The non-malolactic, full-scale Chardonnay, the 2005 Red Shoulder Ranch (around 5,300 cases) reveals beautiful acidity and slightly less wood. (A good percentage of the wine is now aged in steel barrels and then blended back with that percentage which is barrel-fermented and aged in wood.) Medium to full-bodied with notes of honeysuckle and tropical fruit, the wine is crisp, fresh, pure, and best drunk over the next several years. One of Napa’s most prominent and respected wineries, Shafer is a poster boy for remarkable and consistent quality across the board. All of this is the work of the brilliant father and son team of John and Doug Shafer as well as their long-term winemaker and vineyard manager, Elias Fernandez. With over 200-plus acres of estate holdings, and 55 surrounding their winery in Stags Leap, this is a winery that never seems to disappoint. Previously recommended: 2003 Relentless (93), 2004 Merlot (88), 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (100). Tel. (707) 944-2877; Fax (707) 944-9454

Shafer’s ’05 is drier, crisper and more minerally than its predecessors from warmer vintages. You might even call it leaner. But it still shows the elegant balance that always characterizes the wine, with brilliant acidity.——S.H.(12/1/2007)—— 89