The 1992 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another killer wine boasting a dense purple color as well as a gorgeous bouquet of crème de cassis, creosote, camphor, licorice, blackberries and subtle background oak, and full-bodied, heady flavors. It is clear that after 1991, the Shafers and Elias Fernandez were entering a dramatic new level of quality as the Hillside Select cuvée had become a world-class effort. This beauty is just becoming fully drinkable and should continue to provide immense enjoyment over the next 20 years.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap District has jumped in quality as John Shafer's son, Doug Shafer, abandoned sterile filters in favor of no fining and only a polishing, coarse filtration at bottling. That, plus less acidification, giving the wines a higher PH, has resulted in a more revealing and beautiful expression of the gorgeous fruit obtained from the Stag's Leap District vineyards. The 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap includes 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot. It offers a wonderfully pure cassis nose, a velvety texture, plenty of ripeness, and some structure and tannin in the medium to full-bodied finish. It should drink well for 10-15 years. This winery continues to build on their fine reputation, pushing the quality to higher and higher levels. Shafer's 50-acre estate vineyard, located in the heart of the Stag's Leap District, is supplemented by an additional 70 acres in Carneros. The winery continues to be innovative, offering a very good Sangiovese called Firebreak that has a small percentage (usually less than 20%) of Cabernet Sauvignon included in the blend for color and bulk.Tel. (707) 944-2877