September 18, 2014 – Two Shafer Reds

On two adjacent nights, I opened two Shafer half-bottles: a Cabernet and a Merlot.  One of these two surprised me.  The other lives in the shadows of superior vintages, like the younger brother of an over-achiever going through the same schooling.

2006 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine was the surprise, and for two reasons.  First, I thought that I was buying the last three half-bottles of the 2007 vintage of this wine.  I even recorded it that way.  Two years later I was looking for one of my last 2005 Merlots and discovered this bottle of 2006.  I scrambled to count the 2007’s and found only two.  So, it would seem I grabbed the last two 2007’s and the last 2006.  Ordinarily I would not have bought a 2006 vintage Cabernet without tasting it first, so I was shocked to find this bottle.  Upon opening the bottle, I was both relieved and impressed with the wine.  While lacking the depth and body of many 2007’s, this 2006 has become silky and very well balanced, with delicious flavors of red cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, subtle tobacco and minerals.

2008 Shafer Merlot

This wine is nice in its own right, but pales in comparison to the 2004, 2005, and 2007 vintages.  That is the problem with over-achieving older siblings.  (Except for in sports, I was fortunate to be more scholastically inclined than my older siblings ... but my poor younger brother.)  This wine is medium bodied and fairly smooth, featuring darker fruit and complexities, but probably a year or two off from its potential.  I noted flavors of pomegranate, dark cherry, tea, graphite, and leather.  Luckily, I still have three half-bottles of the 2007 vintage waiting to mature.