Shafer, Firebreak Dessert Wine, Napa Valley

Shafer · California › Napa Valley › United States of America

Red · Cabernet Sauvignon Sangiovese Blend
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LWIN 1123210
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
92 /100
Reviews
23
professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

NV

Community Reviews

20
20
Reviews
90.6
Avg Score
99
Highest
Taster #6449 · Jul 13, 2020
94/100
Delicious port. Lots of blueberry/blackberry liqueur. Perfect with chocolate truffles.
2012 vintage
Taster #8042 · Jun 21, 2020
92/100
greatly impressed with this 20 year old Sangiovese (6% cab). Still intense, black fruits, lush on the palate immediately after opening - will be curious to see how this holds up over a few hours or even next day. Pleasant nose. Dark color.
2000 vintage
Taster #4566 · Feb 7, 2018
79/100
3-Day Napa Cab Taste-Off: Vice Versa, B Cellars, Memento Mori, Alpha Omega, Purlieu, Janzen, Realm, Myriad, MACDONALD, Maybach, and more...; 2/7/2018-2/9/2018 (Napa) : Nope. I don’t get this thing at all. Serves no purpose. A syrupy simpleton. One wonky note of chocolate-blackberry goofiness. This is why most wineries shouldn’t have a desert wine. 79? points.
2012 vintage
Taster #3674 · Jul 29, 2017
94/100
Unctuous, sexy, voluptuous, black as pitch, fortified Hillside Select fruit on steroids. Awesome!
2012 vintage
Taster #8490 · Apr 6, 2017
93/100
Wine tasting at the winery. Had not really drank a dessert wine. This was very good. Not sure how much of this you could drink based on how sweet this is. Probably have to serve this at a party to make it worthwhile to crack a bottle.
2012 vintage
Taster #3674 · Dec 29, 2016
94/100
Finished off the night with a Coravin pour of Shafer's Hillside dessert wine. Lovely as always! It is like a glass of Vintage Port on steroids.
2012 vintage
Taster #3674 · Sep 11, 2016
94/100
Utterly delicious and seductive. 100% Cabernet Sav. from the iconic Hillside vineyard at Shafer. Can't get much better than a fortified wine from Hillside Select. Unctuous, creamy vanillin, black currant, and blackberry. 18% alcohol, but one would never know. I will enjoy this bottle one Coravin glass at a time until it is all gone. Yum!
2006 vintage
Taster #7456 · Nov 13, 2015
90/100
Opened with artichoke ravioli. Dark coloring, Bright cedar acid notes on the nose, the Cab is holding this up and keeping it alive, with a deep anchor to pin the mid and finish, while the lively, acidic sang. tangs around the palate and offers corrosive elements of rhubarb, sour cherry and cranberry. Day two showing savory qualities on a nice juxtaposition of the acidic Sangiovese and deep cab. good!
2000 vintage
Taster #9464 · Sep 7, 2015
91/100
Amazing that this wine is so awesome at this age
2000 vintage
Taster #9464 · May 17, 2014
93/100
drank with anders. Fabulous.
2000 vintage
Taster #6303 · Dec 2, 2013
99/100
the best Jerry, the best
2006 vintage
Taster #2442 · Feb 13, 2013
90/100
Appearance: Dark-red with slightly light edges. Looking good! Nose: Cherries, Cassis, Dried Tomatoes, Herbs, Sweet Vanilla, Leather and Spicy Characters. Taste: Cherries, Blackberries, some Cassis, quite present Cabernet Characteristics! Peppery, spicy and medium-long finish. (see my Blog for pictures and more details: cellartv.wordpress.com)
2000 vintage
Taster #9464 · Nov 10, 2012
90/100
Winery suggested consuming now. It was fabulous. Not at all tired. Great fruit and finish. Wish they still made it.
2000 vintage
Taster #7456 · Nov 25, 2011
88/100
Thanksgiving leftovers. PnP and left in bottle for two hours. Light to medium ruby in the glass with no signs of age. Aromas of cherry, plum, oak, herbs, almonds. Light bodied, there's tart cherries, plums again with a semi-sweet long finish driven by lively acidity. Hard for me to detect the 6% cab sauv in this offering. Overall decent chianti clone from Shafer. By day three this has rounded out a bit more, and is showing a little better. Slightly …
2000 vintage
Taster #6965 · Jul 23, 2011
89/100
A little faded but less than I expected. Mellow nose, medium bodied but very balanced.
2000 vintage
Taster #6965 · Jan 20, 2011
89/100
Nice, a bit faded but easy to drink.
2000 vintage
Taster #4383 · Sep 13, 2009
88/100
Blackberry, earth and heat.
2000 vintage
Taster #7061 · Mar 22, 2008
past its prime
2000 vintage
Taster #2249 · Oct 28, 2007
89/100
10/27/2007: Dark red color, and still youthful looking. The nose is floral, spify and red raspberry. This is a medium bodied fairly simply structure wine, with flavors of cherry, strawberry, and spice. The finish is medium, with lightly drying tannins. Probably hold a couple more years but it is a good as it is going to be.
2000 vintage
Taster #5871 · Jul 18, 2004
85/100
Initially attractive with nice cherry and a hint of cassis. Decent body, reasonable acidity, but with time noticeable tannins and less fruit. Not too sure this will age gracefully. Almost felt like an old world wine at times with strong acidity, but overall a bit thin.
2000 vintage