Tasting Notes from the Shafer Event

This producer was hit or miss for me tonight. The chard was a major surprise.


2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (6/28/2010)
WOTN: Dah??? Lilac and floral nose. Lots of fineesse. A thoroughbred race horse. You want to stick your whole face in the glass. Cassis, plums, black cherries. It has it all. Hedonsitic. (96 pts.)

2006 Shafer Relentless - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/28/2010)
NIce funky nose out of the bottle. Like being ont he family farm. Blew off quickly in glass. Meaty and bloody red fruit, plums cherries. Vibrant wine with a nice vanilla underbelly. (93 pts.)

2008 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros (6/28/2010)
NIce citrus perfume nose. yellow/greenish hue, some buttery tones but not too much, wet stones and minerals, lemon peel. This was a crisp, medium bodies chard with bright acidity, not over oaked, well balanced, ripe intense fruit with a long finish (92 pts.)

2006 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (6/28/2010)
Smooth sweet tannins, cherries, currants, a bit young and tight but solid fruit. (90 pts.)

2007 Shafer Merlot - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/28/2010)
I didn't get this wine. Muted nose, cherries with tart tannins. somewhat disjointed and a bit hot at the back end. Linear red fruit. (86 pts.)