Shafer Vineyards
John’s Upper 7
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
Stags Leap District
Auction 20 | Lot No. 0
Vintage: 2014
Shafer Vineyards
John’s Upper 7
Cabernet Sauvignon
Stags Leap District
5 cases produced
Highlights
- 100% hillside Cabernet Sauvignon
- From Shafer’s original seven-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon
- Rich, lush aromas and flavors
- Classic silky, round Stags Leap District tannins
Description
In the mid-1970s John Shafer planted his first Cabernet Sauvignon vines on a rugged hillside overlooking an area of Napa Valley that would one day be called Stags Leap District. Those vines produced the fruit for the first Shafer Vineyards wine, a 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon. Nearly 40 years later, Doug Shafer and Elias Fernandez offer this Premiere Napa Valley wine from that same vineyard block, called John’s Upper 7, to honor John Shafer’s pioneering work in helping Napa Valley wine achieve world-class status. This 100% hillside Cabernet Sauvignon has rich, lush aromas and flavors and the classic silky, round tannins for which the Stags Leap District is renowned.
Elias Fernandez
Winemaker, Shafer Vineyards
Elias Fernandez has been making wine at Shafer Vineyards for 40 years, forging a style of boldness, elegance, and balance that has been embraced by wine lovers throughout the world. Elias earned his success in part because he knows Napa Valley vineyards from the roots up. He knows first-hand what it’s like to work in 100-degree heat among dusty vine rows as well as the difficulties of pruning vines in the freezing winter pre-dawn light.
Elias’ father came to the U.S. from Michoacan, Mexico and worked in the San Joaquin Valley as a farm laborer. His mother was born in Napa Valley where her father was a laborer who helped build the rail line that runs through Yountville. Both parents picked prunes and walnuts in the days before wine grapes became the predominant crop in the Valley. Some of Elias’ earliest memories are in these orchards.
In junior high, Elias started working in vineyards with his father where he learned to drive tractors, train and prune grapevines and from both parents he learned the value of hard work and self reliance. "When I graduated from UC Davis, I knew I wanted to work for a smaller winery that would give me the chance to be a "hands-on" winemaker, getting involved in all aspects of running a cellar. I had a lot of excitement getting into this career and that excitement has stayed with me."
Country born: United States
Education: B.S. in Fermentation Science from U.C. Davis
Years in the wine industry: 30+ years
Honors / Awards:
"Winemaker of the Year" - Food & Wine magazine and Wine & Spirits magazine; inducted into the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Hispanic Hall of Fame at The White House
Winemaking Philosophy:
Coming into this 40 years ago, I thought that winemaking happened underneath the roof of the cellar. Today who I am as a winemaker has umbrellaed in a big way. Winemaking starts in January with pruning and continues throughout the year. I'm not just selecting the best fruit, I'm selecting the best corks, the right barrel staves, ensuring that the bottling line is working at top efficiency. What I've also learned is to let the land dictate the best grape variety and the style of the wine that ends up in the bottle.
Winery Distribution
Shafer Vineyards is distributed in the following markets. Please contact the winery directly for the most up-to-date distribution information and to explore commercial opportunities.
Shafer Vineyards Contact: Doug Shafer
Domestic:
- Alabama ( International Wines & Craft Beer )
- Alaska ( Columbia/Young's Market )
- Arizona ( Quail Distributing )
- Arkansas ( Moon Distributors )
- California ( Winebow - North/South )
- California ( Winebow - North )
- California ( Winebow - South )
- Colorado ( Grand Vin )
- Connecticut ( Worldwide Wines c/o Brescome Barton )
- Delaware ( Vintage Import )
- Florida ( BreakThru Beverage )
- Florida ( Augustan Wine Imports )
- Georgia ( Winebow )
- Hawaii ( Chambers & Chambers )
- Idaho ( Craig Stein Beverage - Sun Valley/East )
- Idaho ( Idaho Wine Merchants - Western )
- Illinois ( Maverick Wine Co )
- Indiana ( Carroll Co )
- Iowa ( Okoboji Wines )
- Kansas ( LDF Sales and Dist. Inc. )
- Kentucky ( Heidelberg Distributing )
- Louisiana ( Wines Unlimited )
- Maine ( South Portland Wine Company )
- Maryland ( Bacchus Importers Ltd )
- Massachusetts ( Carolina Wine Co/Martignetti )
- Michigan ( Great Lakes Wine & Spirits )
- Minnesota ( The Wine Company )
- Mississippi ( International Wines, Inc. )
- Missouri ( Glazer's Midwest-Kansas City )
- Montana ( George's Distributing Wine )
- Nebraska ( Quail Distributing )
- Nevada ( Vin Sauvage, LLC )
- New Hampshire ( Martignetti Companies of NH )
- New Jersey ( Winebow Inc )
- New Mexico ( Bacchus Wine Patrol / SWS NM )
- New York ( Winebow Inc )
- North Carolina ( RNDC Company, LLC )
- North Carolina ( Advintage of NC )
- North Dakota ( RNDC Company, LLC )
- Ohio ( Wine Trends )
- Oklahoma ( Thirst Wine Merchant )
- Oregon ( Galaxy Wine Company )
- Pennsylvania ( Vintage Imports )
- Rhode Island ( Mancini Beverage / Rhode Island Distributing )
- South Carolina ( Advintage Distributing )
- Tennessee ( Best Brands Inc - NASHVILLE & CHATTANOGA )
- Tennessee ( D & V Distributing - KNOXVILLE )
- Tennessee ( Southern (Glazer's) - MEMPHIS )
- Texas ( RNDC- Schertz )
- Texas ( RNDC- Grand Prairie )
- Texas ( RNDC- Houston )
- Utah ( Utah Liquor Control )
- Virginia ( Winebow )
- Virginia ( Select Wines- North VA )
- Washington ( Winebow )
- Wisconsin ( Prestige Wines Wisconsin )
- Wisconsin ( Prestige Wines Wisconsin-Oshkosh )
- Wisconsin ( Prestige Wines Wisconsin- Madison )
- Wyoming ( Wyoming Liquor Commission )
International:
- Austria ( TransGourmet )
- Belgium ( Vinesse )
- Bermuda ( Barrows Lightbourn )
- Canada ( Rogers/International )
- Caribbean ( Webb Banks )
- China ( ASC )
- Costa Rica ( Vinum Aura )
- Denmark ( Bergman Fine Wines )
- France ( Valade et Transadine )
- Germany ( Freund )
- Hong Kong ( Ponti )
- Ireland ( James Nicholson )
- Japan ( Hottei )
- Liechtenstein ( Ritter )
- Luxembourg ( Vimowa )
- Mexico ( Great Fine Wines )
- Netherlands ( Bart )
- Philippines ( Transcontinental )
- Singapore ( Excaliber )
- South Korea ( Nara )
- Spain ( Vila Vinteca )
- Sweden ( VinUnic )
- Switzerland ( Martell )
- Taiwan ( Atherton )
- Thailand ( California Pacific Wines )
- United Kingdom ( Thorman Hunt )
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