Lot 167
DALLA VALLE VINEYARDS MAYA PROPRIETARY RED 1998 (1) 95 WA
SHAFER VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON HILLSIDE SELECT 2007 (1) 100 WA
SLOAN ESTATE PROPRIETARY RED 2007 (1) 100 WA
Lot 167 Details
DALLA VALLE VINEYARDS MAYA PROPRIETARY RED 1998 (1)
Napa Valley.
The 1998 Maya (500 cases from a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Cabernet Sauvignon) is an amazing effort, possessing multiple layers of fruit, sweet tannin, and no herbaceousness, astringency, or thinness. This is an amazing tour de force in winemaking for the vintage. It is loaded, with impeccable balance. August 2002 WA 95
SHAFER VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON HILLSIDE SELECT 2007 (1)
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley.
One of the perfect wines from Shafer is the 2007 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Think it over – in the first decade of the 21st century, Shafer scored three perfect scores and two 99s – that’s about as high a praise as I can give any producer in the world. Opaque purple in color, the 2007 has a stunning nose of sweet crème de cassis, black cherries, licorice, and toasty oak, a multilayered, full-throttle personality, and a texture that builds and builds. Great purity, fabulous fruit intensity and a richness without heaviness characterize this massive, prodigious effort from Shafer. It’s still very young, despite this vintage, which seems to be maturing precociously. I don’t believe this wine will hit its stride for at least another 5-10 years and drink well for at least 2-3 decades. December 2014 WA 100
SLOAN ESTATE PROPRIETARY RED 2007 (1)
Rutherford, Napa Valley.
The 2007 Sloan, now in bottle, has lived up to the extraordinary quality it exhibited from barrel. A world-class, perfumed nose of charcoal, espresso roast, white chocolate, black currants, sweet plums, Asian soy and a Grave-like scorched earth aroma soars from the glass of this dense purple-colored wine. Full-bodied and seamlessly constructed with a multidimensional mouthfeel as well as a phenomenal finish, this 2007 carries considerable tannin, but at present it is concealed by the wine’s luxurious levels of fruit, glycerin and intensity. This spectacular 2007 should drink well for 25-30+ years. December 2010 Drink: 2010-2040 WA 100