BUY MORE! SAVE MORE! | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Country: | United States |
Region: | California |
Winery: | Silver Oak |
Grape Type: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Family-owned for nearly 50 years, Silver Oak produces Cabernets aged exclusively in American oak. Its exceptional, food-friendly wines are both drinkable upon release and worthy of cellaring for decades to come. Ray Duncan founded Silver Oak with Justin Meyer in 1972, and it’s now owned and operated by Ray’s sons, David and Tim, with a commitment to innovative and sustainable viticulture practices across its vineyard properties, winemaking facilities, tasting rooms and cooperage. In addition to acquiring OVID Napa Valley in 2017, the Duncan family also founded Twomey Cellars in 1999 and Timeless Napa Valley in 2020.
Notes from Winery:
Our 2016 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with a magenta rim. It has an enticing nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla, sage and spearmint. Upon entry, this wine builds from potpourri and bramble to a bright pop of raspberry on the mid-palate. A juicy finish with chewy tannins anda medium length, it will provide drinking pleasure through 2042 with proper cellaring.
Review:
Concentrated and intense nose with dense blackcurrant fruit, elegant pencil shavings and herbal notes. Grippy tannins with cassis framed by vanilla oak. Decanter 91 Points
Ray Twomey Duncan, a Colorado entrepreneur who began investing in California vineyards in the late 1960s, and Justin Meyer, a Christian Brothers-trained winemaker, co-founded Silver Oak out of a Napa Valley dairy barn in 1972, producing only 1,000 cases of their inaugural vintage.
Silver Oak began over a handshake between two friends with a bold vision: focus on one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon, aged exclusively in American oak and worthy of cellaring for decades to come.
In 2006, a fire destroyed our historic Oakville winery. While rebuilding was a difficult and emotional event; the opportunity to design a new, state-of-the-art winery from the ground up has resulted in better Napa Valley Cabernets and minimized our eco footprint.
Ten years after the fire, Silver Oak Napa Valley was designated the world’s first LEED Platinum winery for existing buildings, operations and maintenance (EBOM) by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Next, when it came time to reimagine the Silver Oak Alexander Valley winery, we applied the lessons learned from our Oakville winery and set an even higher bar. With a goal of net-zero water and energy as our north star, the new Sonoma county winery has since become the world’s first winery to achieve LEED Platinum for building, design and construction (BD+C).
“We have yet to make our best bottle of wine,” or the idea that our best wines are still ahead of us, is a founding philosophy that still guides us to this day.
We farm more than 400 acres of vines in Napa Valley and Alexander Valley with a leading-edge approach toward farming and viticulture, and the softest possible impact on natural resources and the environment.
Since 2014, Napa Valley native Nate Weis has overseen all grapegrowing and winemaking operations at Silver Oak. Nate worked side-by-side with his predecessor Daniel Baron, just as Daniel worked with Justin Meyer before his retirement. These overlapping tenures ensure consistency and quality control, as well as the inherent wisdom that our best wines are still ahead of us.
Deep color of violet and black tones. On the nose, it shows aromas of black tea, violets, blueberries and dark berries. It presents freshness, fine grain tannins and minerality on the palate.
Corne Loup Cotes du Rhone Blanc is made from 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 15% Roussanne and 15% Viognier.
The wine has a pale straw color with brilliant reflection. In the nose, it displays great aromatics, mainly citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced, with a lot of finesse and persistence.
Delicious when paired with seafood (seashell and fish). It is also great by itself as an aperitif.
Marco Capra Langhe Nascetta is made from 100% Nascetta - 15 years old - 1.73 acres
Aged 6 months in stainless steel vats
The name "CONNA" is a sweet nickname after his wife Monica.
Bright straw yellow with greenish hues, with an intense and interesting perfume of grapefruit, apple and aromatic herbs. Floral, fresh, focused, good acidity. Refreshing and bright, full bodied with an aromatic persistence, it is savory and tasty on the palate with a smoothness that enhances the rich character of the wine
Altitude: 400 m above sea level.
Soil composition: lime and sand.
Plant density: 5000 vines / hectare.
Cultivation system: traditional Guyot.
Yield per hectare: 6 tons.
After a short period of maceration on skins, the grapes are soft pressed. The clear must obtained ferments slowly in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16-17°C. The wine spends a long period of time on the fine lees, with frequent “batonnage”
Ideal with apetizers, shellfish and other fish dishes.
Passing Time Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Of all the Passing Time wines, the Walla Walla Cabernet has tended to feature Cabernet exclusively. In the classic 2018, this wine features a deep blue and black fruit character, with hints of blackberry leaf, baker’s chocolate, and crushed herbs. Featuring fruit from Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge vineyards—two locales with very different characters—this wine balances the power and structure of the Pepper Bridge site, with the beautiful elegance and bouquet of the Seven Hills vineyard. The resulting blend features the tell-tale balance of Passing Time’s style while also expressing the profound depth and balance of the incredible 2018 vintage.
Review:
Coming from a mix of the Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge vineyards, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley reveals a deep purple hue as well as beautiful floral, lavender, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, ripe, silky tannins, and just terrific balance, it's another gorgeous wine from this team that can be drunk today or cellared for 15 years or more.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
"Starting with a rocky minerality that shines through on the nose, the 2017 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon shows a good core of red and black fruit that highlights the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards. The dark red fruit lingers over the palate with a rocky and softly savory spiced tension, giving way to structured tannins that build on the back end of the mid-palate. The wine is focused on the well-framed finish, with blackcurrant and black raspberry jus sprinkled with a rustic and rocky tension. It's a nicely made wine that drinks well. I want a second sip. - Anthony Muller"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue# 246, December 2019), 94 pts
"Bright ruby-red. Aromas of blue and black fruits and licorice are lifted by floral and herbal nuances. A very stylish, silky Cabernet Sauvignon with terrific inner-mouth violet lift and sexy oak tones to its fine-grained flavors of dark berries and cocoa powder. Concentrated, savory and very long; more pliant than the 2016 version owing to its nobility of tannins. Very classy juice--and showing brilliantly today. (14.7% alcohol; two-thirds from Seven Hills and one-third from a 1996 planting at Pepper Bridge) - Stephen Tanzer"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2019), 94 pts
Avennia Sestina Red Blend is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc.
The Sestina is a poetic form from Medieval France. Just as a contemporary poet can use an old form like the Sestina to express modern ideas, we use the traditional Bordeaux blend to make modern wines that express Washington fruit. Sestina is our vision for an old vine blend where the focus is on structure, balance, and complexity. This wine is designed for the cellar, but is enjoyable now.
Sestina: This wine is a blockbuster, with black currant, black raspberry, saddle leather, freshly tilled earth, vanilla, and violet on the nose. Exceedingly rich and balanced on the palate, with great poise and structure for long aging. The finish echoes with fresh black fruits, minerally touches, and floral notes.
Review:
The 2020 Sestina showed beautifully, with lots of ripe black fruits, tobacco, and spring flower notes in a medium to full-bodied, fresh, focused, elegant style. It has fine tannins and a great finish and should drink nicely right out of the gate. The tannins here are terrific.
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 Points
Lush, energetic and intense, this gorgeous 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet begins with aromas of blackberry, huckleberry and chocolate, as well as hints of mint, cardamom, clove and graham cracker. On the palate it displays lovely brightness, with firm, resolved tannins framing flavors of boysenberry and black currant. As it evolves in the glass, subtle sweet and savory notes are revealed, carrying the wine to a long, focused finish.
Review:
So complex and beautiful now with blackcurrants, olives, bark, and oyster shells. Full to medium body. Resolved, velvety and juicy tannins. Then turns firm and beautiful. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Drinkable now but will age beautifully.
-James Suckling 95 Points
When the founding fathers of the Napa Valley carved out new sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in the 1980s, Soda Canyon Ranch was not yet on anyone’s map. The vineyard is neighbored to the northwest and west by the winegrowing districts of Stags Leap District and Oak Knoll District, respectively, which were among the early pioneers of California Cabernet Sauvignon to attain global fame. To the northeast and southeast—and further off the beaten path—were Atlas Peak and Coombsville, thought to be the next frontiers for the emerging wine-producing region.
With richness and depth of flavor, the 2018 Timeless Napa Valley is the embodiment of patience and attention to detail. Decades of experience at Soda Canyon Ranch allow winemaker Nate Weis and team to highlight the individual merits of each block. Combining the strongest lots from each resulted in a refined and harmonious bottling.
In 2018, the diurnal shift at Soda Canyon Ranch produced a darker, lusher fruit profile of Cabernet Sauvignon. Simultaneously, the overnight recovery periods resulted in expressive and refined Merlot, giving the wine a pleasant profile of bright, red fruit. With an extended harvest window, the signature, plush density and structure of Petit Verdot is also prevalent in the final blend. Cabernet Franc thrived in 2018 with its predilection for the cooler soils and the climate of blocks 5, 6, 16, 20 and 21—areas we call the Transition Zone and Hardpan Alley. The variety’s floral and tobacco-like aromatics are accentuated, and its more aggressive nature for back-end tannins tamed.
Once blended, the 2018 vintage rested in French oak barrels for 16 months, developing flavors of vanilla and baking spice. Velvety tannins dance across the palate of bright and lingering cassis. With a smooth finish, this is a comforting wine of elegance and depth—a sophisticated expression of the sedate summer.
Review:
This is a little old-school and shows lots of dark berry, chocolate and dried fruit. It’s full, dense and layered with fleshly sensibility. Velvety texture.
-James Suckling 93 Points
Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot.
This is the grape that the winery believes will increasingly be recognized as the icon varietal of Washington State and comprises the majority of their production. This Cabernet is stylish, elegant, and impeccably balanced. Abeja accomplishes this by meticulous viticultural management, utilization of a rare sorting system, gentle handling of the fruit and the wine, customized practices for every lot no matter how small, and carefully selected French oak.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful combination of sturdy structure and polished finesse. Balanced tannins and acidity provide the structure needed for excellent aging and will reward those who tuck it away for a bit.
The nose leads off with plum, bright blackberry, and dark bing cherries. A touch of dried blueberry rounds out the fruit profile. Floral notes and cocoa, with nuances of cedar and spice, are sprinkled throughout. All of these characters follow through on the palate and, with a pleasant minerality and continuity, weave a tapestry of complexity and youthful exuberance.
Review:
A handsome red, refined yet stylish, with polished blackberry, olive and dusky spice flavors that build tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030. 4,126 cases made.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot.
This is the grape that the winery believes will increasingly be recognized as the icon varietal of Washington State and comprises the majority of their production. This Cabernet is stylish, elegant, and impeccably balanced. Abeja accomplishes this by meticulous viticultural management, utilization of a rare sorting system, gentle handling of the fruit and the wine, customized practices for every lot no matter how small, and carefully selected French oak.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful combination of sturdy structure and polished finesse. Balanced tannins and acidity provide the structure needed for excellent aging and will reward those who tuck it away for a bit.
The nose leads off with plum, bright blackberry, and dark bing cherries. A touch of dried blueberry rounds out the fruit profile. Floral notes and cocoa, with nuances of cedar and spice, are sprinkled throughout. All of these characters follow through on the palate and, with a pleasant minerality and continuity, weave a tapestry of complexity and youthful exuberance.
Review:
Aromas of fresh black cherry, barrel spice, dark chocolate and blackberry are followed by lush, ripe black cherry flavors. The tannins are polished to a fine sheen, and it shows a compelling texture. The finish carries. This is an outright delicious offering of the variety, with lots of pure hedonism but no shortage of class. Sean P. Sullivan
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet.
This Napa Valley wine is a blend of their Howell Mountain fruit and a small quantity of valley floor fruit that they purchase. This valley floor fruit contributes to the wine’s earlier approachability and softer tannic structure.
Review:
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a gorgeous wine, especially for Dunn fans who want a wine to drink that won't take forever to come around. Dark and savory, with terrific depth, the 2018 is full of character. Black cherry, lavender, chocolate, sage, mint and cloves all open in the glass. The 2018 has just enough grip to have a good amount of classic structure, but not to the point of being forbidding. The Napa Cabernet is about 55% Howell Mountain and 45% Coombsville fruit. The 2018 is beautifully done and an absolute delight.”
-Vinous 94 Points
Dunn's 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon shows terrific purity and focus in its aromas of cassis and pencil shavings and on the medium to full-bodied palate, where it's streamlined and smooth. There's intensity and concentration, but they sort of slide past almost unnoticed, lubricated by fine-grained tannins and lingering notes of cassis and graphite on the finish.
-Wine Advocate 94 Points
Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Aromas of cedary oak, currants, black cherries and ripe plums are rich and concentrated on the palate. The firm tannins underlying the wine's core provide balance, leading to a long, lingering finish. The 2011 vintage is reflected in this wine, favoring balance to overt ripeness.
Waypoint Oakville Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Review:
Sourced from blocks 7 and Summit, and expertly farmed by Phil Coturri (Harlan, Mayacamas, Landmark, Moon Mountain), comes a big but very smooth and inviting Cabernet Sauvignon with black cherry fruit, blueberries and creme de cassis notes. It’s a flawless wine, which is probably how it recently picked up a soon-to-be published
95-point Cellar Selection from Wine Enthusiast.
The 2018 Oakville Ranch checks in as 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc, all brought up in 68% new barrels. A lifted, pretty perfume of violets, spring flowers, black raspberries, and cassis gives way to a medium to full-bodied, elegant 2018 that does everything right. With polished tannins and plenty of richness, enjoy this beauty any time over the coming 15+ years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is made from Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne.
In a 41 hectare estate, there is only 1 hectare of white varieties: Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne in roughly equal proportions. The Grenache and Clairette is pressed directly into tank upon reaching the cellar where it is fermented and aged on its lees. The Roussanne is harvested in several passes and pressed into French oak for fermentation and aging. The final wine is blended and bottled in the spring after the harvest.
Review:
One of the appellation’s top whites comes from Clos Saint Jean (although it’s their reds that get all the attention), the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is brilliant, with a fresh, vibrant, focused style to go with classic crushed citrus, tart quince, and acacia flower-like notes. It builds on the palate and is medium-bodied, with richness and depth. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Pulled from a Gentleman's cellar, all wines from this cellar have been purchased by the owner either from the importer or direct from winery. They stayed in his cellar until being moved to the Timeless Wines warehouse.