1996 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select

Cabernet Sauvignon - 1.5L
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REVIEWS

CG 95 WA 93 WS 92
CG 95

Connoisseur's Guide, March 2007

Back on track after its relatively austere showing the year prior, Hillside Select rebounds in 1996 with one of its richest, most succulent renditions to date. Currants, black cherries and sweet oak abound still, and the...
WA 93

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2014

A drought year produced the 1996 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, which is slightly more compact than great vintages, but nevertheless impressive. It offers further evidence that even in more challenging years...
WS 92

Wine Spectator, January 2007

Starts out smooth showing rich earthy currant hazelnut and nutmeg scents with a hint of mocha and dense chewy tannins. Still very youthful firm and extracted. The first two bottles were corked.--1996 California Cabernet...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
Country USA
Region California
Sub-region North Coast
Appellation Napa
Sub-appellation Stag's Leap District
Vintage 1996
Size 1.5L

Shafer Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery located in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley. It was founded in 1972 by John Shafer who left a 23-year career in the publishing industry to pursue a second career in wine. After purchasing a 210-acre estate, the family faced the arduous task of replanting the existing vineyards which dated back to the 1920s.

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.

New vineyards have been added over the years, with acreage acquired in the Oak Knoll, Stags Leap and Carneros districts, bringing the total Shafer vineyard acreage to over 200 acres. Winery facilities have been expanded and extensive caves carved into the hillside for aging wine.

In 1994, Elias was appointed winemaker, and Doug took over the reins as president when John became chairman of the board.