The WinemakerThe longtime winemaker for Shafer is Elias Fernandez. Elias has been with Shafer for over 25 years. He was on a path to be a great musician with a Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of Nevada but decided shortly thereafter that his roots were in the wine business. His father and mother were both day laborers and he was used to hard work. He decided to enroll at UC Davis in 1981 and was hired by Shafer in 1984 as an assistant winemaker. He took on full winemaking responsibilities in 1994 and has worked diligently to help establish Shafer as one of Napa Valley’s premier wineries. He was named best winemaker by Food and Wine Magazine in 2002. The story behind the name for this wine is that it is in honor of the winemaker Elias Fernandez’ relentless pursuit for quality.
78% Syrah
22% Petite Syrah
The grapes are picked, crushed, and fermented together!
Aging: The wine is aged in new French oak for 30 months
Alcohol: 14.9%
Winemaker Notes:
“The flavors and aromas are immense, round, mouthfilling and long-lived with a luscious blend of rich blackberry, black plums, meatiness from the Syrah and a dose of blueberry from the Petite Sirah. The tannins are ripe and long-lived, with a lengthy, pleasing finish.” —ELIAS FERNANDEZ
“… a sure-fire winner … the classic cassis, blackberry, peppery meatiness of this wine are beautiful.” —ROBERT M. PARKER, JR., THE WINE ADVOCATE
Vineyard Location: A small ridgetop site and a foothills site along the Vaca Mountains just south of Stags Leap District
Shafer Goes GreenThere are several ways that Shafer works on sustainable farming:
Solar Power
Future Farming
Birds of Prey
Eating Machines
Cover Crops
Solar Power: In 2004, Shafer switched to 100% Solar Energy to power their operation! They are committed to sustainable agriculture – using cover crops, as little or no pesticides or herbicides, letting the harmless do their job in the vineyard to control pests that like grapes and grapevines.
Partnering with Bugs and Weeds: Another key part of farming sustainably is the use of cover crops. Today our vine rows grow wild with clover, vetch, oats, bell beans and other vegetation that creates a lively habitat for insects.
“The cover crops create a healthy environment where “good bugs” prey on “bad bugs,” says Doug Shafer. “More specifically, insects such as spiders and ladybugs naturally kill off or consume vine-damaging insects such as leafhoppers and blue-green sharpshooters.”Cover crops do double and triple duty. They control erosion while also choking back weeds we don’t want. They control the vigor of the vine and at the end of their lifecycle they’re plowed under and enrich the soil with nitrogen and other macronutrients. This combined with our own compost allowed us to say good by to chemical fertilizers.
