2015 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch

There is so much to like in these new releases from Shafer. Sure, the Hillside Select Cabernet gets most of the attention, but the more times passes, the more I am impressed with the mid-tier wines. The last few vintages of the Syrah-based Relentless have been terrific, while the One Point Five Cabernet remains one of the best Napa Valley Cabernets in its price range. Shafer's new Merlot-based TD-9 is another wine that delivers superb quality for the money. Longtime winemaker Elias Fernandez describes 2015 as a year with rapid sugar accumulation. The effects of four years of drought resulted in smaller canopies that allowed more sun penetration. Because of the quick ripening, the skins were quite thick and the tannins were a bit aggressive. Fernandez did not do much in the way of extended maceration for fear of overextracting some of the less desirable elements in the fruit. In 2016, on the other hand, spring rains led to healthier, larger canopies and more gradual ripening that was about ten days later than 2015. Tasted from barrel, the 2016s show superb finesse and harmony for wines that are naturally still very young.