Shafer 2018 TD-9
In the Napa Valley Shafer is one of the iconic names, and rightfully so. Their wines are, in a word, gorgeous. The Shafer family bought land in 1972, land that had been planted to grapes and crops since the late 1880s. Their TD-9 is a proprietary blend that celebrates a bold move. In 1973, owner John Shafer went from riding morning commuter trains in Chicago to teaching himself to ride a TD-9 tractor in his new vineyard. He’d never grown grapes or made wine in his life, but that spirit of adventure was the genesis of this wine. Comprised of mainly merlot with 26% cabernet sauvignon, and 21% malbec, this blend express some of the best winemaking that they do. A nearly flawless blend of fruit, acidity, and oak aging produces a sumptuous decadent wine, which has been aged for 20 months. There is beautiful blackberry, black cherry blueberry boysenberry, lingonberry which all conspire along with elements of herbal notes, wildflower, and subtle pepper spice to create a wine that is so enjoyable to drink, you just might forget you’re drinking wine at all. It is an experience that elevates wine into a world-class wine. The foods needed to support this wine might also be world class: lobster risotto, chateaubriand or something less worldly but just as satisfying like a cheeseburger at Slater’s 50/50 or that perennial favorite, Pie n’ Burger.
ORIGIN: Napa Valley
ALCOHOL: 15.3%
PRICE: $60 /750 ml
SCORE: 95 POINTS
