Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, bottled at 15.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. This vintage earned 98+ points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) and 98+ points from Jeb Dunnuck, cementing its place among Napa's most celebrated modern releases.

Quick Facts: ABV: 15.5%  |  Origin: Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California  |  Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon  |  Winery: Shafer Vineyards

Production & Heritage

Shafer Vineyards was established in 1972 when John Shafer purchased a hillside estate in the Stags Leap District. Hillside Select, the winery's flagship bottling, debuted with the 1983 vintage and draws exclusively from steep, rocky vineyard blocks where shallow topsoil—sometimes less than 18 inches deep—meets volcanic bedrock. This geological constraint naturally limits vine vigor and concentrates fruit intensity. The 2019 was aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak barrels, a signature approach that frames the wine's density without overwhelming its site-driven character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with concentrated cassis and black raspberry before layering in pencil shavings, dark loam, and camphor. Floral lift from violets and lavender adds complexity as the wine breathes.

Taste: Full-bodied entry with super-ripe, dense fruit—plum cake, blackberry compote, and açaí berry dominate the mid-palate. A gravelly, mineral undercurrent emerges beneath the richness, revealing the volcanic terroir. Fine, structured tannins provide a firm scaffold without aggressive grip, while threads of melted black licorice and baking spice weave through each layer.

Finish: Long and polished, trailing singed mesquite, mint, and dark mineral tones. The tannin structure sustains the finish for well over a minute, suggesting decades of cellar potential.

How to Drink Hillside Select 2019

This wine is best served neat in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass at around 65°F; a 30- to 60-minute decant helps unlock the secondary aromatics in its youth. Given its concentration and pedigree, cocktail use would be inappropriate—this is a wine built for the table and the cellar. Pair it with grilled prime ribeye for a classic match with its dense fruit and structured tannins, braised short ribs where the wine's dark berry intensity mirrors the dish's richness, or aged hard cheeses like 24-month Comté whose nutty salinity contrasts the wine's ripe fruit core.

Best For

• Cellaring for a milestone anniversary or retirement (drinking window extends through the late 2040s)
• Gifting a serious Napa Cabernet collector a benchmark vintage
• Anchoring a vertical tasting of Hillside Select vintages
• Pairing with a special-occasion steak dinner or holiday prime rib

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hillside Select 2019 taste like? It delivers an intensely concentrated profile of cassis, blackberry compote, and plum cake, layered with pencil shavings, camphor, and volcanic minerality. The tannins are fine-grained but structured, and the finish carries dark licorice and mesquite notes for well over a minute.

How does Hillside Select compare to Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon? Both are iconic Stags Leap District and Oakville Napa Cabernets that routinely command cult-level prices and critical scores above 95 points. Hillside Select tends toward darker, more mineral-driven concentration rooted in its volcanic hillside terroir, while Screaming Eagle generally emphasizes purity and textural finesse from its valley-floor site.

Is Hillside Select 2019 good for cellaring? Yes—the combination of 15.5% ABV, 32 months in new French oak, and firm tannin structure gives this vintage a projected drinking window stretching into the 2040s. It will reward patience with increased secondary complexity.

Where is Hillside Select made? Hillside Select is produced by Shafer Vineyards in the Stags Leap District AVA of Napa Valley, California. The fruit comes from steep hillside blocks on the estate where volcanic bedrock sits just beneath the surface.

What foods pair well with Hillside Select 2019? Grilled prime ribeye matches its bold tannin and dark fruit; braised lamb shanks echo its earthy, savory undertones; truffle risotto complements the camphor and mineral notes; aged Gruyère or Comté offers a salty counterpoint to the wine's richness; and dark chocolate with 70%+ cacao mirrors its concentrated finish.

What sizes does Hillside Select come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle; Shafer also produces magnums (1.5L) in select vintages, which are highly sought after by collectors.

Is Hillside Select 2019 worth the price? Hillside Select positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Napa Valley Cabernet, and the 2019 vintage's consistent 97–98+ point scores across six major publications support its standing among the appellation's top wines at this level.

Why Hillside Select 2019?

The 2019 vintage is one of the most uniformly acclaimed Hillside Select releases in recent memory, earning 98+ points from both Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck, along with 98 points each from Vinous (Antonio Galloni) and James Suckling. What separates Hillside Select from other elite Napa Cabernets is its volcanic hillside terroir—vines rooting through barely 18 inches of topsoil into white volcanic rock, producing naturally low yields of extraordinarily concentrated fruit. Thirty-two months in 100% new French oak gives the wine architectural polish without masking that raw site intensity. For collectors and serious Cabernet drinkers, the 2019 stands as a defining expression of the Stags Leap District.