1999 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap

(97 points) The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the finest wines of the vintage. The 14.9% alcohol is barely noticeable given the amazing concentration and intensity. A saturated opaque purple color is followed by scents of vanilla, blackberry liqueur, crushed minerals, and a hint of white flowers. There is stunning intensity, tremendous purity, full body, and a remarkable, seamless finish (amazing given the elevated, austere tannin). Give the 1999 another 2-3 years of cellaring, and enjoy it over the following two decades or longer. A brilliant effort! There are 2,000 cases of this offering, which is aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak prior to bottling. It is head and shoulders above any other Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap appellation, combining an extraordinary elegance, delineation, and purity with a tremendously layered, thick opulence that coats the palate with exceptional purity as well as precision. Even in vintages such as 1998, this is a formidable offering. Wine Advocate #150 Dec 2003