2013 Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select

Cabernet Sauvignon

America / California / Napa Valley / Stags Leap District

$425
JD 98
RP 98
V 97
Size:
Quantity:

2013 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, USA

The Hillside Select Story

Hillside Select is sourced from a collection of 14 small vineyard blocks planted within an eons-old amphitheater-like structure of rock and volcanic soil that surrounds the winery. Thanks to scant soil nutrients and moisture, yields at harvest are meager and the berries are small, about the size of blueberries. This Stags Leap District site’s combination of rugged, arid soil and climate results in lush Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark color and intense, classic flavor.

(Robert Parker): There are very few wineries in California where you can say that the original wine owners and winemaking staff are totally intact and have been, in this case, since 1978. The estate was founded by John Shafer and run with great precision by himself and more recently by his son Doug and Elias Fernandez. The team has been working together for 38 years since the first vintage in 1978. Six years earlier in 1972, John Shafer bought the property and established the vineyard in the hillsides of Stags Leap. They produce about 30,000 cases of wine – all of it noteworthy. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is true first-growth quality and their Rhône Ranger wine made from Syrah and Petite Sirah, called Relentless, is about as profound as you can get from those varietals.

 

JD 98

Jeb Dunnuck

All Cabernet aged 32 months in new French oak, the flagship 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a beauty that offers just about everything you could want out of wine. Blackcurrants, scorched earth, smoky oak and spice aromatics all give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2013 that has incredible fruit intensity, yet never seems heavy, over the top, or cumbersome in any way. It needs 4-5 years of cellaring and is going to keep for two to three decades. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck, December 2017. Drinking window: 2018-2048.
RP 98

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

(Rating 98+) The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select will probably hit the magic three-digit score, but it is a more backward style of wine, although probably even more concentrated than the 2012, and that’s saying something. Fabulous potential of 30-50 years is evident in this profound bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that is inky blue/black to the rim and offers up notes of charcoal embers, scorched earth, blackberries, cassis, blueberries, a hint of coffee, and background barrique smells. Massively concentrated but incredibly elegant and poised, this is a wine of great energy and vibrancy. It is fabulously deep, built like a skyscraper, and set for an incredibly long life. Try not to consume a bottle for at least another 4-5 years and then watch the magic unfold. Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr. Issue date: October 28, 2016. Drinking window: 2020-2071.
V 97

Vinous

Just bottled a few months before this tasting, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Readers will have to be patient with this big, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 doesn't have the sensuality of the 2012 nor the silkiness of the 2011. Instead, the 2013 is a dense, vertical wine that needs at least a few years of cellaring. This is an intensely savory, mineral driven vintage for Shafer's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, September 2016. Drinking window: 2021-2033.

For INTERNATIONAL shipping, click HERE.

We ship within the United States to:

AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.

FREE SHIPPING INSURANCE: We provide FREE carrier insurance for lost or damaged shipments (per carrier terms and conditions.)

FREE WINE STORAGE: We provide FREE 6 Months wine cellar storage from date of purchase. Please choose this option at checkout and we will coordinate shipping for a later date.

SHIPPING: During warm summer weather, we recommend to only ship within the United States with Same Day or Next Day Air service to protect the wines from environmental damage. If you would like to waive this protection by shipping Ground, we will request a waiver be signed.

PACKAGING: Our premium wines need optimal temperature consistency, therefore are packaged in EPS foam shippers with gel pack (when needed) and shipped only during ideal weather temperatures.

For OWC (Original Wooden Case) orders, wine bottles will be removed from case and shipped inside a foam shipper box for safety (unless otherwise requested). The wooden case will be shipped separately at Ground service. If faster service is necessary please contact us.

WEATHER HOLD: In adverse temperature conditions, we reserve the right to withhold shipment until ideal temperatures return unless we receive explicit instructions via email to release the wines, voiding any guarantee. We will contact you if a hold is necessary.

FULFILLMENT: Shipments are via UPS.

  • Orders received Monday - Thursday before 2:00 p.m. will typically ship the same day.
  • Orders received Thursday 2:00 p.m. ~ Sunday will ship on Monday.

DELIVERY:

  • Same Day service within Los Angeles Metro area may be available if order is placed before noon, but not guaranteed. Please contact us directly at (626)714-7006 to facilitate expedited service.
  • During extreme temperatures, all shipments are recommended for Next Day Air.

Adult Signature: By law, all shipments of alcohol must be received and authorized by an adult. Our delivery carriers will not release packages without an adult signature and additional charges may be incurred if the package requires withholding or redirection.

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We ship within the United States to: Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), and Wyoming (WY).

  • CRITICAL REVIEWS
  • WINEMAKER NOTES
JD 98

Jeb Dunnuck

All Cabernet aged 32 months in new French oak, the flagship 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a beauty that offers just about everything you could want out of wine. Blackcurrants, scorched earth, smoky oak and spice aromatics all give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2013 that has incredible fruit intensity, yet never seems heavy, over the top, or cumbersome in any way. It needs 4-5 years of cellaring and is going to keep for two to three decades. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck, December 2017. Drinking window: 2018-2048.
RP 98

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

(Rating 98+) The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select will probably hit the magic three-digit score, but it is a more backward style of wine, although probably even more concentrated than the 2012, and that’s saying something. Fabulous potential of 30-50 years is evident in this profound bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that is inky blue/black to the rim and offers up notes of charcoal embers, scorched earth, blackberries, cassis, blueberries, a hint of coffee, and background barrique smells. Massively concentrated but incredibly elegant and poised, this is a wine of great energy and vibrancy. It is fabulously deep, built like a skyscraper, and set for an incredibly long life. Try not to consume a bottle for at least another 4-5 years and then watch the magic unfold. Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr. Issue date: October 28, 2016. Drinking window: 2020-2071.
V 97

Vinous

Just bottled a few months before this tasting, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Readers will have to be patient with this big, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 doesn't have the sensuality of the 2012 nor the silkiness of the 2011. Instead, the 2013 is a dense, vertical wine that needs at least a few years of cellaring. This is an intensely savory, mineral driven vintage for Shafer's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, September 2016. Drinking window: 2021-2033.

2013 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, USA

The Hillside Select Story

Hillside Select is sourced from a collection of 14 small vineyard blocks planted within an eons-old amphitheater-like structure of rock and volcanic soil that surrounds the winery. Thanks to scant soil nutrients and moisture, yields at harvest are meager and the berries are small, about the size of blueberries. This Stags Leap District site’s combination of rugged, arid soil and climate results in lush Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark color and intense, classic flavor.

(Robert Parker): There are very few wineries in California where you can say that the original wine owners and winemaking staff are totally intact and have been, in this case, since 1978. The estate was founded by John Shafer and run with great precision by himself and more recently by his son Doug and Elias Fernandez. The team has been working together for 38 years since the first vintage in 1978. Six years earlier in 1972, John Shafer bought the property and established the vineyard in the hillsides of Stags Leap. They produce about 30,000 cases of wine – all of it noteworthy. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is true first-growth quality and their Rhône Ranger wine made from Syrah and Petite Sirah, called Relentless, is about as profound as you can get from those varietals.

 

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