Shafer, Hillside Select 2017 Shafer Vineyards

Get to know: Shafer, Hillside Select 2017

Tasting Note

The 2017 is the 35th vintage of Hillside Select and this release more than earns its place in this classic, elegant lineage. In the glass you’ll find rich, radiant aromas of blackberry, cocoa, black cherry, rhubarb, rose water, and espresso. The mouth is a juicy, energetic cascade of summer bramble fruit, cassis, black licorice, red plum, fresh cracked pepper, and baking spice with a lengthy, compelling finish. All this decadence comes wrapped in ripe tannins for long-term aging in your cellar. 

Enjoyable now or keep for up to 20 years.

Kate Says

“This is the top wine from this esteemed Napa Valley Winery. It is one of the wines that helped Napa Valley forge it’s reputation for world class Cabernet Sauvignon and this vintage is tasting incredible. Huge concentration and complexity delivered on a velvety palate with lots of finesse.”

Producer Info

Hillside Select is sourced from a collection of 14 small vineyard blocks planted within an eons-old amphitheater-like structure of rock and volcanic soil that surrounds the winery. Thanks to scant soil nutrients and moisture, yields at harvest are meager and the berries are small, about the size of blueberries. This Stags Leap District site’s combination of rugged, arid soil and climate results in lush Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark color and intense, classic flavor.

The wine ages in new French oak barrels for 32 months prior to bottling. The Cabernet rests for another year in the bottle before it is ready for release.

Only about 2,400 cases of Shafer’s signature wine are produced each year.

Shafer Vineyards has produced classic Napa Valley wines for more than 40 years. The vineyard and cellar teams, led by winemaker Elias Fernandez, cultivate more than 200 acres of Shafer-owned vineyards. The winery has a decades-long commitment to sustainability. Beginning in the 1980s Shafer embraced farming techniques that eliminate insecticides and herbicides, and carefully conserve water resources. In 2004 Shafer became the first winery in the U.S. to go 100% solar.