Sipping Fine Wine

9.8

Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 32 months in 100% new 60-gallon French oak barrels. Deep Ruby with pronounced aromas of red/black fruits, with hints of cedar, floral, oak, herbs & spice. On the palate flavors of concentrated ripe blackberry, cherry and raspberry preserves, pepper spice, leather and earthy cacao. Fine soft savory tannins, well balanced, long finish, great structure ending with fruit, spice, oak and earthy mineral character. Outstanding! — 5 months ago

Jeff Singer

9.1

Emeril’s. Deep red fruits. Floral nose. — 7 months ago

Peter Montoleone

9.2

Very smooth and enjoyable. Really enjoying this Merlot. — a year ago

Ken Venezio

9.2

Goldenrod in color. Beautiful blend of fruit and acidity. Very drinkable now and can easily withstand a few years. — 3 years ago

Andy Hall

9.8

Ski trip wines: ‘04 Bryant Family Cab (97 pt), ‘07 Bryant Family Cab (98 pt), ‘07 Staglin Cab (95 pt) and ‘05 Shafer Hillside Select Cab (96 pt). Hard to pick a favorite here! — 4 years ago

with Jerry

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.2

Super nice. Cote rotie like. Roasted coffee, smoked meats and lots of dark fruit: supple, clean and decadent Note: if you’re not on the ‘Pisoni’ mailing list you’re missing out. Although you may not get ‘Pisoni’ Pisoni estate Pinot off the bat, you should load up on Lucia ‘slh’ Pinot which is 60% pisoni estate fruit and this Syrah which, along with Jeff Pisoni’s wife’s cattelaya label is maybe the best Syrah in America. Or among a select handful. It’s half as expensive as saxum, sqn and shafer but in my opinion twice as good. Boom @Jeff Pisoni — 5 years ago

Peter Collins

9.4

A bit of a crap shoot even with great labels to buy older stuff. Happily the 2007 Tempest was actually more than I expected. Drank it as second bottle after the 2013 Shafer Cab. Where the Shafer was big, full of tannins and spicy, the Realm was muted but full and just really smooth on the palate with a great finish. Hate to compare to clothing but it’s a comfy shirt. — 6 years ago

WC Fields

9.2

Long decant and this is big. Tight. Great with steak but just needs years. — 6 months ago

Bruce Leboff

9.4

Big bold and beautiful. Really great. Huge wine but not overpowering - excellent. — 6 months ago

with Steven, Michael and 1 other

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Lemon gold color with aromas of stone and tropical fruits with citrus, sweet floral and complex spice, no MLF. On the palate flavors of ripe melon, pineapple, apricot and honeysuckle notes with lemon zest and biscuit notes, delicate, complex and well balanced, big and full Chardonnay. Long finish, savory, ending with mineral tones and fresh finish. Will age well. Outstanding! While I usually do not decant whites, this one will benefit to breathe a bit! — 10 months ago

John Bratincevic

9.4

Nose: raspberry, blackberry, cassis (?), dust. Subtle herbs, the kind you’d find in some kind of health food herbal tea for what ails you. A little leather.

Taste: absolutely delicious. Weighty, tastes as it smells, but bigger and juicier more red fruit than the nose - yet very balanced, with lots of mineral flavors besides. Not as complex as the very best I’ve had, but extremely tasty. A little more toasty coffee on the palate as you sip it. I may like this better than the Shafer I had recently. 94.

— 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Tasted twice! Made mostly from Cab Sauv, deep Ruby with aromas of rich ripe fruit with notes of sweetness. On the palate flavors of cherry and ripe blueberry with nutty vanilla spice. Smooth with good balance on long finish ending with a sweet fruit character. Tasting Sample. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.6

After a couple months of hiatus, the Friday City Club group was able to get back together (albeit a smaller, more spread out group) for an epic hosting by @joe leatherwood . 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 5 reds and 1 dessert wine, all served blind.

And the hits just keep coming. A total monster. I found this to be the most extracted of the 5 reds. Could smell it five feet away. Dark chocolate dipped blueberries and blackberries, graham cracker, mocha, violets all jump from the glass. Velvet like texture revealing a streak of ripe red fruits and an herbal/mineral like note down the middle of the palate. Dusty. So much beautiful freshness but commanding power here...longest finish of the day. I called this 7-10yr old Napa cab (specifically Shafer Hillside Select). — 6 years ago

with Jid, joe and 3 others

Rob

9.0

Did not live up to the hype imo — 6 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.2

12/2025. Rich smooth flavor and finish. Paired well with the dry aged ribeye at Halls Chophouse. — 6 months ago

Edward Nelson

9.2

Rocco’s takeout and a nice bottle. Not a bad Saturday night. Bonus that the wife is letting me call the ball after dinner. — 8 months ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.1

Not what I was hoping for,
Gave it some air but not too much so that we didn’t lose the sweet spot. Didn’t touch the Shafer until this was finished. Just a typical older Bordeaux blend from Napa but very ordinary considering the price point. Secondary market purchase so who knows prior storage. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Produced by CA Shafer Vineyards, pale lemon with aromas of stone and citrus fruits with floral notes. On the palate flavors of peach and melon with lemon citrus and honeysuckle notes. Medium+ finish, vivid acidity, ending with fruit, floral and mineral character. Nice Napa offering! — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

This wine was our unanimous winner in our cult Cali blind tasting held back in 2012 against some big hitters, Dominus, Shrader, Shafer Hillside etc. Med bodied in an opulent style with good balance & length showing notes of blackberry, creme de cassis, forest floor, graphite, licorice & violet. — 6 years ago

Mono Head

9.2

Exceptionally balanced. Rich fruit with layered mouth fell. Med/long finish with excellent depth. More complexity than the shafer but not as balanced. — 6 years ago