2018 Shafer TD-9

2018 Shafer TD-9

2018 Shafer TD-9 The 2018 is an aromatic feast of summer berries, rose petal, rhubarb, raspberry, and black cherry jam. In the mouth this racy red blend is all juicy, briary red and black berry fruit that’s spicy and energetic with a structure of ripe tannins and a long, plush finish. Winemaker

It’s another balanced, charming, and impeccably made wine from this estate that has lively red and blue fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and licorice aromas and flavors as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant style on the palate. It shows the more streamlined, focused style of the 2018 vintage and is going to evolve for 10-12 years. JD

It is very rare that a great, blue chip producer adds a wine to their portfolio. Shafer has done just that. Famous for wines like Hillside Sellect, Relentless and their Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch. They have made some of the greatest Cabernet ever made in Napa. With the huge increases in prices across the board in Napa. They have put together a blend of Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet, Malbec and Merlot and I tasted the wine yesterday and it is stunning. The wine is the 2018 Shafer TD9 and if you world class winemaking and world class vineyards from Napa without the price tag. This is your wine.

In 1973, in the space of a few months, John Shafer went from riding morning commuter trains in Chicago to teaching himself to drive a TD-9 tractor in our Napa Valley vineyard. He’d never grown grapes or made wine in his life. That spirit of risk-taking and adventure still guides Shafer today and inspired the creation of this new wine. The wine comes mainly from their estate in the Stags Leap District with a small amount coming from a great vineyard in Yountville that we are not allowed to divulge the name off.

2018 is a tremendous vintage for Napa. Decanter Magazine loved the vintage, “ The 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet vintage belongs in an echelon with the finest of the past two decades. The wine has received excellent scores and our price of 56.99 is as good as it gets. The wine powerful and rich yet finely textured, with an awesome mouthfeel and seamless on the backend. This is strong buy in my book.