2019 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
Buying options
Tasting notes
Deep purple in colour. Concentrated cassis and raspberry on both the nose and palate. Thick and chewy. Lots of warmth and a wallop of oak spice but with plenty of acidity to balance. A hole-in-one, old-school Napa Cab.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
More reviews and scores
This broad, rich and mouthfilling wine is Shafer's most elite and collectible. Aged for 32 months in all-new French oak barrels, it boasts extra-ripe blackberries and blueberries, accents of mint, cedar and graphite, and a big structure of polished tannins. Tempting to drink soon for its indulgent flavors, the wine should be best from 2027–2037. — Jim Gordon
The single-varietal 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is deep garnet-purple in color. It erupts from the glass with powerful scents of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and fruitcake, leading to suggestions of wild blueberries, chocolate mint, cedar chest, and crushed rocks, with a waft of clove oil. The concentrated, full-bodied palate does not disappoint, featuring very firm, beautifully ripe tannins and a lively line to frame the generous fruit, finishing long and layered.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted at Shafer. Effusive aromatics and silky tannins are immediately captivating. Crushed red/purplish berry fruit, mint, spice, lavender and licorice are all finely knit. We will see, but the 2019 may very well represent a new direction for Hillside Select, one of Napa Valley's most iconic Cabernets.
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.