TD-9 2023 Shafer

Tasting Notes

Upon pouring, violets and crushed blueberries emerge at first, with dark black currants lurking underneath. Merlot is responsible for most of the flavor. The flavor is full but not heavy, with black plums, cocoa and a spicy tobacco leaf note from the Petit Verdot. The tannins are fine-grained and refined rather than intense; the 2023 is drinkable now after an hour of aeration, but its structure suggests it will easily last another 10 years.

Grape Varieties

TD-9 is a Bordeaux-style blend, but dominated by Merlot rather than Cabernet Sauvignon. That is the essence of this wine. Merlot brings a plump middle of flavor and in most years makes up half of the blend. Malbec often makes up a quarter, adding violet and dark plum flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure. Petit Verdot is the least common, but provides color and spicy sharpness. So why this particular blend? It's Napa's answer to the more sun-drenched Right Bank Pomerol.

Cellaring Potential

Best time to drink: 2026-2038. The tannins are already well pronounced, so there's no guilt in opening a bottle tonight with steak. However, the fresher acidity of the 2023 vintage gives this wine more aging potential than usual; store at 12-14°C. After eight years, expect Malbec's floral notes to fade and be replaced by earthy, leathery notes.

The Producer

Shafer was one of the architects of the modern Stags Leap District neighborhood. John Shafer, a Chicago publishing executive, bought an abandoned hillside in 1972 and terraced it himself with a John Deere TD-9 bulldozer. That bulldozer was the basis for the wine's name. Doug Shafer and winemaker Elias Fernandez (who has been with the company since 1984) continue to manage the cellar after it was sold to Shanken/Wine Spectator-affiliated ownership. Best of Wines believes Shafer's consistency across different vintages is truly rare in Napa at this level.

Terroir & Climate

The Stags Leap neighborhood is located in the eastern part of Napa Valley, across from the Vaca Hills. The soils are a mixture of stony loams of volcanic origin on the slopes and clay loams mixed with gravel on the valley floor. Why it's important: Afternoon sea breezes penetrate from San Pablo Bay through a gap in the Chimney Rock and cool the vineyards when the grapes are too hot to ripen. Characteristics of the region include well-structured red wines with soft, flavorful tannins. Locals call it "an iron fist in a velvet glove".

Winemaking

Shafer is picked by hand, and all berries go through an optical sorting machine before fermentation. Each variety is fermented separately and aged in French oak barriques (225-liter Bordeaux-type barrels) for about 20 months. The percentage of new oak is lower than Hillside Select, but that's intentional: the goal is for the TD-9 to reach drinking age early and show fruit, not wood. The winery has been 100% solar powered since 2004.

Food Pairing

A core of plump Merlot and refined tannins make TD-9 a generous dinner partner. Recommended pairings:

• Grilled short ribs with black pepper, the fat softens the tannins.
• Braised short ribs with mushrooms.
• Roast lamb with rosemary.
• Aged manchego or cheddar
• a combination of fruit and umami.

Serve at 16-18°C; decant within 45 minutes if drinking before 2027.