2006 Shafer Vineyards Merlot

Merlot - 750ML
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REVIEWS

WE 95 WA 89
WE 95

Wine Enthusiast, February 2009

Easily Shafer's greatest Merlot ever! Certainly its richest with fabulously concentrated blackberry cherry licorice chocolate and cinnamon spice flavors. All this is wrapped into extraordinarily sweet refined tannins...
WA 89

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2008

The red wine program includes 10000 cases of Merlot but that production is decreasing in favor of the other reds. The dark ruby/purple-colored 2006 Merlot (84% Merlot 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc) exhibits...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Merlot
Country USA
Region California
Sub-region North Coast
Appellation Napa
Vintage 2006
Size 750ML

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.