2019 TD-9®
TD-9 is a proprietary blend that celebrates a bold move. In 1973, in the space of a few months, John Shafer went from riding morning commuter trains in Chicago to teaching himself to drive a TD-9 tractor in our Napa Valley vineyard. He’d never grown grapes or made wine in his life. That spirit of risk-taking and adventure still guides Shafer today and inspired the creation of this new wine.
“This vintage ofTD-9, with more than 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, fills the glass with vivid
aromas and flavors of summer berries, black tea, rose petal, lavender, and black cherry. All this
juicy radiance is knit together with ripe Napa Valley tannins, offering abundant enjoyment
today while promising even more beauty with time in your cellar.” — Shafer winemaker Elias Fernandez
Reviews
“The 2019 TD-9 is silky, aromatic and perfumed. Crushed flowers, red berry fruit, spice and rose petal all show a move towards more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Forward and open-knit, the 2019 is an absolute pleasure to taste. Best of all, the 2019 will drink well right out of the gate.” — Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“ … alluring notes of mocha, tapenade and truffles jump from the glass, backed up by a core of
cassis and stewed plums. Full-bodied, juicy and plush in the mouth, it has a lively line and a
wonderfully pure, fruity finish.” — Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate
Vintage and Production Notes
Release Date: February 1, 2022
Vineyard Locations: Stags Leap District, Yountville, and a vineyard in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains just south of Stags Leap District.
The 2019 Growing Season: The long, sunny 2019 summer created a beautiful growing season. The fruit developed rich color and clean, elegant, and pure aromas and flavors.
Varietal Composition: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 8% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot
Brix at Harvest: 23.5° – 25.5°
Cooperage: 20 months in 60-gallon French oak barrels (100% new: Allier and Tronçais)
Alcohol: 15.3%
Suggested Retail: $65
Video: Doug Shafer gives the story behind TD-9 – our proprietary red blend
TD-9 honors John Shafer’s risk-taking and sense of adventure when he launched Shafer Vineyards in the 1970s.
The Shafer TD-9 Story
TD-9 is an adventurous red blend that celebrates a bold move. In 1973 John Shafer went from taking morning commuter trains in Chicago to teaching himself to drive an old TD-9 tractor in our Napa Valley vineyard. He’d never grown grapes or made wine in his life. That spirit of risk-taking and adventure continues to inspire everything we do at Shafer Vineyards today. TD-9 is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec – we hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we love making it.
TD-9 – Shafer’s New Proprietary Red Blend
The Risk-taking and Sense of Adventure That Launched Shafer Still Guides What We Do Today
In January of 1973 at nearly 50 years of age, John Shafer walked away from corporate America and moved his family to a new home in Napa Valley. He’d never grown grapevines or made wine in his life. In fact his only agricultural experience had been raising flowers in the front yard of the family home in Chicago.
With the purchase of the property John inherited a number of sheds and outbuildings, which held a trove of aging farm equipment. Among them he found an International Harvester tractor, an old TD-9 from the 1950s. One of his first challenges was teaching himself to drive and maintain his tractor.
It was all new to him and he would make some rookie mistakes. But that spring there he was in his Napa Valley vineyard and he thought back to how just months before he’d been going to work in a suit, tie, and hat with a newspaper under one arm riding a commuter train into downtown Chicago.
And here he was now teaching himself to drive a tractor, wrestling with mud, rocks, and vines. And he could not have been happier. In the space of just a few months he’d gone from a rider to a driver, from an office to the outdoors, from an employee to being his own boss, and it felt like he had a shot at something special.
TD-9 – Introducing Our New Wine
We are excited to launch a wine that has only one rule – to be as delicious as possible vintage after vintage.
“We own a collection of small vineyards in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains just south of Stags Leap District here in Napa Valley where we grow a number of varieties including Cabernet, Merlot, and Malbec,” says Doug Shafer. “Making TD-9 gives us the chance to take the best fruit of each year from these vineyards and create the most compelling wine of the
vintage.”
Using estate fruit as a basis, Shafer also purchases fruit from Napa Valley growers we know and trust, who are maintaining their vineyards at the highest standard.
“Any time you try something new, you take a gamble,” says Shafer. “But the story of TD-9 is all about risk-taking and a sense of adventure – it was there at our founding and it’s part of our DNA today.”