Shafer’s signature wine, Hillside Select, is made entirely from the best lots of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on  the winery’s hillside estate vineyards in Stags Leap District. The hillside fruit is small and deeply coloured. A reserve wine of limited production, it is undeniably a wine of place, exemplifying the rich, concentrated flavours and velvety texture of Stags Leap District fruit.

In the glass you’ll find rich, opulent aromas of blackberry, cocoa, black cherry, rhubarb, rose water, and espresso. The mouth is a juicy, energetic cascade of summer bramble fruit, cassis, black liquorice, red plum, fresh cracked pepper, and baking spice with a lengthy, compelling finish. Aged a full four years (32 months in French oak) prior to release. All this decadence comes wrapped in ripe tannins for long-term aging in your cellar.

“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 and hopefully an indication that quality will remain high under the new ownership.”
98+ points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, March 2023

“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.”
98+ points, Jeb Dunnuck, February 2023