HILLSIDE SELECT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019

Parker review

Sourced from specific blocks of estate-grown fruit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another highly successful vintage. All Cabernet Sauvignon aged 32 months in 100% new French oak, it boasts intense aromas of pencil shavings, dark loam, cassis and plum on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, super-ripe, rich, dense and concentrated—a truly impressive California vin de garde. Tannic but ripe, it finishes long and firm on the finish, adding a hint of mocha. To be released in September 2023, it's a strong showing ! Shafer's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select marks a return to a richer, more voluptuous style that is so typical of the year. There is plenty of tannin too, but all the elements are so well balanced. Plush and unctuous in the glass, the 2019 opens to reveal heady scents of kirsch, blood orange, mint, lavender and rose petal. Even at this early stage, the 2019 possesses mind-blowing balance and tons of sheer appeal. The 2019 is shaping up to be magnificent !

Press

Antonio Galloni's Vinous.com:  98/100  Shafer's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select marks a return to a richer, more voluptuous style that is so typical of the year. There is plenty of tannin too, but all the elements are so well balanced. Plush and unctuous in the glass, the 2019 opens to reveal heady scents of kirsch, blood orange, mint, lavender and rose petal. Even at this early stage, the 2019 possesses mind-blowing balance and tons of sheer appeal. The 2019 is shaping up to be magnificent !

JebDunnuck.com:   98+/100   The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another magical vintage for this cuvée. All Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Stags Leap, it offers a vivid purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of cassis, black raspberries, violets, camphor, and spring flowers, with perfectly integrated background oak. Full-bodied but not massive, it’s flawlessly balanced on the palate and has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It’s another 30- to 40-year wine from this incredible team that readers will absolutely love.