Shafer has been making some of the best wines from Napa since their inception in the early 1980's. Their Hillside Select has gained cult status and with around 3,000 cases produced it is also one of the few wines that you see in a lot of California wine collector's cellars.

We have hosted many events over the years with John Shafer, Doug Shafer and winemaker Elias Fernandez. So every time I open a bottle of Shafer wine I feel a connection with these events and the People that I've drank Shafer Vineyards wines with.

The last time we had Doug in town we did a collectors series dinner at Café Maxx. This is where we ask you our "wine drinking people" to bring a wine from your cellar to drink with the producer- we had ten vintages in just a few days. Doug was blown away that all these people had donated a bottle from their cellar to drink with him.

This time there was no Doug, no John and no Eilas, it was Andrew Shafer (me) who told the story of Shafer Vineyards and I was happy to present the wines of our good friends the Shafer's at Cafe Maxx as these are wines that I love to drink and the food of chef Oliver Saucy and Co. is always KILLER as well.

We started out with the current releases and we had all of the wines that are currently made by Shafer this evening- well except the Cabernet Sauvignon Port but Doug does not like to talk about that.

Vertical of Shafer Hillside Select

This wine was made for the first time in 1983 and it has always been estate grown containing several of the top vineyard blocks on the Shafer's property including John's Folly, Sunspot, Rattler and Lookout. From this vintage through to today these vineyard sites have produced consistently excellent wines with similar intensity of fruit and a velvet like texture on the tongue, a wine that has a sense of place, this Hillside Select has become one of the benchmark Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon's. The best way to get to know a wine like this is to drink 8-10 vintages at once and that is just what we did!

1989 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District MAGNUM

This was not considered a great vintage in Napa but this wine still had quite a bit of life in it. Damp earth and dark chocolate cigar box spice and still has some dark currant and cherry fruit on the nose but the focus is now on the dark damp earth and a bit of beef stew. Still quite fresh on the palate, the fruit is fading a bit but some nice fruit still present and has some dark damp earth and very smooth and silky texture. I am sure that the magnum showed fresher than a 750ml so if you have this wine in your cellar you may want to find an occasion to drink it. Finish 40+ Excellent +

1996 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

This is an excellent vintage and it was somewhat forgotten about with the 1997 getting so much press. Spiced tobacco and cedar like aromas fresh plowed earth to the dark cherry and currant berry fruit a note of black pepper spice. Smooth and silky on the palate with chunky cassis and currant berry fruit drinking at or near its peak right now but should continue to hold for another decade or more. Finish 50+ KILLER

1997 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

Wow an incredible array of dark spices, cigar wrapper, soy and dark coco spice to the cassis and currant berry fruit on the nose, still very well endowed. Wow incredible richness almost reminiscent of an Australian Shiraz, dark spice. This wine edged out the 1996 but just by a shade as they were both KILLER and displayed qualities that would lead me to believe that they will be around for another couple of decades. Finish 50+ KILLER +

1998 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

This was the surprise of the night for many tasters as they were not expecting much from this vintage. Although I would not call 1998 an outstanding year there were some outstanding wines made- like this one. A good bit of cigar box, cedar, dark damp earth, espresso and dark coco to the black plum and dark currant berry fruit on the nose. Showing some evolution on the tongue with that damp earth and soft currant berry fruit, milk chocolate and sweet tobacco spice very seductive and drinking at its peak right now, cigar box spice and smooth tannins milk chocolate showing to the end. Finish 40+ Most Excellent

2000 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

This was another surprise as no one thought this wine would be as good as it was once again Shafer has produced a Most Excellent wine from an inferior vintage, this is truly the sign of a great producer. Has a bit of that evergreen and pine notes to the currant and black cherry fruit on the nose, dried tobacco spice and fresh earth minerality. Smooth and round tannins on the tongue with lots of sweet fruit and good freshness this is close to its peak right now, a light minty note on the finish. Finish 40+_ Most Excellent

2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

A classic vintage from Napa this wine was a contender for wine of the night. Lovely concentration of cassis and currant berry fruit on the nose with toasty oak spice a bit plumy with sweet tobacco spice and dark chocolate nuance, the biggest and most complex array of earth rich ripe dark berry fruit. Wow rich and ripe on the palate still with a good amount of primary fruit and big tannins, this wine needs a bit of time to resolve these but has the fruit, firm backbone of acidity and an array of spices and mineral notes to the finish. Finish 50+ KILLER

2004 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

It was the 2004 and the 2001 that received the most wine of the night votes from the crowd. Dark spices, sweet tobacco espresso and dark currant berry fruit, kirsch cassis and dark chocolate very well endowed bouquet of aromas. Plump and ripe fruit on the tongue with this silky smooth velvety texture and layers of spice and earth with nice freshness on the finish very long and layered, this wine is still a baby but very long finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +

Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select Napa

Showing the signs of a cooler vintage, pretty cigar box spice, a bit of a pine and evergreen nuance to the cassis and dark currant berry fruit very well endowed with dark chocolate, cigar box spice. Big and chewy on tongue but with ripe round tannins lovely chocolate and toasty oak spice with a good amount of dark earth very long finish showing a bit of heat but has lots of everything. Finish 50+ Most Excellent

Another incredible meal at Cafe Maxx, a new item that I have never seen before so I had to try the beef Sashimi with Sautéed Foie Gras - Incredible!!! And you would naturally think beef and Cabernet Sauvignon but it was actually best with the Merlot.