Ken Venezio

9.2

Goldenrod in color. Beautiful blend of fruit and acidity. Very drinkable now and can easily withstand a few years. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Tasted twice! Made mostly from Cab Sauv, deep Ruby with aromas of rich ripe fruit with notes of sweetness. On the palate flavors of cherry and ripe blueberry with nutty vanilla spice. Smooth with good balance on long finish ending with a sweet fruit character. Tasting Sample. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.6

After a couple months of hiatus, the Friday City Club group was able to get back together (albeit a smaller, more spread out group) for an epic hosting by @joe leatherwood . 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 5 reds and 1 dessert wine, all served blind.

And the hits just keep coming. A total monster. I found this to be the most extracted of the 5 reds. Could smell it five feet away. Dark chocolate dipped blueberries and blackberries, graham cracker, mocha, violets all jump from the glass. Velvet like texture revealing a streak of ripe red fruits and an herbal/mineral like note down the middle of the palate. Dusty. So much beautiful freshness but commanding power here...longest finish of the day. I called this 7-10yr old Napa cab (specifically Shafer Hillside Select). — 5 years ago

with Jid, joe and 3 others

Mike

9.3

A hidden gem. Same vineyard (and grapes) as Shafer Hillside Select. Deep berry, hints of dark chocolate and tobacco. Great way to watch The Players. — 6 years ago

gino CapitalG

Round Pond Wine & Olive oil educator/sales

9.8

As good as wine can get real rich and layers of great dark fruit. Super thick like the relentless from Shafer. Big and bold but mid tannins. Drank with my dad and we were very happy gents. And Julie had a glass too. — 7 years ago

Paul T HB

9.8

Old school mag,
Seen better corks but wine is great!
Just keeps getting better, wow wine
This was Shafer 2005 good!
One of those wines you wish you had another one of for tomorrow, — 7 years ago

John Bratincevic

9.4

Nose: raspberry, blackberry, cassis (?), dust. Subtle herbs, the kind you’d find in some kind of health food herbal tea for what ails you. A little leather.

Taste: absolutely delicious. Weighty, tastes as it smells, but bigger and juicier more red fruit than the nose - yet very balanced, with lots of mineral flavors besides. Not as complex as the very best I’ve had, but extremely tasty. A little more toasty coffee on the palate as you sip it. I may like this better than the Shafer I had recently. 94.

— 3 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.2

Super nice. Cote rotie like. Roasted coffee, smoked meats and lots of dark fruit: supple, clean and decadent Note: if you’re not on the ‘Pisoni’ mailing list you’re missing out. Although you may not get ‘Pisoni’ Pisoni estate Pinot off the bat, you should load up on Lucia ‘slh’ Pinot which is 60% pisoni estate fruit and this Syrah which, along with Jeff Pisoni’s wife’s cattelaya label is maybe the best Syrah in America. Or among a select handful. It’s half as expensive as saxum, sqn and shafer but in my opinion twice as good. Boom @Jeff Pisoni — 4 years ago

Peter Collins

9.4

A bit of a crap shoot even with great labels to buy older stuff. Happily the 2007 Tempest was actually more than I expected. Drank it as second bottle after the 2013 Shafer Cab. Where the Shafer was big, full of tannins and spicy, the Realm was muted but full and just really smooth on the palate with a great finish. Hate to compare to clothing but it’s a comfy shirt. — 5 years ago

Joe Gillies

9.2

Decanted for 30 minutes. Big dark fruit, bbq grilled meat, a touch of charcoal, and vanilla. Good but definitely a level below the Shafer Relentless in quality. — 6 years ago

leon egozi

9.6

WOTN tied with a 1999 magnum of Shafer hillside select which I didn't get a picture of!😡 — 6 years ago

Paul T HB

9.7

Still needs a big decant, 2-4 hours
Good but not seeing the 100 points Parker gave it. Actually 3 hours at most, starts to die after that.
I’d put put it behind the 05 Shafer & 05 Vineyard 29 Estate which were 99 points, — 7 years ago

Andy Hall

9.8

Ski trip wines: ‘04 Bryant Family Cab (97 pt), ‘07 Bryant Family Cab (98 pt), ‘07 Staglin Cab (95 pt) and ‘05 Shafer Hillside Select Cab (96 pt). Hard to pick a favorite here! — 3 years ago

with Jerry

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Produced by CA Shafer Vineyards, pale lemon with aromas of stone and citrus fruits with floral notes. On the palate flavors of peach and melon with lemon citrus and honeysuckle notes. Medium+ finish, vivid acidity, ending with fruit, floral and mineral character. Nice Napa offering! — 4 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

This wine was our unanimous winner in our cult Cali blind tasting held back in 2012 against some big hitters, Dominus, Shrader, Shafer Hillside etc. Med bodied in an opulent style with good balance & length showing notes of blackberry, creme de cassis, forest floor, graphite, licorice & violet. — 5 years ago

Mono Head

9.2

Exceptionally balanced. Rich fruit with layered mouth fell. Med/long finish with excellent depth. More complexity than the shafer but not as balanced. — 5 years ago

Paul K

9.2

Decanted for 5 hours on a lazy Saturday. It needed it. Good wine 91 - 92. For the price, I may choose differently given the choice between this and say a Shafer 1.5. — 6 years ago

Mono Head

9.0

this opened up even after 30 mins. It’s dry and light (particularly compared to the ca cabs that I like). I get a hint of coffee/espresso. The fruit is very nice. I like it but it’s nothing like the shafer select that I just had. That was amazing. — 7 years ago

Cory Fosdyck

9.8

On a night where we opened Colgin, Harlan, Shafer, Schrader, Imsignia, Carter & Caymus SS this bottle stole the show for me. — 8 years ago

Paul T HB

9.2

A Parker 98+,
Just arrived Wednesday so maybe a little bottle shock still🤷‍♂️. 91.5% of the fruit was old vine from 1961. 96% Cabernet 2 & 2 malbec, Merlot. Definitely taste the black cherry they talk about, completely different from the Napa juice I've been drinking
Love the color, I'll give the next bottle the Shafer 4 hour decant — 8 years ago