Two vineyards in the Stags Leap District, the Hillside Estate and the Borderline Vineyard, provide the fruit for this fine wine. But One Point Five is named to commemorate the 40+ years that John Shafer and his son, Doug, worked together to build one of Napa Valley’s premier estates. About One Point Five, Robert Parker offered high praise, saying it is “for my money, one of the best wines in Napa Valley in its price range...Year in and year out, this is one of the superstar wineries, not only in Napa Valley and all of California, but in the entire world.” The 2019 vintage is crafted as a left-bank style Bordeaux blend, comprising 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. Describing the 2019, Antonio Galloni opined, “Bright, red-toned fruit and effusive aromatics lend striking brilliance to a Cabernet that is gracious and light on its feet. The 2019 stands out for its freshness and red fruit profile. It is beautifully done.” This is young Cabernet at its most intense and powerful. Cellaring for a few years would be wise, but if you can’t resist opening a bottle, be sure to decant and give it some time to open up.
In the Stags Leap District, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. The well-drained volcanic soils and climate cooled by regular San Pablo Bay fogs produce cabs that are silky, supple and voluptuous: “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” While the Stags Leap District is now world class, when John Shafer moved his family there from Chicago in 1973, it was a place of rocky hillsides and rundown vineyards and orchards. At that time, “up-valley” was the focus of premium winemaking whereas this rocky corner of the valley did not even have an agreed-upon name. But as the land was affordable and had supported vineyards in the past, John Shafer decided it was the place to pursue his dream in wine.
Shafer Vineyards is a moderately-sized, family-owned operation whose pursuit of quality in both viticulture and winemaking helped define not only their own winery but the Stags Leap District as well. At the start it was just John and his son Doug doing everything, from terracing the hillsides, to planting vines, to making and selling the wine. Doug was only 17 when he began helping his father transform the old farm into a modern vineyard. He went on to study enology at UC Davis and became Shafer’s winemaker in 1983. Success came quickly to Shafer Vineyards, with its very first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon winning the prestigious San Francisco Vintner’s Club taste-off. Shafer’s Hillside Select, the winery’s showcase made from 100% Cabernet grown on the steep slopes surrounding the winery, became a benchmark that epitomized the complexity, richness and elegance of the Stags Leap District. While Shafer built its reputation on its Cabernets, the winery also produces Merlot and Syrah from estate vineyards just outside the Stags Leap District as well as Chardonnay from Carneros. Shafer’s 2008 Relentless, a blend of Syrah and Petite Syrah was selected as Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year for 2012. Despite success and high demand for its wines, Shafer Vineyards chose to remain small enough to be manageable, capping growth at about 32,000 cases. In addition to John and Doug Shafer, that team includes Elias Fernandez, who joined in 1984 and has been winemaker since 1994. The charm of drinking a glass of Shafer wine comes from knowing that the folks who made it are so intimately acquainted with the land, the vineyards and even the individual vines. In this age of global conglomerates, it is a quality that deserves to be cherished.
Country | USA |
Region | California |
Appellation(s) | Napa Valley |
Sub-Ava | Stags Leap District |
Winery | Shafer |
Vintage | 2019 |
Color | Red |
Varietal(s) | 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot |
Closure | Cork |
Volume | 375ml |
Bottle Size | 6.5 x 27.0 |
Case Size | 28.0 x 21.0 x 28.0 |
Alcohol | 15.3% |
Product Code | SH19NCBx |
UPC | 013528800021 |
95 points – James Suckling; 93 points – 93 points – Antonio Galloni/Vinous.
An effusive perfume delights with blueberries, blackberries, and cherries. The wine is gracious, polished, and fresh, layered with red fruit notes, velvety tannins, and refreshing acidity.
Meticulous vineyard management (suckering, leafing, culling) helps ensure consistent ripening. Grapes are picked by hand, manually sorted, destemmed and then sorted again by optical berry scanner. The must is fermented on a prepared yeast. The wine aged 20 months in 100% new French oak.