Silver Oak Cellars : Alexander Valley "Cabernet Sauvignon" 2017

The depth and intensity of a Californian red wine

The estate

Founded in 1972 by Ray Twomey Duncan and Justin Meyer, Silver Oak Cellars have since the beginning had the ambition to develop a cabernet sauvignon wine, aged in American oak casks with an exceptional laying down potential. Decades later, Silver Oak Cellars wines have been come an unmissable reference among Californian wines.

Today, Ray’s sons David and Tim Duncan own and work the 200-plus hectares of vines in Napa Valley and Alexander Valley, with an avant-garde approach to winegrowing, as respectful as possible to natural resources and the environment. Since 2014, Nate Weis, originally from Napa Valley, has supervised all the growing and winemaking operations.

The vineyard

"Cabernet Sauvignon" 2018 from Silver Oak Cellars is a Californian wine that stems from a vineyard of about 44 hectares, grown on terraces. The sand-silt soils formed by the weathering of the Mayacama mountains is made up of gravel. Rich in minerals, the soils have a perfect drainage.

The wine

Until 2011, this wine was made exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon. After several blending trials, it was found that the addition of Merlot and Cabernet Franc brought a silky and spicy touch. These two grape varieties are now automatically included in the blend of this wine.

2017 is the first vintage to be made in state-of-the-art cellars.

The vintage

In January, heavy rains ended a five-year drought. After an average bud break, a prolific growth at the beginning of the season required careful observation by the teams. Flowering took place at a regular pace. In June and July, three heatwaves tested the winegrowers, but their management of irrigation and cooler, foggier mornings limited the impact on the vineyards and allowed the grapes to reach full maturity.

Winemaking and ageing

This Alexander Valley wine was aged in American oak casks (50% new) which were made at the estate’s cooperage.

Blend

Cabernet sauvignon (95.5%)
Merlot (3.6%)
Cabernet Franc (0.5%)
Petit Verdot (0.3%)
Malbec (0.1%)

Characteristics and tasting tips for Alexander Valley "Cabernet Sauvignon" 2017 from Silver Oak Cellars

Tasting

Colour
The wine is a ruby colour with light purple highlights.

Nose
The nose is lovely with its redcurrant, blackcurrant and ripe plum notes mingling with delicious cardamom and caramel scents.

Palate
The palate harmoniously combines intensity and depth, producing fine tannins which stretch out to a long and enduring finish.

Storage

This Californian wine can be laid down until about 2043.