Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay

A vibrant, elegant aroma of kiwi, white peach, and grapefruit; on the palate, a light almond note, clear minerality, and fresh acidity; exotic fruit on the finish. The family-run Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley focuses exclusively on top-quality wines. To this day, wine critic Robert Parker rates Shafer wines exclusively as "excellent" or "outstanding" and calls the winery "one of the world's greatest wineries." John Shafer founded it in 1972 after working for 23 years as a publicist. He began renewing the vines dating back to the 1920s and terraced the steep, rocky vineyards. The first grapes were processed in 1978—and even this wine was a top product. It won the prestigious San Francisco Vintners Club tasting and, ten years later, an international blind tasting in Germany against such luminaries as Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Palmer. New vineyards in Oak Knoll, Stag's Leap, and Carneros were acquired, bringing the current vineyard area to over 80 hectares in prime locations. In 1978, 1,000 cases of wine were produced; today, that figure has reached 32,000. John's son, Doug, became winemaker in 1983 after completing his oenology studies at Davis University. A year later, Elias Fernandez joined as assistant winemaker. In 1994, Elias Fernandez took over as winemaker, while Doug Shafer became chairman of the board.