Shafer Vineyards sits on the Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap District, founded by John Shafer in 1972 when he left a publishing career in Chicago to grow grapes in Napa Valley. His son Doug joined and together they built Hillside Select into one of the most consistently scored Cabernets in California.

History of Shafer Vineyards

John Shafer purchased 210 acres on the Silverado Trail in 1972, leaving a successful career as a publishing executive in Chicago to pursue winemaking. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon on terraced hillsides and began selling fruit before producing his own wines starting with the 1978 vintage.

His son Doug became winemaker in 1983 and has led the program ever since. Together they developed the Hillside Select program, isolating the best blocks from the steep terraced vineyards above the estate and giving the wine extended barrel aging. Over the following decades Hillside Select became one of California’s benchmark Cabernets, earning scores in the high 90s from major critics across dozens of consecutive vintages.

The Hillside Select vineyards were planted on terraced slopes that John Shafer cleared and leveled himself. The effort to farm those steep volcanic hillsides is visible in every bottle.

The Stags Leap District and Shafer’s hillside terroir

The Stags Leap District occupies the eastern floor and lower slopes of the Napa Valley, framed by the ancient volcanic palisade cliffs. Afternoon winds from San Pablo Bay cool the valley floor during the growing season, preserving acidity and extending ripening. The palisade rocks absorb solar heat during the day and release it at night, creating a natural thermal buffer.

Shafer’s Hillside Select vineyards add a vertical dimension: the steep terraced slopes above the valley floor have thinner, rockier soils than the valley floor blocks, forcing deep root growth and reducing berry size. The combination of Stags Leap District airflow and hillside stress produces Cabernet with both the silky texture the district is known for and the concentration that comes from mountain-style viticulture.

The wines of Shafer Vineyards

Hillside Select is the flagship, made from 100 percent estate Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 32 months in 100 percent new French oak. It is released about four years after the harvest and typically benefits from another five to fifteen years of cellaring. A legendary track record of consistent 95 to 100-point scores from Wine Spectator and Robert Parker defines its standing.

One Point Five is a more accessible Stags Leap District Cabernet, younger-vine fruit with less new oak and designed for earlier drinking. Relentless is a Syrah-dominant red blend sourced from warm sites that shows a different side of the estate. TD-9 is a Bordeaux blend. Shafer also produces a Chardonnay from Red Shoulder Ranch in Carneros.

Food pairings for Shafer Vineyards wines

Hillside Select demands food that matches its weight and complexity. A properly aged prime rib with au jus is the classic companion: the fat and protein in the beef soften the tannins while the mineral and cassis character of the wine cuts through the richness. Rack of lamb with herbs de Provence or a truffled beef tenderloin are equally worthy matches.

One Point Five is more versatile and earlier-drinking, pairing well with a grilled rib-eye, roasted lamb shoulder, or a hearty mushroom-based pasta. The tannins are softer and the fruit more forward, so the food does not need to be as luxurious. Relentless Syrah works beautifully with pork belly, duck confit, or smoked meats where the pepper and dark-berry character of Syrah finds its foil.

Shafer Vineyards: common questions