Winemaker Notes
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
When I approached the 2011 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon this morning with the team, I was just a bit leery of the vintage. It has been so spotty for North Coast Cabernets, but this one is Silver Oak and lives up to the winery's pedigree. Yes, this is one of the top wines of the vintage. Just order up a thick rib-eye of beef and don't overcook the beast, this pairing will make your palate smile. Medium to deep ruby in color; active red fruit aroma, with a nice integration of American oak sweetness, a touch of savory herbs in the background; medium bodied, well-textured on the palate, layered and satisfying, pleasing sweet tannins; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; beautiful red and black fruit with an accent of dried herbs and sweet oak in the flavors; long, smooth finish, crisp and active in the aftertaste. (Tasted: January 27, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
Silver Oak was started in 1972 with a simple driving philosophy - to focus production on only one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. What's more, they resolved to create a wine with a style all its own: not another hard, tannic red wine requiring years of aging to enjoy, but a wine of fully developed flavors and a velvety soft texture on the day it is released for sale.
Silver Oak produces Cabernet Sauvignon from two appellations. Their Napa Valley derives its fruit from both owned and contracted vineyards, and is produced entirely at their Oakville winery. Beginning in 1994, small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot have been included in their Napa blend to add complexity and softness.
Silver Oak also produces stellar Cabernet from their Alexander Valley vineyards. A critical reason for the success of this wine, and every wine they make, has always been that they create the final blend before aging it in American oak barrels and then bottles. Over the course of four-and-a-half years, the wine’s flavors, aromas, and textures have an opportunity to meld with one another and the wood’s delicate qualities to create the kind of graceful cohesion found only in the world's most elegant wines.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.