Shafer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
- Vintage
- 2002
- Country
- USA
- Region
- Napa Valley,Stags Leap District
- Size
- 750ml
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Rating
- WA95, WS91
I was blown away by the brilliance of the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. Loaded with fruit, this blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and tiny dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot tips the scales at 14.8% natural alcohol, all of which is hidden beneath a cascade of gorgeous black currant fruit intermixed with toasty oak and hints of charcoal and pen ink. Exhibiting a full-bodied, opulent, voluptuously textured mouthfeel, it is a pure, dense, classic Napa Cabernet that should drink well for another 10-15 years. I wish I had realized what a great wine this was early on, as it was never that expensive. Drink:2012~2027 - WA95
Firm, dark, rich and concentrated, with layers of spicy, grapey plum, currant and blackberry, with hints of herb, coffee and cedary oak. The tannins are tight yet ripe and the finish sails on. Best from 2006 through 2012. - WS91
John Shafer and his family founded Shafer Vineyards, located in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley, in 1979. From the Shafers' first wine, a 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, their wines have won much acclaim. Today, the Shafers farm 200 acres of vineyard in the Stags Leap District, Carneros and Oak Knoll regions. Their flagship wine, Hillside Select, is produced from selected blocks of the family's hillside vineyards and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. They also produce Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Merlot, One Point Five (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Relentless (a Syrah/Petite Sirah blend), which was named #1 wine of the year by Wine Spectator's "Top 100" of 2012.