Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4337
Anthony Dias Blue, now THE TASTING PANEL's Editor in Chief, was among the first journalists to put pen to paper about the uniqueness of the Stags Leap District. "It was the 1980s," recalls Shafer Vineyards founder John Shafer; "Andy referred to the wines as big yet elegant. Yes—that really sums it up." Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet is one of the most respected wines of the district and a continual testa- ment to the region. The steep hillside vineyards sur- rounding the winery, with their thin, volcanic soils and quick drainage, were developed in the early '70s, after Shafer left a career in book publishing in Chicago and moved his family to Napa Valley. "I decided to change the course of my life before I was 50," he notes, add- ing, "I was motivated when Bank of America published a profile of the California wine industry as an area of growth for investors. I also wanted to be my own boss. I read the tea leaves and knew it was time to get in. Glad I did it early enough!" The Shafer's first 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the 1978 vintage, was released in 1981 with a label that read "Napa Valley," as Stags Leap District was not yet an AVA. "It was by far the best vintage of the decade, and the grapes were all from here [in the Stags Leap District]." As proof, the wine won every tasting competition it entered. "I'll never forget the Napa Valley Vintners 1981 Wine Symposium and the official debut of our '78," Shafer reminisces. "Because I was the new kid on the block, all the big shots of winedom were coming by to taste our first release [Mel Dick and Robert Balzer among oth- ers]. Commenting on how well-developed and soft this Cabernet was for a wine that hadn't been released yet, many asked the same question: 'How much Merlot did you add?' "'None,' I would reply and receive a look of frank skepticism. The truth was that I made it with 100 percent Cabernet because that was all I had. But the tasters kept prodding me about the blend. "One of them, a wine buyer named John Barclay of Scott's Seafood in San Francisco, was especially per- sistent. Returning a second time, he slipped behind my table, lowered his voice and swore to secrecy if I let him in on it: 'How much Merlot did you blend in?' "What I realized later was that the buyers were iden- tifying the most prominent attribute of Cabernet Sauvi- gnon grown in the Stags Leap District: the silky, supple, velvety tannins that don't require softening with the addition of Merlot. "It was that distinct character, so clearly identified with this region, that would prompt me four years later to head up a committee of neighboring growers and vintners in petitioning the government to designate this region the Stags Leap District AVA, now recognized worldwide for its Cabernet Sauvignon." Soon after, Doug Shafer joined as winemaker, and the father-and-son team has created some of the most sought-after wines in the world. november 2009 / the tasting panel / 41 John & Doug Shafer SHAFER VINEYARDS The Shafer 2006 One Point Five SLD Cabernet Sauvi- gnon ($70) refers to "a gen- eration-and-a-half"; John and Doug Shafer created the name to describe their long-term working rela- tionship. Ripe cranberry fruit and compote, roasted meat and a rounded sa- teen texture speak of the exquisite land. Side by side. Father and son team John and Doug Shafer, with dogs Tucker and Tanner.