Winemaker Notes
95.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.7% Merlot, 0.4% Petit Verdot, 0.3% Malbec and 0.3% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rather tight, structured, youthful vintage that is enjoyable and drinkable but not at its peak yet. Toasted oak and dark spice aromas lead to black cherries, dried blueberries and light sage accents. So balanced, firm and concentrated, it comes from a drought year, which intensified the flavors and tannins.
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Decanter
Marked by drought and a warm dry summer, the year had ideal ripening conditions and the shortest harvest season ever. Low yields and small berries translated into a bold, deep-coloured Cabernet with less than 5% other Bordeaux varietals. It’s a big mouthful of ripe juicy blackberry flavours with spicy aromas and roasted brown sugar notes of American oak aging.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: When I first tasted the first Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignons in the mid-1970s, I knew there was something here, but I could not pin it down. The first wines were powerful. As the decades moved through, I became well-acquainted with what the founders Raymond Twomey Duncan and Justin Meyer had envisioned, and the project continues to blossom. Now as we approach Silver Oak's five decades, the wines are getting better and better. The 2015 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet is another success story. Almost too predictable, this wine is as robust as they come. TASTING NOTES: This wine is a mouthful of ripe red and black fruits, medium tannins, and oak nuances. Pair it with an ultra-thick grilled ribeye and savor away. (Tasted: June 24, 2019, 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.