1995 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
Buying options
Tasting notes
(14.1% alcohol): Healthy dark red. Captivating floral lift to the aromas of raspberry, peppercorn, leather and wet soil; conveys a strong impression of terroir . Wonderfully silky and soil-driven in the mouth, boasting terrific energy and tension for a 21-year-old California wine. The long finish features firm but suave tannins and a slatey quality that gives the wine noteworthy grip. Made from a light, late harvest. This bottle was far better than the one I tasted at my 1995 horizontal tasting in March.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
(14.1% alcohol): Bright, saturated ruby; looks like a current release. Brooding, medicinal aromas of blue fruits and cassis complicated by leather and peppery herbs. Big and rich, but with a slightly intrusive oak note of creosote. Finishes with big, slightly drying but fine-grained tannins. I find this a bit green-edged but it's still evolving. My bottle of the same wine at my vertical tasting at Shafer (to be published in the next few weeks) was much better.
(14.1% alcohol): Healthy dark red. Captivating floral lift to the aromas of raspberry, peppercorn, leather and wet soil, conveys a strong impression of terroir. Wonderfully silky and soil-driven in the mouth, boasting terrific energy and tension for a 21-year-old California wine. The long finish features firm but suave tannins and a slatey quality that gives the wine noteworthy grip. Made from a light, late harvest. This bottle was far better than the one I tasted at my 1995 horizontal tasting in March.
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.