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Producer | Shafer |
Country | United States |
Region | California |
Subregion | Stags Leap District |
Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Vintage | 2018 |
Sku | 210000014198 |
Size | 1.5L |
Incredible purity and precision, as well as opulence, define the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, and this is as good as any Cabernet Sauvignon in the world today. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a thrilling bouquet of pure crème de cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings, and an incredible minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, seamless texture, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This is classic 2018 Napa Valley with its purity, freshness and precision as well as sensational concentration and perfectly integrated acidity, tannins, and alcohol. It delivers pleasure today yet warrants a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to be a 30- to 40-year wine.
Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select displays a deep garnet-purple color. It charges out of the gate with bold crème de cassis, blueberry pie and black cherry preserves notes, plus hints of smoked meats, fragrant earth and tar, with a fragrant waft of violets and Provence herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with muscular black fruits, supported by a solid foundation of firm, grainy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing long with an enticing herbal lift.
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a total knock-out, just as it was last year. Fresh, vibrant and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 is simply magnificent. Red cherry jam, rose petal, cinnamon, violet, lavender and new leather all race out of the glass. More than anything else, I am so taken by the wine's energy and freshness. I find less bombastic intensity than in some previous years. In fact, the 2018 might be the most polished, elegant Hillside Select I have ever tasted. In a word: dazzling
- By Antonio Galloni on February 2021
Frankly ripe but well-focused, with blackberry and creamed boysenberry notes flowing through atop the polished structure, while cocoa and black licorice frame the finish. A subtle hint of sassafras lingers at the end, adding textural nuance. This has the stuffing to age well. Drink now through 2038. 2,400 cases made.