Shafer TD9 2022

Shafer was founded in 1972 when John Shafer left Chicago for Napa Valley and replanted an estate in the Stags Leap area. TD9 is a Napa Valley blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, named for an old tractor on the property. Napa's warm, sunny days and cooler nights, moderated by the San Pablo Bay, give a wide diurnal range that ripens the Bordeaux varieties fully while holding acidity, producing the ripe fruit and firm structure of a bold New World red. The vineyards are farmed under respectful agriculture. The wine ages twenty months in French oak, where extended slow oxygen exchange polymerises and softens the tannins while adding vanilla, cocoa and spice. The colour is deep ruby-purple. The nose shows ripe plum, dark cherry and cocoa with tobacco and oak spice. The palate is full bodied with ripe, rounded tannins, good acidity and a smooth, lingering finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant for an hour. It suits grilled and roast red meats and rich savoury dishes.