| Region of production: | Stags Leap District AVA, Napa Valley |
| Winery Location: | Napa |
| Year Established: | 1978 |
Vineyard Holdings
85 ha
- Hillside Estate (SLD): 22 ha – Cabernet
- Borderline Vineyard (SLD): 10 ha – Cabernet
- La Mesa Vineyard (Napa Valley): 7 ha – Syrah and Petite Sirah (source of „Relentless“)
- Ridgeback / School Bus Vineyards (Napa Valley): 17 ha – Merlot and Cabernet
- Red Shoulder Ranch (Carneros): 27 ha – Chardonnay
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Hillside Select: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2,400 cases produced. 1983 as „Reserve,“ and renamed the following year.
- One Point Five: Cabernet-dominated blend. Inaugural vintage 2004
Average Total Production
- 384,000 bottles
Summary
In 1972 John Shafer purchased a 210-acre estate in Stags Leap District, and replanted its existing vineyards with Cabernet. With 1,000 cases in 1978, Shafer Vineyards was born. John’s son Doug took on the role of winemaker in 1983–the first vintage of the winery’s lauded Hillside Select Cabernet, then simply named „Reserve“–and was joined by Elias Fernandez as his assistant a year later. In 1994, Doug assumed greater control over the business and Fernandez was named head winemaker for the property; he received a 2002 „Winemaker of the Year“ nod from Food & Wine. Shafer was an early pioneer for green practices in Napa Valley: Doug has been an advocate for sustainable farming practices and vineyard biodiversity since the late 1980s, and in 2004 the winery became the first in the US to make the switch to 100% solar power generation. Shafer wines have been routinely rewarded by Parker and other critics, including their „Relentless“ Syrah that debuted in 1999, and the winery has honed a richly flavored and lushly textured style across their entire line.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Shafer’s flagship wine, Hillside Select Cabernet, ages for 32 months in 100% new French oak.
Producer Website: Shafer Vineyards