2012 Shafer "One Point Five" Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

“I continue to love this vintage, which is always a more open, sexy, extroverted style compared to the more dense, concentrated, and formidable 2013s. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five gives up a healthy purple/ruby hue as well as a more rounded, expressive, incredibly seductive profile that carries lots of spiced red and black currants, cedarwood, toasted spice, graphite, and loamy earth. Full-bodied, rich, supple, and straight-up seamless on the palate, it has velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a thrilling finish. This is the real deal and will shock you in a blind tasting, as it reminds me of some top 2009 Bordeaux releases.” (08/2021)

“Blackberries and blueberries with cherries, too. The palate is very polished and refined with fresh, velvety tannins that provide tension and verve. It’s long and vivid with polish and beauty.” (01/2022)

“The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon One Pint Five is a big-time winner, a blend of almost all Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Malbec and Petit Verdot. The wine has an opaque bluish/purple color, almost indigo, and is full-bodied with dense chocolaty crème de cassis notes, licorice and a touch of minerality. Year in year out, this is one of the superstar wineries, not only in Napa Valley and all of California, but in the entire world. (RP)” (10/2014)

“Crushed blackberries compete with a hearty bouquet of violet in this gigantically powerful and structured wine. Soft and leathery, it features spikes of black pepper, vanilla and pungent black earth amid a dense, concentrated finesse of tannin and oak, with a lengthy finish awaiting. This is power at its best, a reflection of an idyllic vintage in the hands of a skilled producer. (VB)” (05/2015)

“The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five shows just how compelling this bottling was at the time. Still quite fresh, the 2012 presents the effusive personality of the year, along with the first signs of aromatic development, making it a very fine choice for drinking now. Hints of cedar, leather, tobacco and mint linger. Readers still cellaring the 2012 are in for a treat. (AG)” (12/2024)

“Very much made in the rich, close-to-flamboyant style that we have come to expect from Shafer, the latest One Point Five is an outgoing Cabernet of extraordinary richness and depth. For all of its lavish, explicitly ripe fruit and sweet oak, it sports plenty of gruff tannins, and its back-palate coarseness is more than enough to dissuade drinking any time soon. Put it aside for six to ten years with complete confidence, and, given the winery's track record in proving that ripeness is in no way antithetical to lengthy aging, we rather expect that it will continue to grow for a good many more after that. *Two Stars*” (04/2015)

“Firm and tight, with a tannic band of cedary oak, dark berry, graphite, mocha and espresso notes, ending with chewy tannins and a burst of cherry-laced fruit. (JL)” (07/2015)