90 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2009

The 2007 Merlot (a 10,000-case cuvee that includes 15% Cabernet Sauvignon) may be the finest Merlot I have ever tasted from Shafer. Reasonably priced for a Napa Valley Merlot, it is characterized by elegance and substance. Its dark ruby/purple hue is followed by notes of wood spice, forest, flowers, berries, mocha, and wood smoke, medium to full body, sweet tannins, and good freshness. Enjoy it over the next 12+ years.

90 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, June 2010

Moderately saturated red-ruby. Restrained but nuanced nose offers plum, redcurrant, tobacco and nutty oak. A nicely balanced, penetrating midweight with modest flesh but a silky texture and intriguing, understated redcurrant and mocha flavors. This young wine relies as much on its acids as on its suave tannins for structure. Finishes with good persistence and subtle soil tones.

92 points,

Wine Spectator, April 2010

Dark and muscular, with blackberry and graphite aromas and youthful, concentrated black cherry and mocha fruit that show notes of roasted herb, with a hint of game. Drink now through . 10,000 cases made. -TF

About Winery

Shafer Vineyards traces its beginnings to 1972 when John Shafer left a 23-year career in the publishing industry and, with his family, moved to the Napa Valley to pursue a second career in wine. After purchasing a 210-acre estate in Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, the Shafer family faced the arduous task of replanting the existing vineyards, which dated to the 1920s, and terracing the steep and rocky hillsides, eventually expanding vineyard acreage to its current 50 acres.Evolving from grape growers to vintners, the Shafers crushed their first Cabernet grapes in 1978 and began construction on their winery a year later.

The first Shafer Cabernet became a benchmark, winning the acclaimed San Francisco Vintners Club taste-off upon release and, over a decade later taking first place in an international blind tasting held in Germany, where it outranked such wines as Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour and Chateau Palmer.

Doug Shafer became winemaker in 1983 after graduating from the University of California at Davis with a degree in enology and viticulture. A year later Elias Fernandez joined the winery as assistant winemaker. Together Doug and Elias have worked closely to forge the Shafer style of quality, consistency and elegance.

Shipping Details

This is a pre-arrival item. You will be contacted once this product has arrived at our warehouse to arrange delivery.

Need it faster? Call us now at (888) 859-4637 for special arrangements.

Free storage available. We offer free 6 months storage for any wine purchased at JJ Buckley. We highly recommend storing your wines during the summer months to avoid heat damage during shipment.

For a shipping quote, add this product to your shopping cart. From there you will be able to enter a zipcode and get a detailed quote. For full details on our shipping policies, click here.