Shafer’s Hillside Select is one of California’s most famous fine wines. The 2021 is the first release of this wine for two years; none was made in 2020 because of the wildfires. Rated 97-99 points by Antonio Galloni on Vinous, and coming from an exceptional vintage in Napa, the 2021 Hillside Select is likely to be in high demand.
Shafer was one of the pioneers of top-end winemaking in Napa. The Shafer family established the estate in 1972 when they bought a plot of prime land in Stag’s Leap District. Facing south-east to capture the sun, the property benefits from cool breezes from the San Franscisco bay. The land is notable for its particularly thin topsoils, which lead to high levels of concentration in the grapes.
Hillside Select is the flagship wine at Shafer. The fruit comes from the property’s very best vineyards on the steep slopes near the winery. The wine is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon and it is aged for 32 months in new French oak. Renowned for its intensity and structure, the wine is highly complex and extremely long-lived.
2021 is a very good vintage in Napa. It is a year of finesse rather than outright power, and as such it beautifully displays the more restrained style that top estates such as Shafer are now seeking. Galloni describes the wines as “aromatic, refined and wonderfully expressive”, noting that many are “truly exceptional”.
This is a top-notch vintage of a Napa classic. It will not disappoint.
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