in oak)
Almost too much of a good thing. The massive wall of fruit coats your palate, teeth and gums with perfectly ripe, dark black and blue fruits. The tannins are soft. The wine is concentrated, intense long and powerful.
About the producer
The site of Shafer has been around since 1880, and grapes continued to be grown here, even during prohibition. It is said that some wine was made here during that time. In 1972, John Shafer bought the property in the Stag’s Leap district, he immediately began planting the Cabernet on the hillside.