Decanter Magazine Review
Rated 96
The 2019 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet shows a deep, ruby color. It is a beautifully compact wine that delivers complex and nuanced aromas of Bing cherry and black raspberry with tobacco, currant leaf, and cedarwood laced with dried sage. Focused and linear on the medium to full-bodied palate, showing expressive dark berry character and exotic oak spices with a firm backbone of fine-grained structured tannins. Cool raspberry, cherry, and blackberry fruit are perfectly represented, and the lengthy finish is crisp, lively, and energetic. No doubt, this is one to cellar. Exhaustive oak seasoning experiments led by winemaker Nate Weis resulted in the discovery that the American oak they age Silver Oak in when seasoned for 24 months and toasted for 90 minutes, marks the point at which the oak imparts more vanillin character and delivers better tannin integration. By contrast, the 2018 vintage was aged in American oak, seasoned for 16 months and toasted for 60 minutes. Weis explains that their experiments showed that underseasoned American oak imparts a dill character, while overseasoning results in coconutty notes, but finding a sweet spot delivers that vanillian quality winemakers look for in French oak. Taste the 2018 and 2019s side by side if you can, and note the subtle differences and shift to a more savory profile in the 2019 vintage, with a very precise integration of oak tannin. It will be exciting to follow their progression in the cellar and see how subsequent vintages shape up in healthy and challenging harvest years. Drinking Window: 2024-2038.
Silver Oak Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Tasting Notes:
The 2019 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautifully balanced wine with aromas of blackberry, cassis, and hints of cedar and spice. On the palate, it is rich and complex, showcasing flavors of dark fruits, vanilla, and cocoa, with well-integrated tannins and a long, elegant finish.
- Varietal Composition: 76.61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18.13% Merlot, 2.56% Cabernet Franc, 2.32% Petit Verdot, 0.38% Malbec
- ABV: 14.8%
Food Pairings: Pairs excellently with grilled steaks, braised short ribs, and aged cheeses.
About the Winery:
Silver Oak Cellars, an iconic Napa Valley winery, is renowned for its commitment to crafting exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon wines that highlight the unique terroir of Napa Valley.
