Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 2014 - 1.5 Litre Bottle

The small winery is managed by Doug Shafer, son of winery founders John and Bett Shafer. Elias Fernandez is the winemaker. The winery team cultivates over 200 acres for the winery's celebrated Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, TD-9, One Point Five, Relentless, and Hillside Select.

Very deep, inky-purple coloured, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is incredibly intense and impactful, revealing notes of crushed black cherries, blackberries and fresh black currants with underlying notions of charcoal, sauteed herbs, black soil, chargrilled meat and pencil lead, plus a waft of violets. Very full-bodied, rich and wonderfully concentrated, the wall of fruit is well matched by a firm structure of ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with great length and depth.

A fascinating nose of licorice, blackcurrant compote, orange rind, ivy, holly, pine needles, ash, Christmas cake and even raspberry cheesecake, and a slight minty/herbal note. The palate is so well-knit but powerful; it's the wine that takes no prisoners. Yet the vintage shines through, and it always remains fresh and balanced—layers upon layers of fruit and a long, decadent finish. 

Lastly, the flagship 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (the only vintage where it wasn't 100% was in 1984 when it included 9% Cabernet Franc) brought up all in high-class French oak. A textbook example of the balanced nature of the 2014ntage, it offers a complex bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, and subtle minerality. Finesse-driven yet powerful on the palate, with full-bodied richness, its tannin structure is perfectly integrated into the wine, it has notable purity and freshness, and an excellent finish. It's relatively approachable by this cuvée's standard but has another 20-30 years of longevity.