Shafer Vineyards Shafer One Point Five 2023 750ml

This sophisticated and concentrated wine wraps lovely dark plums, blueberries and cocoa flavors in velvety tannins that are well-integrated and soothing, while still setting the wine up for a potentially long life. Subtle baking spices, espresso and cedar accents enhance the impressive fruit flavors. Best from 2027–2037. (Jim Gordon)

More Cabernet-dominated, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five checks in as 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, and a splash of Malbec. It has incredible purity in its cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and camphor on the nose and a concentrated, medium to full-bodied, layered style on the palate that stays tighter and more compact than the TD-9. (Jeb Dunnuck)

A bigger, darker Cabernet Sauvignon in the lineup, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five offers blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, and cedar pencil notes that all shine beautifully. It's full-bodied and has a rich, layered, elegant mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, and a great finish. This classic, serious wine from this team deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will have 25 years or more of longevity. Drink 2029-2049.

Dripping ripe plums and other dark fruits are spun through with aromas of cracked pine and pitch for a complex Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa icon, Shafer Vineyards. Succulent and mouthwatering with melting tannins and a persistent finish, this is a wine with plenty of potential to age.

Frankly ripe, with a deep, alluring well of açaí berry, blackberry and boysenberry puree flavors that glide through on the polished structure. Pretty flashes of spices, sweet bay and violet skitter through for contrast. The finish is polished, generous and fruit-filled. Drink now through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 9,000 cases made. (James Molesworth)

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five is stellar. Deep, pliant and resonant in the glass, the One Point Five has so much to offer. Dark plum, blackberry, menthol and espresso all build effortlessly in the glass. It’s a gorgeous bridge into the flagship Hillside Select.

An excellent wine, still arguably a decent value in the context of Napa Valley Cab, Shafer’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five features attractive aromas of ripe cherries, cedar and vanilla, plus hints of mocha and loam. Full-bodied, ripe and velvety, it offers more concentration, tannins and length than the winery’s TD-9. The question consumers will have to answer is whether it is worth the step up in price. (Joe Czerwinski)

Shafer's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five might be an even better value than the winery's TD-9, despite coming in at a slightly higher price point. It's matured in new French oak for 18 months and boasts slightly cedary, toasty oak notes that frame the wine's black cherry and cassis fruit. It's full-bodied, big and bold—firmly in the Shafer style, despite the cool vintage. While not a Stags Leap District AVA wine, it offers a glimpse of that region's svelte, silky texture, being plush on the palate, long and elegant on the finish. With 10,000 cases produced, it should be relatively easy to find. 92-94 points.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Verdot, 3% Merlot, and 2% Malbec that was bottled in May of 2024. Tons of juicy red and black berries, incense, new leather, and spicy notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a juicy, elegant mouthfeel, good richness, and outstanding length.

While the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five includes some purchased fruit, the aim is for it to become fully estate once new plantings come into production. It's an incrementally richer, darker and more concentrated wine than Shafer's TD-9, with black cherries wrapped in a subtle cloak of almost ephemeral cedar and vanilla. Full-bodied and velvety textured, with a lingering finish, it should drink well for at least 15 years.

This is laden with warmed cassis and plum compote notes that are seamlessly woven with roasted vanilla, tobacco and black licorice. A twinge of walnut husk lends a touch of cut through the rather dense finish. Best from 2027 through 2039. 10,000 cases made.

Plump and open-knit, with a friendly gush of plum sauce and boysenberry compote flavors coated with sweet toast and licorice on the finish. A subtle graphite edge gives just enough form for balance. Drink now through 2034. 12,000 cases made. (James Molesworth)