Shafer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District

Decanted for an hour. This bottle was at its perfect peak. All hillside fruit. Notes of mixed berries, eucalyptus, and cherries. If property stored this can easy go another 5+ years. Saving my last 3 bottles for another year to watch the evolution. It was definitely WOTN against some other younger California cabs of the same caliber..

2003 vintage

A shining example of how an "average" wine can age flawlessly. This bottle was forgotten for years, but now is at a peak of perfection. A beguiling combination of fruity currants with fully resolved tannins, and cigar box overtones. Might have been better a couple years ago, but this is drinking spectacular right now.

2001 vintage

Opened over the afternoon for evening dinner. We all drank it down. This was a wine that you swear you bought yesterday. Lost a little on the nose upon opening but the mouth feel and berry, mint, graphite, tobacco and old raisin flavors. Long lingering and flavorful and great with NYS steaks. Also of such good quality we drank it down almost immediately upon opening.

1999 vintage

Not evolved much.

2003 vintage

really nice mature Cab. a little wooden trunk aroma on first opening, then smooth and fairly rich with secondary flavors of leather and earth. The 99's in general are turning out to be really nice. We had this in a line up that included Montelena estate and staglin. all were great experiences with the Staglin being the best by a small margin

1999 vintage

Drink now as this is on the edge of going bad. On the palette, one can taste what was once a very good wine, but is now past its prime. Will improve with some decanting/airing, but is on the downhill slide.

2003 vintage

Dark fruit, soft tannins, lingering finish. Very enjoyable wine. The drinkability should be extended from 2016 to perhaps 2024.

2003 vintage

Drank this weekend in Copake. Notes are consistent. Nose is earthy and woody, with some bricking. There's still black fruit here, tho more pruny than previously. There's mushrooms, forest floor, and some spice. Thinning at the back end a bit, and the finish is a bit short. Nonetheless, enjoyable mature, well-aged Cali Cab, and certainly was worth what I paid oh-so-long-ago

1999 vintage

Drank beautifully, seemed to have hit it at right at its peak. Not as complex as the very best wines, but the fruit, purity and balance were fantastic.

1994 vintage

It was sheer perfection, having had 20 years to fully come together. There were beautiful flavors at all levels from the first to the last sip. We just wish we had more.

2001 vintage

PNP in Copake. Nite 1: I've had this wine b4, this wine being the final of a 6-pack purchased long ago. Generous aromas of earthy mushrooms hit me on pouring this wine. There's some slight bricking at the edges. Surprisingly more dark fruit than I recall or expected, balanced by spice and notes of eucalyptus. The finish is long but a bit sour and tart. Mushrooms, earth, tobacco and forest floor dominate now. Nite 2: Much improvement in the wine …

1999 vintage

Don't know that this bottle has gained much in the way of complexity but it has held up very well.

1999 vintage

Still incredibly good.

2001 vintage

Cork broke, but bottom stayed intact and removed with ah-so...poured a glass and came back 15 minutes later...dark red...rich nose of red fruit (cherries, plum)...no way this is 20 years old...smooth finish that lasted a good 20 seconds...third and final bottle from a purchase in 2004...best of the lot.

2001 vintage

Graceful wine in the late part of its prime drinking window. Smooth purple berry fruit, menthol and eucalyptus, nicely integrated oak, gentle tannins, nothing boozy or heavy. 1999 remains such an underrated California cab vintage, and Shafer made a really good one here.

1999 vintage

Cork broke so had to decant, but was open right from the beginning. Beautiful color, no bricking, still drinking surprisingly well for being close to 20 years old. Black currant, vanilla, some pepper (early), rich and beautiful. Very, very good. Can't imagine it getting better.

2001 vintage

Last bottle. Cork disintegrated upon opening. Dark ruby color. Filtered and decanted. Opened up in 15 minutes. blackberry and cherry flavor, soft tannins. Past prime but wonderful.

2000 vintage

Very beautiful, purple in the glass. Typical CS nose of dark fruit. Indeed dark fruit on the tip of the tongue--blackberry, currant, prune--but, also nice minerality. It's been years since I've seen anybody call out pencil lead in their tasting notes, but if this were 2005, that that's the way it would have been described. Tannin and acid have been, very much, reconciled, However, to anybody who has this in their cellar, do not panic. I think this one will …

1999 vintage

drank pre dodger game at dustins and it was exceptionally good. lovely fruit still in its window. excellent.

1994 vintage

Happy 4th of July. delicious, enjoyable cab. So happy I found this in my local liquor store. They had 3 bottles and I am happy with the purchase of them all.

2003 vintage

Wow, very enjoyable wine

2003 vintage

NYE with Savarese and Callahan

2003 vintage

Decanted for an hour. Strong aromas of smoke and menthol with some fruit mixed in. Drinking well now. Not overly complex but delicious. Still has some years left.

1999 vintage

BYOB Lunch get together (Sergi de Meià - Barcelona) : Double decanted for 2 hours. Still a deep color that shows some evolution. From memory: intense aromas of black fruit, smoke and menthol/medicine. Powerful wine on palate, with quite volume but not overwhelming. Plenty of everything here and this seems to start to unwind a bit and can be drank with a some air but it's nowhere near to being ready.

1999 vintage

Popped and poured...still dark in color with no bricking...good fruit with a long finish...still some tannins...holding up very well.

2001 vintage

Still big and powerful, with juicy black currant on the nose along with eucalyptus, mint, jasmine, pepper steak, tobacco and a hint of vanilla. Palate has lots of the currant flavor along with a heavy dose of mushroom, some smoke and vanilla. Alcohol is just slightly out of balance. Decanted and needed to pour though cheese cloth because the cork broke, although it was just dry (not soaked through). Hit its peak after maybe 90-120 minutes.

2001 vintage

This '01 is a little darker in flavor than the '05 One Point Five (same wine with a name change in '04) with a slight smokiness to it, but otherwise similar in profile on the palate and nose. The reason I mention that vintage of One Point Five is that it's rare for an '05 to outshine an '01, but such is the case here. There was about a teaspoon of sediment between what was left in the bottle and …

2001 vintage

Drank during super bowl 2017

2003 vintage

Drank last nite at Bruce's. Had this wine a year ago and my notes are consistent. Pungent nose of black fruit, along with some tobacco. Light to medium bodied, still plenty of black fruit, along with some cigar smoke and spice. Still holding its own

1999 vintage

Excellent again. Usually overshadowed by the HSS , this gem holds its own very nicely .

2001 vintage

Wow, tiefdunkle rote Farbe, klar, keinerlei Alterserscheinungen. Duftende florale Nase, fein. Macht Lust auf mehr. Im Mund wieder florale Noten, Frucht, Tabak, etwas Cassis und Zimt, rund und harmonisch. Lecker

2003 vintage

Decanted two hours yet still improved substantially in the glass. Well balanced fruit and soft tannins made this a wonderful celebratory wine. While clearly has peaked and perhaps even a little past, there is still much life left.

1999 vintage

with potential to increase 2 or 3 points. Decanted for an hour. Very little fruit. Dark graphite on the nose and palate. Strong tannins and body. (7.5/10) overall the body is dark fruit with a little heat and dark black fruits. Maybe leave these to 2018 before I taste again and decant for a few more hours. I hope this integrates a bit more and it may well be a wine I really enjoy.

2003 vintage

C: Dark garnet red N: More complex than the 2005 Merlot, lots of cassis and baking spices like nutmeg and cinnamon P:Moderate plus tannins (6.5) and moderate body. Lots of dark fruits and crème de cassis. Long lingering finish. O: Definitely does not seem 13 years old. Still packs a big punch. Drink till 2020

2003 vintage

Drank with xmas meal. Violet/ruby in color. Nose of black and red fruit, along with some tobacco. Light to medium bodied, still some black fruit (though seemed a bit green, surprisingly) but this wine's more on a tertiary level now with cigar box, tar, spice and smoke. Still a bit hot, and the wine's a bit on the thin side. Likely past its prime by a bit, but still enjoyable enough

1999 vintage

Ginsberg and Chan Singapore Steak Supreme (Wooloomooloo Steak House) : Lovely mature fruity drinking with a light, singing quality and a very pleasant finish. Hints of herbs, cut grass and leather. Tannins resolving nicely.

1999 vintage

nice for a 2003. Spicy and bold flavors. Well made.

2003 vintage

Exceeded expectations by a mile. Mature cab with fruit that is in no way over the top, flabby, or sweet. Not super complex, but still a treat with Flannery hangers. I wish I had more. Bought on release from a wine shop and cellared since.

2001 vintage

A bit from memory here, but this was not quite my style.

2001 vintage

Immediate taste of pepper follwed by plum and dark cherries. Great acidity and most of the tannins have been dissolved. Great for consumption now, maybe 1-2 years left in its prime age.

2001 vintage

Nez intense de cabernet à maturité : cigare, bois de santal, mais aussi de réglisse naturelle. Bouche fondue, très harmonieuse. Belle persistence. À boire.

2000 vintage

This wine held up very well. Very nice fruit, showed well below its age. Probably time to drink them up now.

2000 vintage

Wine seemed very bland and one-dimensional. Hoping it was an off bottle. NR.

1994 vintage

excellent , fruit , cabernet benchmark

2001 vintage

BLACK CHERRIES AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE. BLACK CHERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.

1999 vintage

Bottle in perfect shape. Dark, compact, dense, ink. Start to get some age. Dark fruit, cassis, dark cherries, spices, oak, tobacco. Slightly of japanese soy and tar. With time this wine offers curry powder, bacon, smoke and pine. Hint of violets and peony. Great mouthfill. Lovely meaty texture, medium to full body, good acidity and the tannins are distinct but are getting softer in style. Long taste. Good balance. I served this wine blind to my friends and two ended …

2001 vintage

1999 Cabernet Retrospective, Part 4 (Tasted Blind) (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California) : Oaky, smooth nose (B++). Smooth palate with a good concentration (B++). My #2, Group's #3 (62 pts). Tasted blind.

1999 vintage

dirty red, in color. cherry, blackberry, spice, earth, green stems, smoke, mocha, metallic, on the nose. medium acid, on the finish.

1999 vintage

Black cherry, chocolate, smooth tannins, nice finish.

2001 vintage

Gorgeous, black fruit, modest nose, and mild tannins with a long finish make this a solid wine. I have one left and will enjoy shortly as I cannot imagine this will improve from today's pleasant drink

2003 vintage

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Shafer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District

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