Shafer "Hillside Select" Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Jeb Dunnuck : 98+ Points

(2/16/2023) The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another magical vintage for this cuvee. All Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Stags Leap, it offers a vivid purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of cassis, black raspberries, violets, camphor, and spring flowers, with perfectly integrated background oak. Full-bodied but not massive, it’s flawlessly balanced on the palate and has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It’s another 30- to 40-year wine from this incredible team that readers will absolutely love. Maturity 2023 - 2063.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni : 98 Points

(10/2022) 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.

Decanter : 98 Points

(1/2/2024) Super attractive nose of mineral-laced blackberry and black cherry fruit, pulverised graphite, sumptuous earth, and wildflowers framed by fragrant cedarwood and a pop of spearmint. Just a classically-fashioned Hillside Select, the flagship iconic wine from Shafer. Medium to -full-bodied with a seamless palate expression that begins with beautifully textured tannins, which are pixelated, extremely fine-grained, and have a chocolatey note. The wine's compact, sweet, dark berry fruit penetrates the mid-palate, lifted by saline minerality. The finish lasts a full minute and weaves in brown spices, sagebrush, currant leaf and tobacco nuances. Most impressive is that at 15.5% alcohol, the wine is perfectly balanced, even cool to the palate. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards in the Stags Leap District, which include Shafer estate vineyard blocks Sunspot, John's Upper Seven, Venado Ilegal, and Firebreak. The wine spent 32 months in 100% new Allier and Toncais French oak barrels. 2,400 cases produced. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2044.

The Wine Independent : 98+ Points

(3/8/2023) 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.

James Suckling : 98 Points

(9/21/2022) A beautiful nose of pitted cherries, redcurrants, fresh herbs and violets. Full-bodied with fine, structured tannins. More gravelly, mineral and dark than the nose lets on. Savory almost. Terrific depth and concentration that keeps the palate flavorful through the generous finish. Chocolate, sage, rosemary, bark and moss. Layered. Superb wine. Needs time to come together. Best after 2024 and onward.

Wine Advocate : 98+ Points

(3/31/2023) Sourced from specific blocks of estate-grown fruit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another highly successful vintage. All Cabernet Sauvignon aged 32 months in 100% new French oak, it boasts intense aromas of pencil shavings, dark loam, cassis and plum on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, super-ripe, rich, dense and concentrated—a truly impressive California vin de garde. Tannic but ripe, it finishes long and firm on the finish, adding a hint of mocha. To be released in September 2023, it's a strong showing and hopefully an indication that quality will remain high under the new ownership. Drink Date: 2025 - 2045.