The winery's proprietary blend of 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Malbec is hugely impressive and memorable, with a smoky, toasted oak character. Plush flavors of blackberry and cherry jam meld with spice on the rich, round midpalate. It offers plenty of grip and concentration, finishing on a handful of dried herb.

Our favorite “tractor” wine, this proprietary blend of 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Malbec was named for John Shafer’s transition from commuter train to farm vehicle. This is the second vintage, and we think it’s even better than the frst. Aromas of ripe strawberry and cinnamon rolls launch exuberantly from the glass as meaty notes and dry, dusty tannins emphasize favors of sassafras, spearmint, licorice, and plum. Lean acidity shows in the structured, upright body.

The 2016 Red Blend TD-9 is blended of 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Malbec. It has a very deep purple-black color and displays ready-for-biz, fragrant scents of warm plums, Black Forest cake and blueberry compote with touches of baking spices, bay leaves and potpourri. Full-bodied with a serious, firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, the palate delivery loads of black fruit and spicy layers with bags of vivacity and panache.

Leading off the reds, the 2016 TD-9 checks in as 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Malbec and is a cuvée first made in 2015. Revealing considerable elegance and purity as well as medium to full-bodied richness, it offers up a terrific bouquet of black cherry and blackberry fruits, tobacco, lavender, and an alluring forest floor character. It’s already drinking beautifully yet will keep for upwards of a decade.

The 2021 TD-9 is a very pretty wine. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and white pepper are all nicely delineated. This mid- weight, vibrant red is full of appeal. The 2021 is the first vintage in which this wine is now a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. It is done in an approachable, fresh style meant for near and medium-term drinking.