2016 Shafer TD-9
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Tasting notes
Leading off the reds, the 2016 TD-9 checks in as 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Malbec and is a cuvée first made in 2015. Revealing considerable elegance and purity as well as medium to full-bodied richness, it offers up a terrific bouquet of black cherry and blackberry fruits, tobacco, lavender, and an alluring forest floor character. It’s already drinking beautifully yet will keep for upwards of a decade.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2016 TD-9 is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Bright floral notes and a rush of red cherry/red plum fruit give energy to this pliant, super-expressive wine. The 2016 has firmed up a bit since it was bottled, so a few more months should do the trick. The blend is 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Malbec.
The 2016 Red Blend TD-9 is blended of 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Malbec. It has a very deep purple-black color and displays ready-for-biz, fragrant scents of warm plums, Black Forest cake and blueberry compote with touches of baking spices, bay leaves and potpourri. Full-bodied with a serious, firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, the palate delivery loads of black fruit and spicy layers with bags of vivacity and panache.
The 2016 TD-9 exudes raciness and total class, along with a bit better balance than the 2015 tasted along side it. In 2016, winemaker Elias Fernandez aged the components together, which, along with the natural pedigree of the vintage, goes a long way in shaping the wine's striking quality. A burst of red cherry, plum, lavender, rose petal and spice lead into the silky, super-polished finish.