At $80, the 2023 TD-9 opens a door into Shafer that usually costs considerably more to walk through. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blend, with fruit drawn from Stags Leap District, Yountville, and the Vaca Mountain foothills, all under the direction of longtime winemaker Elias Fernandez. It carries the pedigree of one of Napa Valley’s most established Cabernet houses without the price attached to Shafer’s most celebrated bottlings. The 2023 vintage gave Fernandez a broad palette from which to build TD-9. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for 75% of the blend, joined by Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, followed by 18 months in Allier and Tronçais French oak. For all that richness in its construction, the finished wine has energy and silky tannins, with blackberry and black plum layered over spice, tobacco, and toast. The critics found plenty of reasons to take the 2023 seriously. Two 95-point reviews praised its purity, balance, and structure, while Jeb Dunnuck sees enough staying power to carry it through 2045. Yet there is no need to wait. The wine already offers the polish and generosity to make a compelling case right now, with the structure to reward years in the cellar.