Named “one of the world’s greatest wineries” by wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. in 2003, Shafer has been an icon in Napa Valley for more than 40 years. Specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, the pinnacle wine produced is the Shafer 2015 Hillside Select, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District, the Please The Palate Wine of the Week. 

The Hillside Select, a reserve wine, was first produced in 1983. The wine is made from grapes exclusively from Shafer’s Hillside Estate Vineyards in Stags Leap District including the vineyard blocks Sunspot, John’s Upper Seven, Venado Ilegal and Firebreak. The Cabernet Sauvignon spends 32 months in 100 percent new 60-gallon French oak barrels. 

The 2015 Hillside Select is a deep purple color with a voluptuous nose of plum, blueberry, black cherries, dried cranberry, floral notes, black licorice, cigar box and fresh pepper. The wine is full-bodied and rich with grainy tannins. The finish is long and smooth and there is a freshness that lingers with savory notes.

The Shafer 2015 Hillside Select, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District is a very special bottle of wine that retails for $310. This is a wine that has the backbone to age for many years to come but it is surprisingly drinkable now, with only 4 years of age on it.