Shafer Vineyards

It`s all about the family at Shafer Vineyards. TD-9 may seem an odd name for their calling-card blend of Merlot, Cabernet and Malbec, but when you learn that it was the brand of tractor that John Shafer drove in 1973 when he boldly threw over his Chicago office job and decamped to Napa to start laying out a vineyard, it makes more sense. And what kind of a name is One Point Five for a classy Napa Cabernet? It stands for a generation and a half, the 35 years since John and his son Doug arrived at the foot of the Stag`s Leap Palisades. OK - and Relentless, their powerful, polished blend of Syrah and Petite Syrah? That`s named after Elias Fernandez, long-standing winemaker and honorary family member, who is notoriously relentless in refusing to allow anything to stand in the way of top-quality wines. (Including yours truly - I got a fearsomely dirty look when I accidentally blocked his path in the winery). These guys learned from the ground up, by trial and error, and have taken it all the way to the top. Doug was 17 when his father brought him to Napa and it was an inspiration; he was soon at university studying viticulture. After a few stints elsewhere, it wasn`t long before he was making the wine at Shafer. They made some mistakes on the way but kept going, and the wine got better and better. John was the driving force behind getting Stag`s Leap defined as an AVA. By 2003, Shafer was on such an upward curve that Robert Parker dubbed it `one of the world`s greatest wineries`. While the TD-9 is all about the Stag`s Leap character of rich fruit and silky tannins, the Red Shoulder Chardonnay epitomises cool Carneros, where Pacific winds and fog keep things very fresh. And then there is Hillside Select. When I visited Shafer last year, Doug Shafer pointed up to the vineyard behind the winery and told me, `this is Sunspot. It`s the best spot we`ve got, and you know what? It`s also the easiest to look after. Everything about it is so optimal it never gives us any trouble.` Sunspot is the heart of Shafer`s Hillside Select, one of America`s most highly-regarded Cabernets. (NT 09/10/19)