Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Hillside Select 2015

98+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Very deep purple-black in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select comes bounding out of the glass with gregarious scents of crème de cassis, warm black cherries, plum preserves and Indian spices with hints of lilacs, garrigue, stewed tea and cigar box plus a waft of charcuterie. Full-bodied, rich, boldly fruited and wildly decadent, it has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing with loads of earthy and savory layers. Drink: 2021-2050. (Oct 2018)"

98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Starting with their 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, it boasts a deep, saturated purple hue as well as a heavenly bouquet of sweet blueberry and cassis fruits interwoven with plenty of graphite, tobacco, and lead pencil notes, with ample minerality emerging with time in the glass. This was a hot, low-yielding vintage for Napa, and while this beauty is massively concentrated, it’s also silky and seamless, with great tannins, no sense of over-ripeness or heaviness, and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. This is a brilliant, incredibly sexy wine to enjoy over the coming 30-40 years. Drink: 2020-2060. (1/31/20)"

98 points James Suckling: "There’s an intensely ripe, fresh and vibrant edge to this focused, elegant and assertively pure cabernet that delivers attractive blueberry and cassis aromas in stylish form. The palate arrives as a precise and focused suite of ripe blueberry and blackberry flavors, building smoothly to an attractively crisp and even-paced finish. Another superb edition of this wine. Drink or hold. (12/17/18)"

97 points The Tasting Panel: "I tasted this as a barrel sample at Premiere Napa Valley just over two years ago, and memory holds; I still recall the dense, almost syrup-like quality of black fruit, earth, and sage. Now released into the marketplace, this heralded 10% Cabernet Sauvignon still has time to develop, but after decanting, it proved more than worthy of praise. The fruit comes from Shafer's best hillside blocks, and given the dry conditions that year; smaller berries resulted in an extracted expression. Opulent aromas of cedar; leather; and coffee bean are almost Cognac-like, and on the palate, peppered licorice and blackberry perpetuate that syrupy density alongside teeth-gripping, chalky tannins. The elegance rises out of the glass once the wine opens up, exhibiting violets, sagebrush, and sweet meat. (Jan/Feb 2020)"

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a total knock-out. Given the heat and tiny yields of the year, one might reasonably expect a big wine; this, however, has really grown into an elegant, polished Cabernet. Silky, perfumed and rich, the 2015 is exquisitely beautiful, super-elegant and expressive. Gorgeous dark red/purplish fruit, floral and spice inflections lead into the beautifully persistent finish. Drink: 2022-2035. (Jan 2020)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "A big wine waiting to unwind. When it does, the core of steeped plum, blueberry and açaí reduction flavors should stretch out nicely over melted licorice and Black Forest cake elements. A graphite spine holds everything together, while embers of smoldering apple wood flicker through the very long finish. Best from 2022 through 2038. (8/12/20)"

Producer notes: "The 2015 vintage gave us smaller berries packed with an immensity of pure, opulent aromas and flavors. This rich, polished hillside Cabernet Sauvignon overflows with briary black fruit, juicy black cherry, racy dried cranberry, black licorice, and freshly cracked pepper with elegant touches of cedar, baking spice, and wet stone. The finish is generous and persistent, while the tannins are ripe and integrated offering both a pleasurable experience now and the kind of structure that promises even more beauty with time.”