Shafer Wine, Napa Valley: Styles, 10 Best Bottles (2024)

Shafer Vineyards began as a small operation in Napa Valley in the 1970s. Today, it’s a household name, producing about 30,000 cases of Shafer wine annually. 

It has left indelible footprints on the Napa Valley wine canvas, including helping to establish the famed Stags Leap District into an AVA. 

What styles of wine does this iconic winery make? Is Shafer wine an investment opportunity?

In this article, we’ll be answering these questions and more. We’ll also include a suggestion of fine Shafer wines for you to try. 

Uncork that bottle, and get started!

Shafer Vineyards of Napa Valley

Shafer Vineyards is located on the east side of the Silverado Trail, south of the Yountville Cross Road, to the north of Napa. 

This iconic, family-owned winery was established in 1972, and started producing wine from highly-regarded winegrowing regions like the Stags Leap District and Carneros. The winery is managed by Doug Shafer, son of founders John and Bett Shafer, and winemaker Elias Fernandez.   

Sustainable agriculture is an integral philosophy at Shafer Vineyards. 

They plant cover crops, recycle rainwater, and is the first winery in Napa to run on 100% solar energy. Shafer Vineyards even installed nesting boxes, bat roosts, songbird houses, and hawk perches to deal with vineyard rodents and vine-damaging insects.

Next, let’s see the wine styles made at the Shafer winery.

Shafer Wine Styles

Shafer’s wines come from the ripe fruit of its 200-plus acres of vineyard real estate. 

Here are the styles you’ll find:

• Hillside Select is Shafer’s signature wine — the most sought-after one! It’s 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made of fruit sourced from 14 small vineyard blocks in the Stags Leap District. 

• Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay, of fruit from the Red Shoulder Ranch in Carneros. The vineyard (and wine) is named after the hawks that patrol the property. 

• Relentless,a varietal blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah, is named in honor of winemaker Elias Fernandez, for his relentless pursuit of quality. 

• One Point Five is predominantly  Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Petit Verdot. The name plays off “a generation and a half” — reflecting the father-son working relationship of John and Doug Shafer. 

• TD-9 is a bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. Its unusual name comes from the TD-9 tractor that John Shafer taught himself to drive when he became a vintner. 

• Firebreak Dessert Wine is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, made in the style of late-bottled dessert wine from Portugal.

• Shafer Merlot comes from fruit mostly grown at a vineyard informally dubbed “School Bus.” It’s typically 75-85% Merlot blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, and Malbec.

We now know the styles — which bottles should you try?

10 Scrumptious Bottles of Shafer Wine to Try

Here are 10 of our Shafer wine picks:

• 2016 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
• 2019 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Carneros 
• 2015 Shafer Vineyards Relentless, Napa Valley
• 2016 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 
• 2018 Shafer Vineyards TD-9, Napa Valley
• 2017 Shafer Vineyards Firebreak Dessert Wine, Stags Leap District
• 2014 Shafer Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley
• 2017 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 
• 2013 Shafer Vineyards Relentless, Napa Valley
• 2018 Shafer Vineyards Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Carneros

1. 2016 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District ($340)

This beautiful Cabernet displays elegant expressions in notes of cassis, black pepper, licorice, violets, and blueberry preserves. Silky tannins and a full-bodied palate end on a long, opulent finish. 

2. 2019 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Carneros ($50)

This 2019 Shafer Vineyard vintage is a soft and layered Chardonnay wine. Lush notes of white flowers and honeysuckle mingle with hints of tangerines and pineapple on a creamy palate, ending on a long, spicy finish. 

3. 2015 Shafer Vineyards Relentless, Napa Valley ($100)

This lovely Syrah and Petite Sirah blend offer a plush array of dark fruit and violet notes. Experience aromas of plum preserves, mulberries, and licorice on the nose. The palate packs black fruit and a firm tannin frame with superb balance.

4. 2016 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District ($110)

Made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this 2016 vintage offers stunning notes of crème de cassis, violets, clove, and cinnamon. The palate delivers alluring flavors of black plum and cherry with earthy accents sure to please any wine enthusiast. 

5. 2018 Shafer Vineyards TD-9, Napa Valley ($70)

The 2018 TD-9 is a creamy, beautifully textured wine with expressive notes of mulberries and plum preserves interlaced with red and black berry fruit. The medium to full-bodied palate is spicy and energetic with ripe, rounded tannin levels.

6. 2017 Shafer Vineyards Firebreak Dessert Wine, Stags Leap District  ($100)

This richly colored wine displays deep, lush aromas and flavors of blueberry pie, vanilla, and earthiness with a pleasing minerality. Structured tannin levels counterbalance the natural sweetness of the fruit.

7. 2014 Shafer Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley ($60)

The 2018 Shafer Merlot displays chocolate and mocha notes interlaced with plum, red cherry, black fruit, licorice, and gravel. The savory overtones and aromatic intensity offer much to delight wine lovers.

8. 2017 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District ($330)

The 2017 Shafer Hillside Select reveals a richness in blueberries, violets, tobacco, and spices on the nose. The full-bodied, seamless mouthfeel has velvety tannins and a balanced freshness supporting layers of spicy, black fruit layers.

9. 2013 Shafer Vineyards Relentless, Napa Valley ($100)

This stunning, expressive wine offers floral, blackberry, and espresso aromas leading to complex flavors of black plum, licorice, and mineral flavors. Ripe, silky tannins, and a luscious texture on the palate end on a long, persistent finish. 

10. 2018 Shafer Vineyards Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Carneros ($60)

This classic Napa Valley Chardonnay is a robust, full-bodied white wine with abundant aromas and flavors of pineapple, citrus blossom, apricot, and white flowers. Intense and richly layered, it’s a beautifully balanced wine with bright acidity and structure.

So, are you curious to know if Shafer wine is investment-worthy?

Investing in Shafer Wine

In 1993, the 1978 Shafer Cabernet (Shafer’s first vintage) outranked distinguished wines such as Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux at an international competition in Germany. 

This display of quality continued with wines like the Shafer Hillside Select. 

This lush wine is admired by critics and wine lovers alike, and who consider it as one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon wines, with a cellaring potential of up to 20 years. 

So it’s no surprise that it can draw large sums at auctions. For instance, in February 2021, a 15-magnum collection of Shafer’s Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon (spanning every vintage from 2000 to 2014) fetched $42,000 at an auction of Napa Valley library wines.

Let’s talk about price appreciation: 

• The 2012 Hillside Select vintage saw a 19% increase in price within less than two years. In December 2019, it averaged at $370, hiking to $440 in November 2021. 

• The 1986 vintage did even better. In December 2019, its average price was $190. November 2021 saw it appreciate to $350 — which is an 84% increase!

Now, if you're interested in investing in these wines, your best bet is Vinovest - a world class online investment platform that offers an easy solution to buying, storing and selling fine wine.  

Let’s find out a little more about the origins of Shafer Vineyards. 

A Brief History of Shafer Wine

Shafer Vineyards has had plenty of milestones since being established over four decades ago, let’s take a look: 

1972: John Shafer leaves a corporate job to become a vintner. He started Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley, expanding the Stags Leap District vineyard acreage to its current 50 acres.

1978: The first Shafer Cabernet was produced and construction on their winery began shortly afterwards.

1984: Elias Fernandez was hired as assistant winemaker, and later promoted to Shafer’s winemaker in 1994. 

1985: John Shafer leads an effort to get Stags Leap District designated as an American Viticultural Area (AVA). 

1989: Doug Shafer took over the vineyards and integrated organic techniques. The Stag Leaps District also became an AVA this year.

2004: Shafer Vineyards switches to 100% solar power.

2016: Shafer donates 5-acres to house a permanent rehabilitation aviary for wild birds.   

Today, Shafer continues to make phenomenal wine while contributing to a sustainable future. 

And here’s a fun fact: 

In 2020, Shafer released a soothing six-hour YouTube video of sheep grazing on its hillsides in response to the global pandemic, which garnered thousands of views. 

An Elegant Shafer Wine for You!

Shafer Vineyards offers a fantastic range of wines, for enjoying now and for keeping in the cellar. A bottle or two of these delicious Napa Valley vintages would also make a fine addition to your collection.

If you need help storing your Hillside Select in perfect conditions, you could always let Vinovest handle the storing for you. You could even add some rare Bordeaux or Tuscan vintages, knowing that your fine wine collection is taken care of.  

If that all sounds good, why not hop on over to Vinovest, and get that fine wine portfolio started today!