Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
One of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons from the vintage, the 2011 Silver Oak Alexander Valley is so well built! Excellent in its balance and ripeness, this could be one of top wines of the year! I'd like to savory this one with a grilled double cut center cut pork chop. Medium to dark ruby color; savory aroma, maybe some mint, kind of fascinating and surprising, red currants and oak comes up with a bit of aeration and builds to a fine crescendo, fine depth; medium bodied and finely structured on the palate; dry, nice acidity, well balanced; oak, red currants and savory spices in its youthful flavors; long in the finish and poised in the aftertaste. (Tasted: July 30, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.