Quick funny story:
Christine & I are LUCKY to have Kelly work in our office but we are BLESSED to be able to consider her and Darryl as dear friends.
We recommended to Kelly, prior to her going on vacation in Charleston SC, that they should stop by the Belmont hotel. They have a bar and restaurant that is 2nd to none in that area. Christine & I LOVE it!!!! Kelly sent me a quick text to say “hey, we’re at the Belmont! And about to have dinner!”
Being the goof ball that I am..... .....I called the Somm and said “I don’t care what they ordered, bring them a Shafer Hillside Select with some age on it!!!”. 10 minutes later he was decanting a 2003 Hillside Select table side! I love that hotel! Incredible service, incredible food and always a phenomenal experience! The only thing better are-our friends that are there right now!!!!
I didn’t Have a drop of this wine but I am scoring it a 10 based on experience alone!! It must have been “Badass in a Glass” as I always say!
I’ll let Kelly and Darryl fill in the official tasting notes!
by the way Kelly: don’t love SC tooooooo much, Christine & I can’t operate that place without you! See you next week! 👍👏👏👏👏👍
— 8 years ago


As good as it gets for my taste. Big dark full bodied red with rich flavor and smooth finish. — 10 years ago
Unique blend. A little sweet. Good table wine. Not for everyone though. Kinda breaks the rules of red wine. — 11 years ago
First off. You have heard about decanting.... This is a great example. Open and it tastes flat, give it time to breath and the flavors come out. The nose has a nice oak, smokey texture. Taste has a predominant black cherry flavor with nice ripe fruit flavors. Oak remains throughout the taste from start to finish with american oak flavors. An almost cigar smokiness hits immediately with a slight spice....not sure where to compare this to because it's not like a Zinfandel pepper, but more like an allspice. The overall feel is medium bodied with rich cherry flavors and well balanced for a smooth feel. This is a great introduction to Stags Leap without spending $150. — 11 years ago
Rich berry fruit with layers of Christmas spices and tobacco. Pretty damn close to perfection! — 13 years ago
Rich, full bodied cab. Notes of toasted oak and coffee. Great finish. Delicious just opened and even better after aerating/breathing. — 8 years ago
Brought out the good stuff for V-Day. Aerated and decanted this bottle of beast for over an hour. Intensely rich fruit, rounded out by tannins that have clearly softened given the age of this wine. So rare to experience a bottle of this magnitude. The first few sips have been absolute heaven, and the balance will surely get better. — 9 years ago
Rich and creamy. Great yellow color. Fruity, vanilla oak smell. Layered flavors. Vanilla, buttery, soft spice as it finishes. — 10 years ago
Very nice with rich spicy fruit — 10 years ago
1998 vintage. Earthy and roasted almond. Ripe lemon rind. Full bodied. Rich mouth feel. Mocha. Acidity not overbearing - touch light? Long concentrated finish. Excellent — 11 years ago
Great. Rich. Complex. Perfect balance of spice, fruit, and mineral. — 13 years ago
Fantastic. Rich dark berry fruit with leathery sweet nose. Really lovely paired with roasted wild ducks. — 8 years ago
Juicy. Bold. Equal to Lake Chelan. I love the hot valley rose of the pacific north west — 9 years ago
Good color lovely nose rich and long clean — 9 years ago
Smooth and rich with a great finish. — 10 years ago
Super smooth.
Light but rich flavor in depth.
Wood, leather, nuts — 11 years ago
Intense, rich and complex. An amazing wine — 11 years ago
Andrea Watt
Smooth, rich cherry and smoke. — 8 years ago