Shafer Vineyards TD-9 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Red Wine

Shafer Vineyards TD-9 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 

Napa Valley, CA

95 pts. Wine Enthusiast:

"This TD-9 Cabernet Sauvignon, not to be confused with other TD-9 red wines, shows an amazing clarity of dark fruit. Its deep black cherries, blackberries and touches of black olive embody classic Cabernet. Beautifully integrated tannins lend a posh texture that’s still bracing enough to help the wine age and improve."

93 pts. James Suckling:

"Dried cherries, blackcurrants, chocolate, sweet licorice, anisette and hints of moist earth on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, refined and velvety with a softer, powdery tannin structure. Attractive core of ripe black fruit with a lingering finish. Cabernet sauvignon. Better after 2025."

FROM THE WINERY

Shafer Vineyards has crafted wines in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District for nearly 50 years. The estate encompasses 240 acres of world-class vineyards, sources for Shafer’s wines — Hillside Select, Relentless, One Point Five, TD-9, and Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay.

With the 2021 vintage, TD-9 becomes Shafer Vineyard’s newest Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a rich, vibrant expression of some of our favorite Napa Valley vineyards. The name TD-9 celebrates John Shafer’s first tractor, which he taught himself to drive in 1973 as part of the founding of the winery.

Winemaker's Comments:

In its first vintage as a Cabernet Sauvignon, TD-9 fills the glass with irresistible aromas and flavors of fresh black cherries, black currant, red plum, thyme, rose petal, and cocoa. Lush and mouth-filling, this 2021 offers the kind of complexity and structure that ensures many years of enjoyment ahead. — Elias Fernandez

Vineyard Locations:  Estate vineyards in Napa Valley's Southern Foothills just south of Stags Leap District and select Napa Valley sites.

2021 Growing Season:  The long, sunny 2021 summer created a beautiful growing season. The fruit developed rich color and clean, elegant, and pure aromas and flavors.

Varietal Composition: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec

Brix at Harvest:  23.5° – 25.5°

Cooperage:  20 months in 60-gallon French oak barrels (100% new: Allier and Tronçais)

Alcohol 15.3%

Release Date:  September 1, 2023