Sipping Fine Wine

10

To me Shafer is among the worlds best wineries. Aged 32 months in 100% new French oak. Vivid deep purple color, and outstanding aromas of red/black fruits, cherries and blackberries, with hints of cedar, floral oak & spice. Tasting this wine was absolutely magnificent, concentrated dark berry fruit flavors, spices, leather and oak, exploding on my palate. Soft velvety subtle tannins provide a nice deep lingering finish. Truly an outstanding Cab, one of the best. If you can find yourself a bottle, do not hesitate. Should last at least 10 more yrs. — 7 years ago

Stacy

9.0

I enjoy this red blend more than most and will continue to have a bottle on hand as it makes me happy. Not good enough? See other, longer, reviews if you want adjectives. Alternatively, buy a bottle and try it for yourself and share with a friend at a party. It’s a fan favorite for-a-reason. And that reason doesn’t have the word “berry” or “legs” or “mocha” — 8 years ago

Jeff J

9.1

Quite backward and austere version of quilceda. Blac fruit and stoney on the nose. In the month its the same more wet stone with peppery notes. This wine needs a few more years to come around if ever. — 9 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.3

If tar and rose petal are the stereotype, then I think I'm safe in calling this traditional. However, there's plenty of nuance in the layers and the style that make this special. An old leather-bound book, citrus peel, dried tarragon, and ripe strawberry. The finish is firm, but not without a lively and racy acidity. One of the better food wines I've had in a long while. — 10 years ago

Mike Betts

10

W T F - if u can u should. — 10 years ago

Peter Slagowitz

9.4

Fantastic 95 Super Tuscan. Nose had hints of vanilla, soft earth a light spice. On open was smooth if a touch flat then after 45 minutes it opened to let dark fruit notes of blackberries and cassis come out. Sublime. — 10 years ago

Mark Lipton

9.4

If you have to drink a 2011 Napa Cabernet, this is the one. Overcomes the flimsiness and off-centered taste of many of its peers. Blueberry, suggestive of Alexander Valley cabs, is present in spades, and wonderful, smooth, and satisfying midpalate and finish. — 10 years ago

Rafael Landestoy

9.1

Bordeaux in style, but apparently my wife disagrees so not sure if I had the right wine. Didn't pick up on much fruit on this one but heck maybe i grabbed one of the Bordeauxs. — 11 years ago

with Janet, Jorge and 1 other

Tyler Thomas

9.0

Riper flavors than I remembered, but lovely if tense structure. — 11 years ago

Jason Boland

10

This gets a 11+ rating if it was possible. The gods would be so lucky to have a sip of this. Incredible wine for Christmas. Such a light color for the age. So round and perfect. Finish that never ends. Doesn't get better. — 12 years ago

Michael Lobaza

9.7

Excellent offering from ifyouseekaywine.com. — 13 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

If you want to impress a Somm with a bottle of wine, bring a Grand Cru Gamay. I hate using the term Beaujolais. It gives a lot of people the lesser impression of Beaujolais Nouveau which, equates to the impression left by Blue Nun in the 70’s/early 80’s and Yellow Tail in and around 2000.

This is one of my favorite producers of Gamay, a member of the “Gang of Four”; Lapierre, Thevenet, Foillard & Breton. There is a fifth honoree member to the “Gang of Four”, Yvon Metras, who I enjoy equally. If you want to finally appreciate this varietal, look for one of these producers from Morgan or Fleurie.

The nose reveals; dark cherries, blackberries, dark plum, stewed plum, baked strawberries, blueberry hues, spearmint, granitic minerals/soil, dark berry cola, thyme, rich forest floor, touch of cinnamon, very light caramel, dark chocolate, Indian spices, berry bubblegum, touch of band-aid, steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, a whiff of black pepper, dark red, purple fresh flowers with shades of violets.

The body is full, rich and guides over the palate. It shows some tannins. The structure & tension are still big. The length and balance are at the beginnings of truly rounding into butterfly form. Still will benefit from 5 plus years in bottle. Bright red florals are far more pronounced on the palate. Ripe/bright; dark tart cherries, blackberries, dark plum, stewed plum, baked strawberries, half baked rhubarb with lovely blueberry hues, blood orange & dry raisins. Spearmint, tree sap, granitic minerals/soil pressed in to the palate, dark berry cola, orange peel, thyme, rich forest floor, touch of cinnamon, very light caramel, dark chocolate, Indian spices, berry bubblegum, touch of band-aid, steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, hints of black pepper, dark red, purple fresh flowers with shades of violets. The acidity is like a warm summer rain shower. The long, rich, ripe, well balanced, elegant finish is nicely persistent for minutes.

12% ABV 👍

Photos of; Domaine Marcel Lapierre, Marcel Lapierre (may he RIP-2010), Marcel’s son and current Winemaker-Matheiu Lapierre and their Morgan Vineyard.
— 8 years ago

Doctor No

9.1

Wow. This is young, and the nose is a bit of dark red berry suffusing a sea of resolving American Oak. The American oak is so pronounced that, had I tasted this blind, I might have taken it for Ridge... :) This has decades ahead, even if -only- a Riserva. Like La Rioja Alta 904, a fantastic value in old school Rioja... — 9 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.3

What a sublime and elegant wine. I'd be turned off by the waiting list but now that I have my hands on a bottle...holy heck it is just so refined. Not a jam-monster, not too light...it is the Goldilocks of Zin. Blog review coming shortly but know getting on the list is good if you like an aristocratic Zin. If you don't it may not be your jam...literally. But I am INTO this. — 10 years ago

J Ferrugia

9.4

This is a superb Silver Oak vintage & this magnum was the finest of the producer I have sampled. The '94 has a Deep rich fruit forward nose with currants, spice & ripe fruit. Open 40 minutes.. Bursting on the .palate with dark cherry and spice.. Hints of old leather & currants. This a huge wine at its peak. The magnum preserved it beautifully. A classic Cali cabernet & a delight with tenderloin of beef. If ya gottem', drinkem'.. You wont be disappointed if you have kept a magnum. — 10 years ago

Bethany Jackson

9.3

Got better the longer it was open. Still had some tannin. Unknown if appropriate storage conditions. — 11 years ago

George Chen

9.3

Neck fill and cork tight and sweet sounding when you pull it. You almost can tell if a bottle will be good by how the cork comes out. Juicy still with dark cranberry notes, pure of fruit and melted tannins and acid backbone. Love it as not sure how these 75's would have aged. — 11 years ago

Jeffrey Bencus

Head Sommelier Julian Serrano, Las Vegas

9.5

Still very alive. Great focused acidity and a surprising amount of gas even if it does look like rosé at this point. Delicious! — 11 years ago

Garrett Smith

Sommelier Restaurant DANIEL

9.3

Similar to its Margaux brother house '59, if not as great fruit remaining. — 12 years ago

L Bram

10

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Velvety smooth, beautiful rounded fruity flavour balancing the earth but subtle smokey flavour. I would drink this ever single week if I could. The most beautiful Rioja I will probably ever have. Served it NYE with Lamb. — 8 years ago

Paul J

9.6

Now this is what I’m talking about! Wonderful! Dark purple color. 1+ hour decant and could use even more. Drinking beautifully but still has years left in it! Massive cigar box on the nose. Wine is very Bordeaux like as it is deep, well structured, and has an excellent balance of fruit and smoke. If you drink it fast it tastes like the best bbq in the world! Long finish. Absolutely love this and it will only get better!! — 8 years ago

with Brooke

Ira Schwartz

9.0

Expressive Bordeaux like nose. On the palate very resolved tannins complimenting secondary and tertiary flavors. If you have them drink them. — 8 years ago

Matthieu Bordes

9.3

Strong colour for this 2007 and very powerful for this vintage at St Julien, smoked notes on the nose spicy and red fruit. Powerfully Wine better if you wait 2 or 3 years more. — 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.8

If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.

Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.

The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest. — 10 years ago

Art Kuo

9.0

Entering yummy phase. If there is such thing as shouting in a restrained tone "BORDEAUX" — 10 years ago

Guy Davies

8.9

1999. Slightly underwhelming. Nice stuff, earth and meat on the nose, relatively light body, bit of a smoky finish, but not that long. If blind I would have had this as something more humble. — 10 years ago

Petter P

9.4

Light young temptatious wine with a delicate nose of rose, rasberries and fresh cherries. Its aproachable but i believe it will develop more even if its not a wine for long keeping. Light tastes of cherries and minerals. — 11 years ago

Kevin Neal

9.3

This stuff if great — 11 years ago

Charlie Abbott

Sommelier Casa Mono

9.6

Like more vivacious Bordeaux. If Sofia Loren were a wine — 12 years ago

Michael Thompson

9.2

The new 2011 vintage if Orin swifts prisoner still very young with really bright fruit — 13 years ago