Landshark
Barrel Racker
Posts:1894
 | | 09/26/2005 1:23 PM |
| | we had this Sat at an off-line, it feels very tight, I would wait a few years | | | |
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davidandrose
Aurora, CO
Grape Puncher
Posts:934
| | 09/29/2005 2:59 AM |
| I'd been on the HSS wait list for a year or two, and my wife and I have always had a fond spot for HSS as it was our wedding wine, and a bottle cooked in our basement 10 yrs ago got us to buy our first eurocave. Our collection has grown and our savings gone downhill ever since.
With the 2001 getting such strong reviews, I needed to have some. I inquired at the winery, upon release, and they said I was still on the waitlist and that retail sales at the winery would likely expire by late Sept. On a business trip last week, I "detoured" from Phoenix back to Denver via Napa. Didn't tell the missus until I got home Fri nt. She thought I was still in PHX. She was happy about the 3 bttls I got, but livid I was there without her. Really livid. She's always wanted to go to Napa during Crush. Bringing back some ripening cab grapes from Shafer and Pride may not have helped much.
We had a Denver winegeek event over the weekend at Mbansek's seasonal rental, and upon return, there was the Shafer envelope saying "Congrats, you're off the wait list, you can buy two bttls."
Timing was absolutely priceless.
Bottom line. I'm probably cashing in some United miles in 2 weeks to take my wife to Napa during Crush. | | | |
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Wes Ballance
Grape Sorter
Posts:257
| | 09/29/2005 4:51 AM |
| | Congratulations guys. It's great to be added to the allocation list during a great vintage isn't it? | | | |
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davidandrose
Aurora, CO
Grape Puncher
Posts:934
| | 09/30/2005 2:27 AM |
| | Sure beats being "given the oppty" to buy in a crummy year when everyone scales back orders. Helps build a little more loyalty, which is vital at this price point (but still can't overcome the need for a great wine!) | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 09/30/2005 11:48 AM |
| Quote:
Congratulations guys. It's great to be added to the allocation list during a great vintage isn't it?
unlike another winery that rewards new people in bad vintages then punishes them in good ones  | | | |
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David Sullivan
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2276
| | 09/30/2005 11:52 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
Congratulations guys. It's great to be added to the allocation list during a great vintage isn't it?
unlike another winery that rewards new people in bad vintages then punishes them in good ones
Sounds like Farlan? Oh no could it be HARLAN??? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 10/01/2005 3:46 AM |
| Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Congratulations guys. It's great to be added to the allocation list during a great vintage isn't it?
unlike another winery that rewards new people in bad vintages then punishes them in good ones
Sounds like Farlan? Oh no could it be HARLAN???
i refuse to mention names  | | | |
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pizinah
Barrel Filler
Posts:1313
| | 01/10/2006 11:31 PM |
| | Latest Tanzer score released today: 95 w/ extremely glowing review. Previous score (May/June '03) was 93-96. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10574
| | 01/20/2006 5:49 PM |
| - 2001 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stag's Leap District (1/19/2006)
Big Reds in Austin (34th Street Cafe Austin, Texas):
93+ and should improve rather dramatically. It's clearly too young to drink but I had to know how long we want to hold this wine. Tastings of this wine are few and far between. When first opened the entire kitchen filled with an espresso aroma. It was notable for the strength of the aroma. After a two-hour double decant the wine started to exhibit more complexity with blackberries and dark chocolate.
It tasted very similar to the 1999 HSS at this point in its life. It had great structure, focus and the fruit was just glorious. Tannic as to be expected. I get the hype but the question is how long to hold the wine? There is something about the wine that makes me think that holding it too long might be an issue but it does have a good track record. [$$$; Decanted back into the bottle for two hours, needed more air time; Maybe 2008 for the next bottle?] (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10574
| | 05/05/2008 9:36 PM |
| HSS can certainly bring it.
- 2001 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (5/3/2008)
Very dark ruby color with dark red rim; No light shone through this wine; Strong aromas of blackberries, spice and tar(?almost a burned smell); Lots of dark fruit and a fair amount of black licorice flavors along with some minerals on the finish; Balanced even with 14.9% stated alcohol with massive structure. It seemed as if it was at the changing point from primary fruit into more secondary flavors. [Note the decant: Double decanted at 5 pm and left without the cork until it was poured at 10 pm; this wine probably needed that much just to open up] Very, very good wine. (94 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4809
| | 05/07/2008 8:04 PM |
| | I wonder if what you are seeing here is the difference between bottle aging and extended air time. You needed the air time to get the wine to open up, but may have introduced oxidation at the same time. Probably best to just put the wine away for several more years. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10574
| | 05/07/2008 8:40 PM |
| I don't think it got a lot of air being double decanted. More likely it benefited from the decanting process vs. the decanting time. Unknown variables. The known variable is that it was really good. And that continuing to hold it shouldn't be a problem. | | | |
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