Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
One of the best Malbecs from California, this wine is inspirational for its ripeness, freshness, fine acidity, and balanced fruit richness. The aromas begin with more of a moodiness: dark cedar and earth as well as tobacco and forest floor. The palate is lifted and the fruit cascades in a bright, juicy flow. The wine was created by Doug Shafer and Winemaker Elias Fernandez, who began collaborating in 1984—hence the name.
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Wine Enthusiast
This project from Doug Shafer and Elias Fernandez continues to impress, showing the beauty of this variety in California when in the right hands. The nose offers an undeniable wealth of violet and lavender while the palate exudes smoked cherry, juicy blueberry and an underbelly of garrigue.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.