TASTING NOTES:
This offers the classic richness and breadth of the Shafer property, backed by a firm structure of fine-grained tannins and the cool, collected character of the Stags Leap district. It is saturated with dark cherries, dried blueberries, blackcurrants, graphite and bittersweet chocolate. At first sip expansive and ripe, then firmer and more linear on the palate due to the persistent tannins and overall fine balance. Drink now or hold.
- James Suckling, 97 pts.
Beautifully done, with a non-2022-like level of freshness and purity, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select reveals blackcurrant, spice, flowers, subtle chocolate, and graphite that all develop nicely with time in the glass. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This incredibly successful 2022 can be drunk any time over the coming two decades. Drink 2025-2044
- Jeb Dunnuck, 96 pts.
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select opens with a burst of dark-toned fruit wrapped up in beams of imposing tannin. Black plum, coffee, spice, leather and incense are all amplified. There's gorgeous depth and plenty of structure. The 2022 is still coming together in barrel, but it is one of the most promising wines of the year.
- Vinous, 96 pts.
Shafer's big kahuna, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, was presented as a barrel sample in August 2025. Black cherries and cassis are framed by cedar and vanilla-inflected oak, giving this wine a slightly monolithic bouquet right now. It's full-bodied, dense and concentrated but still boasts the signature Stags Leap District texture to its suede-like tannins, which linger elegantly on the finish.
- Wine Advocate, 96 pts.
