93 points Wine Spectator: "Clean, crisp and flinty, with green apple, lime, quince and spicy hazelnut notes that are pure and focused, gaining depth on the finish. Drink now through 2012. (6/30/09)"

92 points Robert Parker: "The non-malolactic barrel-fermented, green/gold-colored 2007 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch offers loads of tropical fruit, pear, and honeysuckle characteristics in its full-bodied personality. The oak component has been downplayed over recent vintages, and the wine is all the better for it, displaying gorgeously pure fruit. It should drink nicely for 2-4 years. This family-owned winery routinely fashions exceptional wines from their Stags Leap vineyards. Moreover, they have long been the reference point for what can be achieved in Stags Leap. My highest compliments to this great winery. (Dec 2009)

90 points Connoisseurs' Guide: "Deep, juicy, compact and promising yet showing plenty of personality at this early stage of its development, this wine smells of ripe pears and apples buttressed by creamy, near caramelly oak. Typically full-bodied in the manner of past efforts from Shafer, this vintage seems a little tighter in construction and somewhat more in want of aging to allow its tight underbelly to catch up with its deep flavors. (Jun 2009)"