The June 2022 Auction: Part 2
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1 / 2Lot 1103
Estimate: $220
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Collection name
Reviews
96AG
"The estateâs 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of those rare wines that looks like it will be absolutely delicious pretty much at any point in its life. Super-refined and silky, the 2008 caresses the palate with layers of deeply expressive dark fruit. The 2008 is a wine of exceptional textural finesse and pedigree. According to Doug Shafer, cool weather in the spring resulted in small clusters with high skin to juice ratios, always a plus for high quality wines. Today the 2008 does not look like a huge Hillside Select, but is rather a wine built on polish and elegance. It will be interesting to see if the 2008 fills out in bottle, or it remains more restrained in its personality. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. Shafer doesnât miss a beat. After more than a month of intense tastings of Napa Valley wines in 2012, Shafer was a clear stand out for their consistency across the board. The Hillside Select Cabernet remains the flagship, but readers will also find plenty of equally compelling and delicious wines in this range. In particular, this year I was impressed with the Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five, which for my money is one of the best wines in Napa Valley in its price range. Although clearly made in a style meant to be enjoyed upon release, a recent bottle of the 2004 was superb, and showed the One Point Five can also age gracefully. My most recent visit ended with the 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, an iconic wine that is still in great shape. John Shafer couldnât get enough workers to pick his vineyard when he wanted, so fruit spent longer on the vine than he originally intended, giving birth to the Cabernet Sauvignon that today is known as the Hillside Select."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"The estateâs 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of those rare wines that looks like it will be absolutely delicious pretty much at any point in its life. Super-refined and silky, the 2008 caresses the palate with layers of deeply expressive dark fruit. The 2008 is a wine of exceptional textural finesse and pedigree. According to Doug Shafer, cool weather in the spring resulted in small clusters with high skin to juice ratios, always a plus for high quality wines. Today the 2008 does not look like a huge Hillside Select, but is rather a wine built on polish and elegance. It will be interesting to see if the 2008 fills out in bottle, or it remains more restrained in its personality. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. Shafer doesnât miss a beat. After more than a month of intense tastings of Napa Valley wines in 2012, Shafer was a clear stand out for their consistency across the board. The Hillside Select Cabernet remains the flagship, but readers will also find plenty of equally compelling and delicious wines in this range. In particular, this year I was impressed with the Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five, which for my money is one of the best wines in Napa Valley in its price range. Although clearly made in a style meant to be enjoyed upon release, a recent bottle of the 2004 was superb, and showed the One Point Five can also age gracefully. My most recent visit ended with the 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, an iconic wine that is still in great shape. John Shafer couldnât get enough workers to pick his vineyard when he wanted, so fruit spent longer on the vine than he originally intended, giving birth to the Cabernet Sauvignon that today is known as the Hillside Select."
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
California's most prestigious wine region, celebrated worldwide for opulent, structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Diverse soils and mountain-to-valley-floor sites yield wines of remarkable ripeness, power and longevity.
A Napa AVA famed for supple, elegant Cabernet marrying power with a velvety, refined texture.
The world's most planted premium red grape, yielding deeply colored, tannic and structured wines with cassis, cedar and graphite notes. Firm tannins and acidity make it exceptionally age-worthy, whether as a varietal or the backbone of a Bordeaux blend.