Nose of black cherry, plum, roasted coffee grounds, white pepper, and cassis, same on the palate, very tasty, at peak, time to enjoy over the next five years, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, lovely complexity, better on the palate than the nose, long, long finish, and tasty aftertaste.
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Christmas Day Cellar Selection, nose of black cherry, plum, roasted coffee grounds, white pepper, and cassis, same on the palate, very tasty, at peak, time to enjoy over the next five years, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, lovely complexity, better on the palate than the nose, long, long finish, and tasty aftertaste, paired with NBA games and cheese.
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Had at a large Christmas party with dinner. Cork was perfect; little Tannen; kept and aged well over 15 years in a wine cellar at constant temperature. Decanted once. As good a cab as I've had. A 97 rating may be a bit high for the more sophisticated wine enthusiast, but to me worth it. Not a drop of wine was left.
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MMD Tour 2022 Tasting. St. Regis Hotel (St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco): Nose of black cherry, black berry, plum, allspice, roasted coffee ground, and a hint of sliced bell pepper, same on the palate, big body, at peak, can hold another 5 years but will not get better than this so why wait, mouth filling flavors and fruit, and a long finish, photo uploaded.
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Enjoyed over a cassoulet dinner with a group from our wine club. Still drinking beautifully but probably a bit past prime so definitely time to drink up any remaining holdings - the accompanying '03 Napa Valley bottling at this point of development is clearly drinking better with more fruit and better structure remaining. Definitely recommend with caveat that it is time to drink these up. Mature, soft mouth feel, medium - full bodied, complex, completely integrated with fruit fading, soft oak present and tannins completely resolved with secondary flavors developing. Beautiful medium length lingering aftertaste. Dark nose of dark stone fruit including plum and dark cherry, coffee and light smoke and black pepper on the end. Flavor profile of light oak, plum, dark cherry and classic cassis up front with coffee, smoke, leather, definite black pepper and grilled meats developing on the mid- late palate. Sat for about 30 minutes in the glass to open up and this was enough aeration - if decanted a very short splash decant will suffice.
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At Silver Oak Healdsburg today, nose of black berry, and plum, floral nose, slightly closed as the bottle was opened 30 minutes earlier, same on the palate, medium body, tasty, mouth filling fruiy, rich fruit, at peak and better to enjoy now I think, and a medium/long, flavorful finish.
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Thank you Alex for the glass, nose of black berry, mocha, and plum, floral nose, same on the palate, medium body-opened 3 days earlier, tasty, almost mouth filling fruiy, rich fruit, slightly tired but still charming and enjoyable, and a medium/long and flavorful finish.
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Smoky black, big whiff of charcoal and earth, with tar and spice overwhelming fruit a bit. Enjoyed the bottle but found it a bit out of sorts. Drink now.
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Clear, deep ruby color. Clean nose of medium plus intensity. On the palate with aromas of cooked plums, prunes, raisins, cedar, leather, meat and farmyard. The wine is fully developed. On the palate, it is dry with medium acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, medium plus body, pronounced flavor intensity of earth, leather, forrest floor, cedar, cooked dark fruit. The finish is medium plus. Very good wine, drink now, not suitable for further aging,
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The consistency of the ratings speaks volumes about this very reliable producer. Nice notes of tobacco, charcoal are complimented by dark forest fruit enveloped in some firm oak that is just about right at 15 years of bottle age. Finish is medium length and very pleasant, reviving some of the slightly earthier elements while the soft tannins linger in the background. For some reason, my wife and I decided to drink Silver Oak on our anniversary every year, this wine was consumed on our 20th. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to share it with my wonderful wife.
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I opened this based upon recent reviews that it may be past its prime. I would agree that it is not fruit forward, but I would disagree that there are no tannins remaining. The color is amazingly lovely for a wine this age...it does not give it away. There is also none of the "barn yard" aromas that would be expected with an aged wine.
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Great smells upon opening. Luscious mouthfeel and very smooth. All tannins are gone. It won't hold up with heavier food anymore but would be great with cheeses and light meats. Drink now.
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Very smooth and little too no tannins, which wasn't as good of a painting with my ribeye steak as I was hoping for. Still had some fruit and luscious mouthfeel.
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In its way down but still strong after 2 hr decant. Tannins gone. Soft yet still supple wine. More fruit than expected. Nice with cheese and crackers but would probably fail next to heavier fare. Drink now.
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Either over the hill or poor storage. Both of which are my fault. Lacked fruit and intensity, and had a heavy oak and coconut vibe to it. Drank fine, but no where near expectations.
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Had this second bottle about a month after the first. Based on the first i was convinced this was well past its prime. This bottle however was very satisfying. Soft tannin and nice bold dark fruit. Had the first glass alone and second with some sharp cheddar and even spicy hummus which further accentuated the flavors. No need to wait any longer on this one. Drinkable now and based on a 50% success rate might not hold up that much longer.
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We have had this in the cellar for a while. The last bottle we opened was just ok so hadn't really been wanting to grab this one out of the cellar. Decided it was time. Exceeded expectations. A spicy nose with a full body finish. No need to wait but not really showing that it is waning either.
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This is still smooth but now it's very flavorful. It's amazing what a couple of years can do. This is medium bodied and wonderfully complex with everything from cassis to coffee flavors.
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All I can is Wow, fantastic depth of flavors and long delicious finish. Originally rated low for its tannic flavor, I believe it has created a classic wine with staying power.
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This was a great bottle of wine. I decanted for about 45 minutes. It could have used a little more time...The nose was soft with vintage Silver Oak aromas but I was initially concerned because the fruit was subdued. It was just tight. It continued to opened up nicely in the decanter and slowly started blossoming in the glass. An hour and a half after opening, this wine was beautifully smooth and tasty. I remember sampling a bottle when it was first released. It has shed the adolescent façade of youth and aged into a very pleasant wine.
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Decanted, at first it was tight but opened nicely with distinct Silver Oak aromas of dark fruit, oak and tobacco. Softened tannins with dark cherries and plums and cigar box.
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Rich, deeply aromatic fruit, soft tannins, really very good and a crowd pleaser. This is the old Silver Oak, the one I remember. More recent bottles from these vineyards have seemed more thin.
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Textbook Silver Oak, at this stage oak and tannin nicely integrated presenting a juicy cassis tinged medium weight. Slightly stemmy finish, but in general pleasing.
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Nose of cassis, and black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, rich, touch simple, easy to drink with chicken and potato salad, medium body, at its peak, drink up, pleasant fruity finish and aftertaste.
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Pop and pour. Consumed over 2 hours. Plum, cherry, licorice, blackberry, blueberry compote and LOTS of oak and associated spices. Medium length, decent balance. Good, for what it is, but feel there are better alternatives in Napa/Sonoma Cab for this price point. Did pair excellent with a dry aged ribeye from Five Dot Ranch. 88
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Maybe my tastes are changing, but I just don't find S.O Alexander to be very good for the money. S.O Napa is a big step up (with the tag to come with it though), but this just fell flat.
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initial tannins with some bitterness at the end of a sip eventually yielded less fruit and more alexander earth that was softer and appealing went well with pot roast and also on it's own
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Nice. Opened in memory of Tom. This was right up his alley. Red fruit, tobacco, licorice and oak. In a nice spot right now. Not my favorite style but can appreciate their consistency and dedication to their brand and how the wine is made. I liked it didn't love it.
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Dinner with the winemaker. This is drinking nicely right now. Very mellow with nice flavor profile of blueberry, chocolate, raspberry, very CA style cabernet. Had a nice green pepper aspect on the nose. Age has been nice to this one. Very smooth.
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Ever since Justin Meyer passed away, The Silver Oak consistency of excellence has nosed dived. When you can find Silver Oak in an ABC store in Hawaii, you know you've sunk to a new low. Sorry, but $60 for this is way overpriced.
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The wine was a ruby red and appeared to be a medium body cabernet. The nose started with a hint of floral perfume. Immediately following it was filled with dark fruit, oak, and vegetation (green pepper). The palate was full of licorice, cherry, oak undertones. Overall, the wine was very smooth and drinkable.
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Yet another proof that the wisdom of crowds is better than the experts. Cellartracker's reviews nail this. Perfectly drinkable, but also perfectly unimpressive.
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decanted for 30 minutes only to get extremely non vibrant fruit some tobacco and a hint of disappointment....decanted another 2 hours and this lady woke up to express its blackberry and plum fruit character. Overall I would drink this alone without food... Open it up then play a round of golf and 5 hours later should be approachable as you relax on the couch watching the last several holes on the golf channel
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Kathy's 65th birthday and this is a red wine that goes with in bone fillet mignon. Nose of mocha, cassis, and black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, rich and supple drinking, medium finish, the servers enjoyed the wine, as did we.
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Nice wine and better than the pro reviews out there. I think it is a bit of throwback to the kind of modern CA wines from the 80's...I get why the big fruit bomb, high alcohol, high tannin guys don't like it....but I found this well balanced with the typical Silver oak creaminess, dark fruit, licorice and herbs. Went great with grilled loin lamb chops and goat cheese and beet salad.
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Lovely, deep red color in the glass, nose of intense perfume of dark black cherry fruit with hints of plum, tobacco, Spanish cedar and mocha coffee, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling flavors, lovely, rich, smooth taste, medium/long finish. Our two servers and the sommelier loved the wine! Paired well with the prime rib dinner at Fleming's Walnut Creek. Happy Easter!!
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Opened this after a 2000 Rosenblum was corked. Wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. Nice nose of dark fruit, leather and tobacco. Palate had dark fruits, mocha and an herbal quality. Nicely integrated tannins and balance. This was a gift, and a nice one at that.
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Tasted at Silver Oak Cellars, bright red color with translucent border around the edge of the glass, lovely balck cherry fruit with a touch of cedar, almond, and spice on the nose, more of the same on the palate, delicious and shows how Alexander Valley ages which is why they pour it at the winery, just delicious, medium/long finish. Good for 5 more years but why wait.
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Well integrated and balanced. Somewhat dry with hints of oak. Pleasure to drink an we decanted ~ 1 hr prior to drinking. Price/value certainly a question as you expect more at this prices points. However still enjoyable and did not disappoint for a 2003.
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Vert Bordeaux in its style, a little closed down, 3 hours in the glass helped, but at the moment its not worth the money, hopefully the wine will evovle over the next 5 years
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Cherry, cinnamon and oak on the nose, along with slight tobacco. Cherry and berry with sweet vanilla on the palate. Soft tannins and medium plus alcohol. Still in balance. Medium plus finish. Drink or hold (but nice now).
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This did not take a long time to open up. After the cork was pulled, there was a slight bitterness. Upon inspection of the cork, it was beautiful. I used a vinture and the wine was silky smooth. Don't feel as if you need to drink it tomorrow. The wine was drinking well, but will continue to evolve. lots of leather and the tannins are just now starting to soften. You can drink now or hold for another couple of years with absolutly no problem. Enjoy!!!
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It's become trendy to dismiss Silver Oak as over priced -- and it probably is -- but this wine was still fantastic -- rich and layered, with dark berries still showing through strong notes of leather, tobacco and oak.
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Decanted for an hour and drank with a nice Ribeye Steak. Was very disappointed. The aroma was very nice and had no harsh undertones. The flavor was almost like eating a piece of leather. I have one more bottle of this vintage, I hope in another year or two this wine will change.
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Opened this into the decantor and let sit about 30-40 minutes. The noose on this leads you to thoughts of a top tier wine. When I taste this wine I don't get the top tier wine that I thought I would from the nose. The fruit is not that prominent and long lasting and the finish was extremely smooth but that was about it. I think this wine was very well put together but just missing the finer points to give this a higher score. I don't think this bottle is past its prime I just don't think it had the makings of a great wine to begin with. Drink now to 2014.
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A nose of cedar, blackberry,with cassis or kirsch in the background. Oak notes of vanilla and dill. Noticeable tannins on the finish. Not a great wine, but a good one. Is it a 90 or and 80-something? It's not outstanding (rules out 90), but it's well made and "very good." 89 points it is.
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Plenty of rich dark fruit flavors, but a bit astringent and oaky and just plain boring. This was a gift from a friend, since you wouldn't catch me buying it. Another reminder of why I don't buy grossly overhyped and overpriced California cabernets. Like the stock market bubble of the early 2000's and the housing bubble of the mid-2000's, you know it is time to get out fast when your hair stylist is talking about how much they love Silver Oak. Okay, it really wasn't that bad, but really not worth the money. There are so many better reds to drink out there at much better value.
Popped and poured. Starting to get some secondary aromas. Little weight or complexity. Oak integrated and in balanced compared with younger vintages of the same wine tasted that night. Certainly a good wine, but not worth the $50 originally paid for it.
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This was popped and poured from magnum on a golf trip to central Oregon. Many of the 9 other tasters liked it more than I did. The color was a nice deep ruby, right to the rim. Nose of cassis, blackberry, plum, oak, and herbs. Similar on the palate with a very nice texture and balance. Tannins are significant but harmonious, this clearly has lots of time in this format.
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Popped and followed over 12 hours before notes. Color is medium ruby, 85% saturated, with clear medium-length legs. Nose has some intense and very bright cassis, perfume, and oak. Alcohol is also standing out a bit. Big body, really big tannins, and good acidity but not very well balanced with each other. Decent Sonoma cherry flavors with a long finish and perhaps more time in the cellar will deliver better integration, but who knows. It did not develop much with aeration 5+10+16+7 = 88
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I'm with those who felt this wine was better than expected. Oak, yes but in balance. It didn't overpower the fruit, and the tannins were strong enough to prevent flaccid indulgence.
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Drank at a neighborhood BBQ. This well known wine always does well with a crowd. Everything about this wine felt a little disjointed to me but I kept my snobbery to myself.
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I was ready to be disappointed with this one due to the vintage, however this wine was hitting on most cylinders. Nice dark purple color in the decanter, sweet rich smell of dark fruits and oak follow through to the palate with tobacco notes and decent finish. Very nicely made and enjoyable to drink. Oak not overpowering.
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Popped and poured. In the glass: color is an inky, deep brownish-red. While it's not yet an old wine, it's starting to take on the brownish color seen with older wines. Nose: Some hints of pepper, lots of sweet pipe tobacco, leather and hint of soy...some red fruit makes an appearance. Mouthfeel: very silky, medium weight. Taste: Black plums, dried cherries, smoked meats and finishing with burned marshmallow. Integrated and moderately balanced with soft tannins. This is an easy-drinking wine that lacks complexity.
This wine rides the fence between the giant California cab fruit bombs and more serious wines. My first experience with this wine was several years ago when it was much younger. It has improved dramatically with some bottle age but I'm not sure where this wine will go with more time in the bottle...may have a few more years but that's about it. That's the general conundrum with many "drink now" wines. It's somewhat of a mystery as to what they'll be like with some bottle age.
In general, it's a crowd pleaser but seriously overrated and very expensive for what you get (I paid over $65). Served on Father's Day with steaks from the grill. (Note: looks like Robert Parker scored this wine 88 pts.)
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Tasted this at the winery in 2011. At first I had my reservations given that 2003 wasn't really a fantastic year, but I was pleasantly surprised. Dark ruby/purple color with the trademark persistent oak character. But after some time, there was only one word to describe this wine - sublime. Nuances of dark cherry, oak, toffee, and vanilla is followed by a spicy finish. Quite consistent with 2006 vintage. Drink from 2008 to 2013.
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I was disappointed with this wine. The bottle was not flawed and yet it tasted thin. The wine had no backbone or complexity. I have had a number of other SO AV vintages and this was by far the worst bottle I have ever consumed. I think the wine is overrated to begin with, and I know the 2003 vintage was not great, but this is a $50 bottle of wine and it should taste a lot better than it did. The wine is 8 years old and it should be in its prime, even though I believe Parker says it should be consumed by 2013 to 2015. I could name a number of wines off the top of my head that cost less and are far and away better. Even though I was not impressed with this wine, the label always looks nice.
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Decanted for 30 minutes and was drinking perfectly. Paired with a buffalo roast. I don't drink a lot of Cabernet's, but this bottle reminded me of how good one can be.
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Pop and pour with fried rice and filet. Unique Silver Oak flavor profile is immediately noticeable. Light in body with silky tannins. Strong oak (but not necessarily in a bad way) with the tell tale dill notes. Nice drink with the food, smooth, medium length finish. Nothing spectacular, but also not the villain it is often made out to be. A pleasant wine to drink
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Dark ruby still very youthfull looking....Nose: dark fruit, hint of tobacco. herbs and plenty of OAK...Palate no different with a ton of makeup (OAK) covering up the fruit...Obviously imo this wine is way over-oaked..As GV would say the oak monster has appeared big time...pass...Everyone have a great thanksgiving..Cheers!!!
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Dark rich burgandy red. Second bottle, 13 months after the first and second day open. Noticable alcohol on the nose, but full of plums and spice. Black cherry makes an appearance mid palate and some caramel, with firm but smooth tannins. Long finish.
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Deep hues of burgundy, with oak tones noted while the wine was in the decanter. Full oak nose, followed by mature berries, a lovely cabernet sauvignon taste. The LONG aftertaste is lovely.
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Drinking very well. The fruit is still there but a hint a olive and old spice is there in almost equal amounts that tell me this wine should be drank earlier than other vintages. Nice balance and a light kiss of complex oak on the finish. I'll drink most this year unless other bottles start drinking "younger".
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Pleasantly surprised. Green herbal nose, not fantastic. Slightly on the flabby side, but smooth, balanced, and soft on the palate, black cherry vanilla (think Baskin Robbins cherry jubilee), coffee. Enjoyable, drank at a good time.
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Enjoyed as party of our neighbor's birthday celebration. Opened for an our before drinking. It was typical for what we have had in the past from Silver Oak. Very good, and aging well. Will probably drink the remaining bottles within the next year or two. Cherry flavor with oak.
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Pop n pour at restaurant. A little tight on the nose but the palate shows the usual SO profile. Blackcurrant bud, lavender, a touch of bubblegum and vanilla.
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nice leather nose. opened and drank without decanting. still was better than anderson conn valley eloge. Without doubt a better experience than conn valley. good fruit and velvet finish.
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had it at home along with ribeye dinner. very good cab, dark, silky big wine. entering good drinking period, tannins well integrated; especially for a 100% cab wine. enjoyed it very much.
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Slightly better and bolder then previous bottle remembered to be, hence the slightly higher score. Once again, a very good, elegant high end classic Sonoma cab that we really love and get a case of every year. Definitely recommend this wine, at this price point however too expensive to be good QPR wine. Decanted and enjoyed with good CT wine buddy neighborbill and spouses as part of our second Thanksgiving dinner last week. Drinking absolutely superbly, in prime drinking window, clearly improved with age over the last couple of years but not sure if too much more improvement will occur, recommend starting to drink up holdings but still enough fruit and tannins left for at least 5 years of further cellaring. Nose soft with dark fruit and blueberry with primary flavors of well balanced charred oak, dark fruit, allspice and some smoke and black pepper developing later on the palate.
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Cabernet Tasting With Andrea Robinson (Epcot): 50+5+12+15+6 Green pepper, vanilla, and dill on the nose. Rough tannins that are disjointed and a very herbacious finish Just green all over. Definitely not a style of cab I prefer. Seems to be a lot of variety between bottles.
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Earthy nose with deep black current and tobacco. Tastes of complex oak and earthy cherry fruit. The oak is very well integrated and is well balanced by the huge fruit. Excellent balance with a very long finish. The 1st glass was great however, we re-corked it for 2 more days and that is where this review is from. I REALLY recommend decanting for at least a day at this stage and you will be greatly rewarded. Drink any time.
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Blood red and silky smooth almost a cream like consistency. Tobacco, cedar, currant, and black cherries make a reasonably interesting and complex nose. Less complexity in the bottle, but a comfortable wine. Soft tannins.
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Very nice for a supposed "off" year for Silver Oak. Nice hints of Cherries, Caramel, and spice with a nice long finish. I certainly didn't see the down year at all...
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Very good, elegant high end classic Sonoma cab. Double decanted for four hours and enjoyed with a group of friends at an informal wine tasting at our house. In prime drinking window, clearly improved with age since I last tried this about two years ago. Too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR but still highly recommend this wine. Nose soft with dark fruit and blueberry with primary flavors of more cassis then I remembered, well balanced oak, dark fruit, allspice and some smoke on the palate.
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Decanted for one hour before dinner. Elegant nose of rose, cherry, and new oak. On the palate this was refined, with focused red fruit and enough oak to compliment and not overpower. Silky mouth feel and med. finish makes it a little sexy too. All in all, an excellent experience.
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Opened and decanted. As we tasted this bottle is opened up but did not change a lot. It has a dark ruby color with blackberry fruit, smoke and oak. The middle is smooth with structured tannins, with a easy finish of pepper and tobacco. It was an OK bottle, nothing special at the price point.
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Pop n pour. Fairly ripe and jammy with high acidity. On the nose, cigar box, herb, white pepper, red currants and violets. Simple, average and definitely not worth $54. Drink thru 2012
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Drinking beautifully right now. Very surprised at how good this was!! Big ripe plum and blackberries, good amount of oak, not over done. Very well balance with a big finish. Wish I had a steak with it, great food pairing wine.
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Nice deep ruby, about 90% opaque. Large chocolate powder and vanilla oak nose with a big, buttery note over everything. Nothing green or tight about it. The palate is big-bodied and smooth due to really fine tannin character and maturity. Did not change much with decanting and this seems very ready and no need to hold for long term, although it should hold up for several more years. Somewhat light in cherry and blackcurrant flavors and really focused on the oak treatment with simple, but pleasing results. Not a contemplative wine, but quite enjoyable. Very long finish (5+12+15+8) = 90
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Thought this was quite nice, actually, with good cherry and currant aromas and flavors, some olive, and nice notes of anise spice. Pretty good structure, decent finish.
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Nice bottle of wine, but I was not overly impressed at all. It opened up a bit after about an hour in the bottle, but never really had any distinctive qualities. It was smooth, but not flavorful.
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Dark purple/red Heavy earth/oak bouquet. Blackcurrant, blackberry and chocolate aroma Very smooth on the palate. Even within 15 mins of opening. Well balanced, and well structured, leads to long finish Excellent tasting. Beautifully smooth taste, elegant. Balanced and rich.
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Favorite wine of the evening. lots of wine in a 3l bottle. very nice nse, smooth tanins and a great finish. Was concerned about the large format not being as good. Not to worry. SO did not let us down.
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Yummy, yummy. Much better after decanting. Solid NAPA cab. with a lot of leather and dark fruit even a bit of licorice. Very smooth on the finish with some hang time of the tannins adding srtucture.
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Tasted next to a Moulin St. George 2003, more tannic, but great balance. I thought the tannins weren't quite integrated yet even after decanting. I vote wait a couple of years.
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Strong nose of cassis, with a powerful mouth to match. Lots of berry, a cedary/vanilla note joining the party, and an undercurrent of tobacco. Very tannic, this could stand some cellaring without any problem. Very long finish, but the wine felt a bit out of balance- too heavy for it's own good.
High score is mainly due to intensity; there's other wines that I'd prefer, especially given the price tag on this one.
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Had at dinner with bone in filet. The nose was gorgeous blueberry, rasberry, plum, and some vanilla. Balanced attack of fruit and transitioned nicely into a mid palate of chocolate and vanilla but then the oak started and it just overpowered the rest of the flavors. I enjoyed it for the first few sips but it became too much for me. The tannis were soft and integrated but almost non-existent. I don't see how this wine gets any better in the cellar at this point. I give it a 89 because the nose and attack were so very nice but you lose me once we get past that initial wave. Too bad because it started off so nicely. Not worth $60 but still a good wine. At $25 a bottle I might give it another try but not at $60.
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Good color density with strong aromas of spicy berries, mild leather, and earth. Full body and elegant with moderate tannins yielding strong red berry fruit flavors, a bit of cedar cask and tobacco. Cassis really shines here while finishing long and savory. This is a solid example while not a blockbuster by any means. It all about the aroma in this one.
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Popped and poured. Plummy purple color. Nose shows lots of oak, some cherries and a little earthiness initially, which, unfortunately, vanishes after a short time. Palate hits hard with creamy, buttery oak, some black cherries in the background and smooth tannins on the finish. Extraction is solid, and flavors hold through the midpalate, through the medium finish. If you're looking for a massively oaked wine, this delivers that style well, but it's disjointed, simple and way overoaked for my taste, and not worth the price. 5+11+13+6.
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Color of purple ink. Blackberry and leather on the nose. Flavors of blackberry, chocolate, tobacco and vanilla. Hint of pepper & citrus on the finish. Wine offered up layers of flavors over several hours of enjoying the wine.
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Not very impressed. I'm a big Silver Oak fan, but this one is just a middle of the road Cab. Nothing really stands out. Fruit seems somewhat subdued. Finish is semi long. Just OK.
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Ok now everyone is going to give ma a hard time on this one but I was not impressed. This Cab is not worth the money. I would much rather have a bottle of Staglin. Medium purple and not very dark. The nose has blueberry and sour cherry with some peppers. I did like the French oak and vanilla. The taste had some raspberry, and loads of oak. I did not get much more from this, maybe a hint of some vanilla. The pallet was short in my opinion and was a little off on the finish really kind of a bad oak bitterness to the finish. It transitioned very quickly through the mid pallet.
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Deep dark plum color, multi-sensations in the nose - chocolate/floral/spice; nice mouth-feel, light and velvety with typical Cali-Cab deep dark berries mixed with a little vanilla and oak, very light tannins, a little flat past mid palate, smooth finish. A nice sit and sip wine or with food. A little more structure or complexity would result in a 90 pointer. There are plenty at this wine's equal for much less cost.
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There's nothing wrong with this wine. It's a cookie-cutter Napa cab...a $15 Napa cab. Its varietally correct and has all the aspects one would expect from a $15 bottle of Napa cab. Plain and simple. Again, not bad wine. Just worth nowhere close to what this is trading for.
The 13% alcohol was nice change, however. Seems like most Cal cabs are pushing 15% these days.
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Lots of oak, big fruit. Very typical California Cab style. Decanted for about an hour before drinking. The flavors played really well with a selection of strong cheeses; was less impressive on its own. For the price, I expected more - chewier mouthfeel, smoother tannins, longer finish. Perhaps this one would be better a few years down the road. Have been impressed with Silver Oak cabs in the past and was a little disappointed with this one.
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I don't understand how people say silver oak is very overrated. I did not feel that it was over oaked either. I tasted this back to back with 2005 joseph phelps cabernet and I feel that the silver oak won the battle. Maybe at the 60 dollar list it is a bit too much but it can be found at ~50 and at that price point the silver oak delivers with a very nice nose and a smooth finish that lingers.
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I laugh at all of the people who say it is over oaked. This is the signiture of this wine. It is a consistant performer. There are better values out there, but nothing marks a special occasion like a bottle of silver oak. Very tasty, id give it 88-90
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taste: guess what we get, oak, and lots of it. It's not overwhelming like the last bottle I tasted, but it's very much there. Also getting some extracted cherry and cranberry on the mouth
overall: very meh wine that is insanely stereotypical. way too much oak, while it is decently made, the price and oak is what is wrong with california cabs
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Imagine sitting down to a snack of chocolate-covered cherries and Earl Grey Tea, with a little ginger for your sore throat. That is exactly what the nose reminded me of. The palate had loads of cherry preserves sprinkled with brown sugar and caramel. It finished with a bit of spice,
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Nice nose, some red fruit, a bit of black fruit, but some oak. Nice mouthfeel, starts with some blackberry, ? strawberry but then gets very tannic and oaky. There is a vanilla component and a milkiness on the midpalate. Very dry and astingent on the finish.
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It was an ok cab but for price point, I would have expected a ton more. It was really tight on the open and overly earthy throughout. Aromas: decent cherry, chocolate. Flavors: I felt the fruit was overwhelmed with a dustry, earthy texture. I let it open up for 1/2 hour and did get hints of cherry and traditional blackberry feel, finish had legs but just was not that fruity. maybe this one just needs a ton of time for the fruit to develop.
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Binny's California Night (Highland Park): nose: ooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk. and tons of it. Maybe a bit of cranberry or red fruit, I can't really tell because the oak just overwhelms the fruit like a blackhole
taste: whadda know, more oak. Also getting a bit of reduction cranberry and a slight bit of earth
overall: a very bland wine that is just oaked to all hell
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Had it as part of a flight. While it is a nice, well-made wine I do not think it is worth the price. It had some complexity and balance, but not as much as I'd expect. I preferred the Duckhorn.
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Dark in color, nose, and flavors. Lots of oak in the nose and in the mouth (of course -- it's Silver Oak after all). Still quite young and as a restaurant bottle it didn't have time to open up, so remained pretty tight. Quite a punch in the mouth with bold cherry, plum, and cranberry flavors and explosive oakiness. Surprisingly tannic, the flavors and finish were not as well balanced as previous Silver Oaks. Nice wine but not a great value.
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Decanted & drank w/ fillet, lobster bisque and potatoes au-graitin @ Ruth's Chris, San Francisco. VERY nice... far, far better than the '98 we had recently.
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bright red and black cherry, alc comes across as a little hot. fresh and young fruit, a little bit of red table grape. some grape seed and stem tannins. Might drink better in a year or two, but didn't seem dense and structured enough for long term age.
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Opened for one hour and did not decant. Recently released, so tannins/oak very prevalent. Still, more balanced and nuanced than expected given how young it is. Not too hot at all. Very dark color. The wood plays off the dark plummy fruit nicely. Pronounced chocolate notes. Nice wine. Could be higher score in a few years, but not sure about aging potential if fruit dies out first, which it may well do.
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Smelled and tasted like a high-quality cherry and liquor filled dark chocolate. Noticeable tannis but the wine was tasting tired after a couple of hours in the glass. Very highly enjoyable now however.
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Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Showing a deep ruby robe and red rim, this is a wine with moderately intense aromas of ripe Santa Rosa plums, eucalyptus and (not surprisingly) vanilla. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, somewhat dry tannins and black fruit flavors on the palate. The palate's vanilla is even more pronounced than for nose. Medium, dry finish. Crowd-appealing, but I will wait for the 2004 to re-stock my cellar with the Alexander Valley bottling (as I must always have some of this wine for my Silver Oak-loving friends). For now, I have a few bottles of the 2002 left.
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The release party at Silver Oak in Alexander Valley is an event not to miss. The setting is beautiful with rolling vineyard knolls tucked into the west side of the valley just a short drive from Geyserville. This year the weather was warm going to hot in the afternoon. Fortunately Silver Oak treats us to indoor tastings in a large cool room. We always try to find the server that gives a reasonable pour given that it's a party not a tasting counter. Levi treated us well. The food was mediocre this year, so thank goodness the wine was delicious.
Tasting young now since it just emerged from 24 months in oak, this wine will be outstanding in a couple of years. The tannis are a bit under-ripe, which is a refreshing change from the high alcohol style around the industry now. This wine was labled under 13%. The fruit is bright while still delivering that velvety flavor of a well vinted cab. Clearly Silver Oak continues to deliver the wine pre-oxidized, so long term aging seems too big a risk. We bought 8 bottles. The $60 price point is dead-on for a super quality wine.
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Cabernet: Summer Session / Silver Oak Day (wine Exchange): love the vanilla coconut surrounded by plum cherry, and berries. delicious ripe fruit wit ripe lush tannins, and a creamy vanilla finish that lingers. classic cali style cab.
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1/28/2024 - Andydarko wrote: 92 Points
Past drinking age but still lovely. Softer tannins, hints of both ripe stone fruits and black fruit. Medium body and structure. Plenty of earthiness.
Had to decant and filter because cork completely disintegrated. Lost a lot after the second pour.
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12/25/2023 - Jwick19 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth tannins, nice fruit and body
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5/28/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Still fresh enough, this was too ripe and too oaked, but a fine enough glass of wine to enjoy if I had a rare burger in front of me.
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4/3/2023 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of black cherry, plum, roasted coffee grounds, white pepper, and cassis, same on the palate, very tasty, at peak, time to enjoy over the next five years, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, lovely complexity, better on the palate than the nose, long, long finish, and tasty aftertaste.
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3/15/2023 - Gamecaulk wrote:
Surprised by strength. No sediment in bottle. Datk fruit with a nose of black olives.
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12/25/2022 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Christmas Day Cellar Selection, nose of black cherry, plum, roasted coffee grounds, white pepper, and cassis, same on the palate, very tasty, at peak, time to enjoy over the next five years, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, lovely complexity, better on the palate than the nose, long, long finish, and tasty aftertaste, paired with NBA games and cheese.
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12/22/2022 - moorewine3 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Had at a large Christmas party with dinner. Cork was perfect; little Tannen; kept and aged well over 15 years
in a wine cellar at constant temperature. Decanted once.
As good a cab as I've had. A 97 rating may be a bit high for the more sophisticated wine enthusiast, but to me worth it. Not a drop of wine was left.
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6/19/2022 - Jeff Maxwell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ruby red with nice combination of blue and red fruits, classic cabernet with taste of oak. drinking very well right now.
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5/9/2022 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
MMD Tour 2022 Tasting. St. Regis Hotel (St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco): Nose of black cherry, black berry, plum, allspice, roasted coffee ground, and a hint of sliced bell pepper, same on the palate, big body, at peak, can hold another 5 years but will not get better than this so why wait, mouth filling flavors and fruit, and a long finish, photo uploaded.
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5/6/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed over a cassoulet dinner with a group from our wine club. Still drinking beautifully but probably a bit past prime so definitely time to drink up any remaining holdings - the accompanying '03 Napa Valley bottling at this point of development is clearly drinking better with more fruit and better structure remaining. Definitely recommend with caveat that it is time to drink these up. Mature, soft mouth feel, medium - full bodied, complex, completely integrated with fruit fading, soft oak present and tannins completely resolved with secondary flavors developing. Beautiful medium length lingering aftertaste. Dark nose of dark stone fruit including plum and dark cherry, coffee and light smoke and black pepper on the end. Flavor profile of light oak, plum, dark cherry and classic cassis up front with coffee, smoke, leather, definite black pepper and grilled meats developing on the mid- late palate. Sat for about 30 minutes in the glass to open up and this was enough aeration - if decanted a very short splash decant will suffice.
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4/26/2022 - Rcolella Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amazingly drinking great now 15 years aged!!!!
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11/7/2021 - jcstip wrote: 93 Points
Very nice. Still has a bit more to go. Nice spice to it. Peppers, blackberries and light earthiness with a hint of cigar and cacao.
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9/23/2021 - emcquaid wrote: 95 Points
Awesome
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7/30/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of black berry, plum, sage, and bell pepper, same on the palate, tasty, mouth filling fruit, at peak, suggest you
enjoy now, lovely, long finish.
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5/21/2021 - Slweatherly Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth and very drinkable. Needs to be consumed now.
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3/14/2021 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar/cigar box. This is a delicious older Cabernet.
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1/24/2021 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich older Cab with leather and cigar box aromas with soft tannins.
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12/5/2020 - boozebythecreek Likes this wine:
Definitely a very mature wine. No detailed tasting notes but went very nicely with some NY Strip Steak.
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2/14/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
At Silver Oak Healdsburg today, nose of black berry, and plum, floral nose, slightly closed as the bottle was opened 30 minutes earlier, same on the palate, medium body, tasty, mouth filling fruiy, rich fruit, at peak and better to enjoy now I think, and a medium/long, flavorful finish.
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1/14/2020 - msaxton123 wrote: 90 Points
Cork was dry but mercifully the wine seemed unaffected. Starting to thin out a little bit still quite robust while being extremely amooth.
Excellent. But drink now if you have it.
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1/11/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thank you Alex for the glass, nose of black berry, mocha, and plum, floral nose, same on the palate, medium body-opened 3 days earlier, tasty, almost mouth filling fruiy, rich fruit, slightly tired but still charming and enjoyable, and a medium/long and flavorful finish.
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5/19/2019 - Winedad53 wrote: 88 Points
Smoky black, big whiff of charcoal and earth, with tar and spice overwhelming fruit a bit. Enjoyed the bottle but found it a bit out of sorts. Drink now.
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12/16/2018 - vpoms wrote: 91 Points
Clear, deep ruby color. Clean nose of medium plus intensity. On the palate with aromas of cooked plums, prunes, raisins, cedar, leather, meat and farmyard. The wine is fully developed. On the palate, it is dry with medium acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, medium plus body, pronounced flavor intensity of earth, leather, forrest floor, cedar, cooked dark fruit. The finish is medium plus. Very good wine, drink now, not suitable for further aging,
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11/27/2018 - Ecoenophile wrote: 90 Points
No detailed notes. Decanted 2+ hrs, enjoyed over 2-days. Solid and well integrated. Still holding up fine... but enjoy it now.
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11/7/2018 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 92 Points
The consistency of the ratings speaks volumes about this very reliable producer. Nice notes of tobacco, charcoal are complimented by dark forest fruit enveloped in some firm oak that is just about right at 15 years of bottle age. Finish is medium length and very pleasant, reviving some of the slightly earthier elements while the soft tannins linger in the background. For some reason, my wife and I decided to drink Silver Oak on our anniversary every year, this wine was consumed on our 20th. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to share it with my wonderful wife.
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9/30/2018 - eckeene Likes this wine: 93 Points
I opened this based upon recent reviews that it may be past its prime. I would agree that it is not fruit forward, but I would disagree that there are no tannins remaining. The color is amazingly lovely for a wine this age...it does not give it away. There is also none of the "barn yard" aromas that would be expected with an aged wine.
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8/13/2018 - drinkmore Likes this wine: 90 Points
tannins are gone but still enjoyed the fruit in the mouth. smooth and enjoyable.
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2/25/2018 - Pjzlotnik Likes this wine: 89 Points
good fruit long finish balance of vintage needs to be consumed in next 1-2 years
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12/25/2017 - ptconner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great smells upon opening. Luscious mouthfeel and very smooth. All tannins are gone. It won't hold up with heavier food anymore but would be great with cheeses and light meats. Drink now.
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11/26/2017 - PatrickH Likes this wine: 87 Points
Very smooth and little too no tannins, which wasn't as good of a painting with my ribeye steak as I was hoping for. Still had some fruit and luscious mouthfeel.
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11/19/2017 - mda7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
love it
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10/21/2017 - Ecb1456 wrote: 90 Points
In its way down but still strong after 2 hr decant. Tannins gone. Soft yet still supple wine. More fruit than expected. Nice with cheese and crackers but would probably fail next to heavier fare. Drink now.
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8/12/2017 - Ecb1456 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still brilliant but almost tannin free at this point. Soft fruit and a heady mouth feel. Not too much left but still great now.
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3/11/2017 - PMJak11 wrote: 88 Points
Either over the hill or poor storage. Both of which are my fault. Lacked fruit and intensity, and had a heavy oak and coconut vibe to it. Drank fine, but no where near expectations.
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7/15/2016 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Great wine! Still oaky on the nose but the oakiness has been tempered on the palate.
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7/15/2016 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic wine! The oakiness has really been tempered in the taste but retains some in the nose. Smooth on the palate.
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5/20/2016 - Jack667 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Doing really well right now. Agree with others that now's a good time to drink, although mine was from a 3L... It was a big hit at the party!
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12/25/2015 - Treiner5 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good smooth finish, needed 45 minutes to breathe. May not have been stored properly so may want to try again.
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12/25/2015 - Rossdhu House wrote: 87 Points
On the back side. Drink up. Really lost a lot in the last two years.
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12/21/2015 - wlcoleman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this second bottle about a month after the first. Based on the first i was convinced this was well past its prime. This bottle however was very satisfying. Soft tannin and nice bold dark fruit. Had the first glass alone and second with some sharp cheddar and even spicy hummus which further accentuated the flavors. No need to wait any longer on this one. Drinkable now and based on a 50% success rate might not hold up that much longer.
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12/19/2015 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 92 Points
held up better than expected. soft tannins, rich and slightly sweet red fruit and a long supple finish
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12/5/2015 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 91 Points
We have had this in the cellar for a while. The last bottle we opened was just ok so hadn't really been wanting to grab this one out of the cellar. Decided it was time. Exceeded expectations. A spicy nose with a full body finish. No need to wait but not really showing that it is waning either.
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12/14/2014 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is still smooth but now it's very flavorful. It's amazing what a couple of years can do. This is medium bodied and wonderfully complex with everything from cassis to coffee flavors.
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12/6/2014 - callmeacab22 Likes this wine: 92 Points
All I can is Wow, fantastic depth of flavors and long delicious finish. Originally rated low for its tannic flavor, I believe it has created a classic wine with staying power.
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12/5/2014 - bin905 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The restraint suites my style. Everything in proportion.
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12/3/2014 - dmitchell4 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully
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11/22/2014 - mmkm1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was a great bottle of wine. I decanted for about 45 minutes. It could have used a little more time...The nose was soft with vintage Silver Oak aromas but I was initially concerned because the fruit was subdued. It was just tight. It continued to opened up nicely in the decanter and slowly started blossoming in the glass. An hour and a half after opening, this wine was beautifully smooth and tasty. I remember sampling a bottle when it was first released. It has shed the adolescent façade of youth and aged into a very pleasant wine.
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9/21/2014 - emf Likes this wine:
Decanted, at first it was tight but opened nicely with distinct Silver Oak aromas of dark fruit, oak and tobacco. Softened tannins with dark cherries and plums and cigar box.
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8/31/2014 - Bluffan wrote: 92 Points
Rich, deeply aromatic fruit, soft tannins, really very good and a crowd pleaser. This is the old Silver Oak, the one I remember. More recent bottles from these vineyards have seemed more thin.
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8/19/2014 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Holding up very well. Nice.
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8/3/2014 - dmitchell4 wrote: 89 Points
Time to drink up
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8/1/2014 - Murf130 wrote:
Still holding up nicely. Oaky nose mostly blew off after about an hour. Great fruit.
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8/1/2014 - IlonaN wrote: 88 Points
Textbook Silver Oak, at this stage oak and tannin nicely integrated presenting a juicy cassis tinged medium weight. Slightly stemmy finish, but in general pleasing.
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7/5/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of cassis, and black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, rich, touch simple, easy to drink with chicken and potato salad, medium body, at its peak, drink up, pleasant fruity finish and aftertaste.
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5/5/2014 - dmitchell4 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully
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5/4/2014 - Okjanetp wrote: 65 Points
Cork was dried...not drinkable. Very disappointed
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4/13/2014 - Grape Stuff wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour. Consumed over 2 hours. Plum, cherry, licorice, blackberry, blueberry compote and LOTS of oak and associated spices. Medium length, decent balance. Good, for what it is, but feel there are better alternatives in Napa/Sonoma Cab for this price point. Did pair excellent with a dry aged ribeye from Five Dot Ranch. 88
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4/11/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 89 Points
good, not great. smooth, fruity but lcking in compleity. Perhaps a tad pst its prime
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4/1/2014 - LongViewCellars wrote: 88 Points
Maybe my tastes are changing, but I just don't find S.O Alexander to be very good for the money. S.O Napa is a big step up (with the tag to come with it though), but this just fell flat.
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12/25/2013 - Sunocoblue Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit has faded a little, but drinking well. Oak is still good on the finish. Drink now!! Don't wait. I don't see it getting better
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12/23/2013 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 89 Points
initial tannins with some bitterness at the end of a sip eventually yielded less fruit and more alexander earth that was softer and appealing
went well with pot roast and also on it's own
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12/19/2013 - JS199 wrote: 88 Points
Good texture, enough fruit left, not much else to add. Suave, but simple. Definitely over hyped. 87/88
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12/18/2013 - twelch wrote: 90 Points
Nice. Opened in memory of Tom. This was right up his alley. Red fruit, tobacco, licorice and oak. In a nice spot right now. Not my favorite style but can appreciate their consistency and dedication to their brand and how the wine is made. I liked it didn't love it.
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11/29/2013 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Delicious dark fruit, licorice, spice flavors, with a long, sweet finish. Silky smooth and drinking beautifully.
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11/28/2013 - Shawkj wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Great wine. Bold but smooth. Great chocolate finish
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11/27/2013 - Cyrus of the Valley wrote: 87 Points
over rated
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11/27/2013 - uffedaniel wrote: 92 Points
Really peaking now, tasted it 4 times over the last 2 years, never tasted as good as now!
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11/17/2013 - PMcgovern wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful wine, nicely balanced with good oak flavors. Ready to drink now, opened and pour.
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11/13/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with the winemaker. This is drinking nicely right now. Very mellow with nice flavor profile of blueberry, chocolate, raspberry, very CA style cabernet. Had a nice green pepper aspect on the nose. Age has been nice to this one. Very smooth.
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10/27/2013 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drinking very well now. Smooth and integrated.
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9/28/2013 - Pakats wrote: 89 Points
Pretty Snappy ..... Although not prime. Probably past it's peak by 18 months or so.
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9/21/2013 - Kdad wrote: 88 Points
Ever since Justin Meyer passed away, The Silver Oak consistency of excellence has nosed dived. When you can find Silver Oak in an ABC store in Hawaii, you know you've sunk to a new low. Sorry, but $60 for this is way overpriced.
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9/5/2013 - vintagedds Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine was a ruby red and appeared to be a medium body cabernet. The nose started with a hint of floral perfume. Immediately following it was filled with dark fruit, oak, and vegetation (green pepper). The palate was full of licorice, cherry, oak undertones. Overall, the wine was very smooth and drinkable.
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8/19/2013 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very impressed. Well put together. Great finish
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7/20/2013 - Rickfor wrote: 90 Points
- Ruby color.
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6/22/2013 - ataraxy wrote: 89 Points
Yet another proof that the wisdom of crowds is better than the experts. Cellartracker's reviews nail this. Perfectly drinkable, but also perfectly unimpressive.
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6/15/2013 - blash Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well after being open for a couple of hours. Smoke, game and fruit flavors with a nice finish.
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5/25/2013 - Cyrus of the Valley wrote: 87 Points
decanted for 30 minutes only to get extremely non vibrant fruit some tobacco and a hint of disappointment....decanted another 2 hours and this lady woke up to express its blackberry and plum fruit character. Overall I would drink this alone without food... Open it up then play a round of golf and 5 hours later should be approachable as you relax on the couch watching the last several holes on the golf channel
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4/27/2013 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Black cherry, tobacco, cedar and tar flavors, medium bodied. Drinking nicely.
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4/9/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Kathy's 65th birthday and this is a red wine that goes with in bone fillet mignon. Nose of mocha, cassis, and black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, rich and supple drinking, medium finish, the servers enjoyed the wine, as did we.
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4/8/2013 - oldwines wrote: 92 Points
Nice wine and better than the pro reviews out there. I think it is a bit of throwback to the kind of modern CA wines from the 80's...I get why the big fruit bomb, high alcohol, high tannin guys don't like it....but I found this well balanced with the typical Silver oak creaminess, dark fruit, licorice and herbs. Went great with grilled loin lamb chops and goat cheese and beet salad.
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3/31/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely, deep red color in the glass, nose of intense perfume of dark black cherry fruit with hints of plum, tobacco, Spanish cedar and mocha coffee, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling flavors, lovely, rich, smooth taste, medium/long finish. Our two servers and the sommelier loved the wine! Paired well with the prime rib dinner at Fleming's Walnut Creek. Happy Easter!!
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1/19/2013 - Fatso wrote:
Ski Jim Ross
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1/15/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
Opened this after a 2000 Rosenblum was corked. Wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. Nice nose of dark fruit, leather and tobacco. Palate had dark fruits, mocha and an herbal quality. Nicely integrated tannins and balance. This was a gift, and a nice one at that.
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1/13/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at Silver Oak Cellars, bright red color with translucent border around the edge of the glass, lovely balck cherry fruit with a touch of cedar, almond, and spice on the nose, more of the same on the palate, delicious and shows how Alexander Valley ages which is why they pour it at the winery, just delicious, medium/long finish. Good for 5 more years but why wait.
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12/28/2012 - natops wrote:
Cork fell apart
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12/26/2012 - CP4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well integrated and balanced. Somewhat dry with hints of oak. Pleasure to drink an we decanted ~ 1 hr prior to drinking. Price/value certainly a question as you expect more at this prices points. However still enjoyable and did not disappoint for a 2003.
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12/20/2012 - uffedaniel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vert Bordeaux in its style, a little closed down, 3 hours in the glass helped, but at the moment its not worth the money, hopefully the wine will evovle over the next 5 years
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11/16/2012 - JC Cab wrote: 88 Points
Cherry, cinnamon and oak on the nose, along with slight tobacco. Cherry and berry with sweet vanilla on the palate. Soft tannins and medium plus alcohol. Still in balance. Medium plus finish. Drink or hold (but nice now).
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11/7/2012 - fairwaywalker wrote: 92 Points
This did not take a long time to open up. After the cork was pulled, there was a slight bitterness. Upon inspection of the cork, it was beautiful. I used a vinture and the wine was silky smooth. Don't feel as if you need to drink it tomorrow. The wine was drinking well, but will continue to evolve. lots of leather and the tannins are just now starting to soften. You can drink now or hold for another couple of years with absolutly no problem. Enjoy!!!
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10/11/2012 - East of Napa wrote:
kathleen
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10/1/2012 - BrownstoneWine wrote: 93 Points
It's become trendy to dismiss Silver Oak as over priced -- and it probably is -- but this wine was still fantastic -- rich and layered, with dark berries still showing through strong notes of leather, tobacco and oak.
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9/30/2012 - mtkutzman@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Home with Jim Vergon and Vicki with bbq lamb chops & cedar plank salmon. Wine incredible.
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8/19/2012 - JJB007 wrote: 94 Points
this is great
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7/20/2012 - andycpa wrote: 86 Points
Decanted for an hour and drank with a nice Ribeye Steak. Was very disappointed. The aroma was very nice and had no harsh undertones. The flavor was almost like eating a piece of leather. I have one more bottle of this vintage, I hope in another year or two this wine will change.
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7/5/2012 - NEwino wrote: 90 Points
Opened this into the decantor and let sit about 30-40 minutes. The noose on this leads you to thoughts of a top tier wine. When I taste this wine I don't get the top tier wine that I thought I would from the nose. The fruit is not that prominent and long lasting and the finish was extremely smooth but that was about it. I think this wine was very well put together but just missing the finer points to give this a higher score. I don't think this bottle is past its prime I just don't think it had the makings of a great wine to begin with. Drink now to 2014.
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4/28/2012 - AZEngineer wrote: 90 Points
Past it's prime. Spice but limited fruit. Drank with steak
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3/20/2012 - Cyleb wrote: 92 Points
Better than the dinner it was paired with.
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1/7/2012 - brucegolfer wrote: 91 Points
Well balanced fruits and tannins.
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1/6/2012 - jmeyers34 wrote:
Fantastic wine. Enjoyed it with friends on New Years eve!
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1/2/2012 - H.W. Crabb wrote: 89 Points
A nose of cedar, blackberry,with cassis or kirsch in the background. Oak notes of vanilla and dill. Noticeable tannins on the finish. Not a great wine, but a good one. Is it a 90 or and 80-something? It's not outstanding (rules out 90), but it's well made and "very good." 89 points it is.
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12/28/2011 - acidqueen wrote: 84 Points
Plenty of rich dark fruit flavors, but a bit astringent and oaky and just plain boring. This was a gift from a friend, since you wouldn't catch me buying it. Another reminder of why I don't buy grossly overhyped and overpriced California cabernets. Like the stock market bubble of the early 2000's and the housing bubble of the mid-2000's, you know it is time to get out fast when your hair stylist is talking about how much they love Silver Oak. Okay, it really wasn't that bad, but really not worth the money. There are so many better reds to drink out there at much better value.
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12/27/2011 - Kdad wrote: 89 Points
Although a nice wine, certainy not up to par of the silver oak of prior years/ decades. Certainly not as good as other wines in this price range.
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11/25/2011 - shiel wrote: 83 Points
Dull and lacking luster on the palate. Fading fruit. Drank with 04 and 05. Biggest loser.
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11/14/2011 - ecola wrote: 91 Points
Still needs some time but starting to come around. If you roll deep, get this and sit on it for another few years.
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11/4/2011 - tsw wrote: 85 Points
pretty good but not my favorite. It has a decent bit of frut and mix of oak. Nothing amazing but I enjoyed it. . .
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10/28/2011 - djdaqm wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Starting to get some secondary aromas. Little weight or complexity. Oak integrated and in balanced compared with younger vintages of the same wine tasted that night. Certainly a good wine, but not worth the $50 originally paid for it.
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10/21/2011 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
This was popped and poured from magnum on a golf trip to central Oregon. Many of the 9 other tasters liked it more than I did. The color was a nice deep ruby, right to the rim. Nose of cassis, blackberry, plum, oak, and herbs. Similar on the palate with a very nice texture and balance. Tannins are significant but harmonious, this clearly has lots of time in this format.
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10/17/2011 - fingers wrote: 88 Points
Popped and followed over 12 hours before notes. Color is medium ruby, 85% saturated, with clear medium-length legs. Nose has some intense and very bright cassis, perfume, and oak. Alcohol is also standing out a bit. Big body, really big tannins, and good acidity but not very well balanced with each other. Decent Sonoma cherry flavors with a long finish and perhaps more time in the cellar will deliver better integration, but who knows. It did not develop much with aeration 5+10+16+7 = 88
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10/2/2011 - EmilyE wrote: 91 Points
Nice dark fruit and sweet spice. Soft tannis with nice finish.
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9/23/2011 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark fruit, tight tannins, spice hint of cocoa and nutty oak.
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9/16/2011 - BigGer wrote:
I'm with those who felt this wine was better than expected. Oak, yes but in balance. It didn't overpower the fruit, and the tannins were strong enough to prevent flaccid indulgence.
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9/2/2011 - welchcellars Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drank at a neighborhood BBQ. This well known wine always does well with a crowd. Everything about this wine felt a little disjointed to me but I kept my snobbery to myself.
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8/20/2011 - broughstyle wrote: 90 Points
As Kathleen kept saying 'smooth'. Good effort but was expecting more after three years in the cellar
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8/14/2011 - Kevdog wrote: 89 Points
Fair nose and thin, this wine is so overpriced
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8/5/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 84 Points
not a big fan of silver oak, overpriced, may be well made, but lacking in flavor and any thing to make it special
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7/14/2011 - Cray316 wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes.. better than tasted at release.
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7/7/2011 - gmat5497 wrote: 89 Points
Okay not great. Just nothing outstanding.
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7/4/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 91 Points
I was ready to be disappointed with this one due to the vintage, however this wine was hitting on most cylinders. Nice dark purple color in the decanter, sweet rich smell of dark fruits and oak follow through to the palate with tobacco notes and decent finish. Very nicely made and enjoyable to drink. Oak not overpowering.
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6/20/2011 - Wine Bonzai wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. In the glass: color is an inky, deep brownish-red. While it's not yet an old wine, it's starting to take on the brownish color seen with older wines. Nose: Some hints of pepper, lots of sweet pipe tobacco, leather and hint of soy...some red fruit makes an appearance. Mouthfeel: very silky, medium weight. Taste: Black plums, dried cherries, smoked meats and finishing with burned marshmallow. Integrated and moderately balanced with soft tannins. This is an easy-drinking wine that lacks complexity.
This wine rides the fence between the giant California cab fruit bombs and more serious wines. My first experience with this wine was several years ago when it was much younger. It has improved dramatically with some bottle age but I'm not sure where this wine will go with more time in the bottle...may have a few more years but that's about it. That's the general conundrum with many "drink now" wines. It's somewhat of a mystery as to what they'll be like with some bottle age.
In general, it's a crowd pleaser but seriously overrated and very expensive for what you get (I paid over $65). Served on Father's Day with steaks from the grill. (Note: looks like Robert Parker scored this wine 88 pts.)
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6/4/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 91 Points
Tasted this at the winery in 2011. At first I had my reservations given that 2003 wasn't really a fantastic year, but I was pleasantly surprised. Dark ruby/purple color with the trademark persistent oak character. But after some time, there was only one word to describe this wine - sublime. Nuances of dark cherry, oak, toffee, and vanilla is followed by a spicy finish. Quite consistent with 2006 vintage. Drink from 2008 to 2013.
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5/25/2011 - simmonscatering wrote: 89 Points
Soft, and balanced. Not as thick as I would like, but easy to drink.
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5/6/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Big Ass American Cabs blind with shocking results! (Montana's Rib and Chop House): Wine #11
Soy and raw ground beef on the nose. Soft and restrained on the palate with some raspberries. Fair balance, fair wine.
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4/30/2011 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 89 Points
Nice spicy nose. Smooth but a little thin.
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4/23/2011 - Bob Coffey wrote:
Wine was excellent drank for dinner for Cheryls birthday at Charleys Steak House
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3/14/2011 - mtkutzman@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
post WTC 50k with ted/Sylvia & bob & Marcy Crowley; wine ok, kind of bland; decanted 2 hrs; BBQ tritip and salmon;
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2/13/2011 - VinoServant wrote:
I was disappointed with this wine. The bottle was not flawed and yet it tasted thin. The wine had no backbone or complexity. I have had a number of other SO AV vintages and this was by far the worst bottle I have ever consumed. I think the wine is overrated to begin with, and I know the 2003 vintage was not great, but this is a $50 bottle of wine and it should taste a lot better than it did. The wine is 8 years old and it should be in its prime, even though I believe Parker says it should be consumed by 2013 to 2015. I could name a number of wines off the top of my head that cost less and are far and away better. Even though I was not impressed with this wine, the label always looks nice.
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2/2/2011 - chefpete wrote: 91 Points
enjoyed it
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1/23/2011 - bfmiller wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and was drinking perfectly. Paired with a buffalo roast. I don't drink a lot of Cabernet's, but this bottle reminded me of how good one can be.
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12/25/2010 - cpsmith33 wrote: 88 Points
nice straightforward silver oak. silky and easy to drink. decent fruit a bit of oak...like the '05 though - just lacking in the complexity camp.
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12/18/2010 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK WIC BrBag at Peter's Mouthwatering. Easy tannins. Didn't know it was a CAlif cab.
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12/14/2010 - miller3324 wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour with fried rice and filet. Unique Silver Oak flavor profile is immediately noticeable. Light in body with silky tannins. Strong oak (but not necessarily in a bad way) with the tell tale dill notes. Nice drink with the food, smooth, medium length finish. Nothing spectacular, but also not the villain it is often made out to be. A pleasant wine to drink
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12/5/2010 - dmitchell4 wrote: 90 Points
on the light side but very fine flavor profile.
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11/25/2010 - Don and Pam wrote: 86 Points
tried hard to make this work but never got better with time. weak start and NO finish
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11/24/2010 - vinopa wrote: 79 Points
Dark ruby still very youthfull looking....Nose: dark fruit, hint of tobacco. herbs and plenty of OAK...Palate no different with a ton of makeup (OAK) covering up the fruit...Obviously imo this wine is way over-oaked..As GV would say the oak monster has appeared big time...pass...Everyone have a great thanksgiving..Cheers!!!
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11/4/2010 - compiq wrote: 90 Points
aromatic with spices, slight tannins left, seems to be perfect for drinking now
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9/25/2010 - smphelps wrote: 90 Points
Dark rich burgandy red. Second bottle, 13 months after the first and second day open. Noticable alcohol on the nose, but full of plums and spice. Black cherry makes an appearance mid palate and some caramel, with firm but smooth tannins. Long finish.
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9/6/2010 - wehouck wrote: 93 Points
Deep hues of burgundy, with oak tones noted while the wine was in the decanter. Full oak nose, followed by mature berries, a lovely cabernet sauvignon taste. The LONG aftertaste is lovely.
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7/22/2010 - dino_mike wrote: 90 Points
Drinking very well. The fruit is still there but a hint a olive and old spice is there in almost equal amounts that tell me this wine should be drank earlier than other vintages. Nice balance and a light kiss of complex oak on the finish. I'll drink most this year unless other bottles start drinking "younger".
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7/6/2010 - soplay wrote:
very nice
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6/27/2010 - eric42 wrote: 90 Points
Pleasantly surprised. Green herbal nose, not fantastic. Slightly on the flabby side, but smooth, balanced, and soft on the palate, black cherry vanilla (think Baskin Robbins cherry jubilee), coffee. Enjoyable, drank at a good time.
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6/20/2010 - Bob in NC wrote: 89 Points
Drank with a '04 Silver Oak NV. This wine was more fruit forward then the NV and had more layers. Some prefer this AV version over the NV.
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6/6/2010 - atbrown wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed as party of our neighbor's birthday celebration. Opened for an our before drinking. It was typical for what we have had in the past from Silver Oak. Very good, and aging well. Will probably drink the remaining bottles within the next year or two. Cherry flavor with oak.
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5/31/2010 - witkinddavis wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for a hour and served with a leg of lamb. Dark cherry a fine wine think it will age nicely.
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4/21/2010 - fingers wrote:
Pop n pour at restaurant. A little tight on the nose but the palate shows the usual SO profile. Blackcurrant bud, lavender, a touch of bubblegum and vanilla.
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4/17/2010 - BinVA wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, as always. Great cherry with slight oak integrated. Going to get more.
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3/21/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 92 Points
nice leather nose. opened and drank without decanting. still was better than anderson conn valley eloge. Without doubt a better experience than conn valley. good fruit and velvet finish.
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2/24/2010 - jman wrote: 91 Points
had it at home along with ribeye dinner. very good cab, dark, silky big wine. entering good drinking period, tannins well integrated; especially for a 100% cab wine. enjoyed it very much.
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2/15/2010 - OregonWineGeeks wrote: 85 Points
The nose is a soft blackberry with a herbal overtone, charcoal. The taste runs to a tart fruit with long tannin finish. 85 not my favorite silver oak.
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12/30/2009 - mtkutzman@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Ted & Sylvia's for New Year's Eve. BBQ tritip & salmon. Decanter magnum wine typical oaky SOak.
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12/24/2009 - EmilyE wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Delicious as always!
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12/20/2009 - twelch wrote: 87 Points
This was classic silver oak in every way especially in the OAK department.
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12/5/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 90 Points
Slightly better and bolder then previous bottle remembered to be, hence the slightly higher score. Once again, a very good, elegant high end classic Sonoma cab that we really love and get a case of every year. Definitely recommend this wine, at this price point however too expensive to be good QPR wine. Decanted and enjoyed with good CT wine buddy neighborbill and spouses as part of our second Thanksgiving dinner last week. Drinking absolutely superbly, in prime drinking window, clearly improved with age over the last couple of years but not sure if too much more improvement will occur, recommend starting to drink up holdings but still enough fruit and tannins left for at least 5 years of further cellaring. Nose soft with dark fruit and blueberry with primary flavors of well balanced charred oak, dark fruit, allspice and some smoke and black pepper developing later on the palate.
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11/28/2009 - jonysan wrote: 87 Points
This was our third bottle of the 03. I was underwhelmed again. It's an easy drinker, but nothing special. Definitely not worth the price.
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11/7/2009 - annerk wrote: 88 Points
Cabernet Tasting With Andrea Robinson (Epcot): 50+5+12+15+6 Green pepper, vanilla, and dill on the nose. Rough tannins that are disjointed and a very herbacious finish Just green all over. Definitely not a style of cab I prefer. Seems to be a lot of variety between bottles.
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10/11/2009 - dino_mike wrote: 93 Points
Earthy nose with deep black current and tobacco. Tastes of complex oak and earthy cherry fruit. The oak is very well integrated and is well balanced by the huge fruit. Excellent balance with a very long finish. The 1st glass was great however, we re-corked it for 2 more days and that is where this review is from. I REALLY recommend decanting for at least a day at this stage and you will be greatly rewarded. Drink any time.
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9/6/2009 - fingers wrote: flawed
Bottle suffered from heat damage. Still drinkable and still tastes like SO but just seems like it's very old and cooked.
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8/31/2009 - smphelps wrote: 90 Points
Blood red and silky smooth almost a cream like consistency. Tobacco, cedar, currant, and black cherries make a reasonably interesting and complex nose. Less complexity in the bottle, but a comfortable wine. Soft tannins.
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8/7/2009 - navquarter wrote: 91 Points
Very nice for a supposed "off" year for Silver Oak. Nice hints of Cherries, Caramel, and spice with a nice long finish. I certainly didn't see the down year at all...
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7/15/2009 - Kevdog wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, overpriced but nice. Decanted less than an hour but was open with fruit, smoke, and pepper. Very good with steak.
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7/11/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 89 Points
Very good, elegant high end classic Sonoma cab. Double decanted for four hours and enjoyed with a group of friends at an informal wine tasting at our house. In prime drinking window, clearly improved with age since I last tried this about two years ago. Too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR but still highly recommend this wine. Nose soft with dark fruit and blueberry with primary flavors of more cassis then I remembered, well balanced oak, dark fruit, allspice and some smoke on the palate.
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7/5/2009 - East of Napa wrote: 92 Points
drank at lake for the fourth
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6/25/2009 - Chez Mule wrote: 87 Points
Classic Silver Oak. Very good. It has benefited from a few years of aging.
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5/9/2009 - Garfield wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for one hour before dinner. Elegant nose of rose, cherry, and new oak. On the palate this was refined, with focused red fruit and enough oak to compliment and not overpower. Silky mouth feel and med. finish makes it a little sexy too. All in all, an excellent experience.
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5/1/2009 - mjsherwin68 wrote: 89 Points
Opened and decanted. As we tasted this bottle is opened up but did not change a lot. It has a dark ruby color with blackberry fruit, smoke and oak. The middle is smooth with structured tannins, with a easy finish of pepper and tobacco. It was an OK bottle, nothing special at the price point.
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4/12/2009 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Pop n pour. Fairly ripe and jammy with high acidity. On the nose, cigar box, herb, white pepper, red currants and violets. Simple, average and definitely not worth $54. Drink thru 2012
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4/7/2009 - MT3 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Very surprised at how good this was!! Big ripe plum and blackberries, good amount of oak, not over done. Very well balance with a big finish. Wish I had a steak with it, great food pairing wine.
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4/2/2009 - RockChalkWine wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hr. Had with Bistecca Florentine, Broccili, and squash. Smooth and very little tannins. One of the better 03's we have had.
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3/12/2009 - joraesque wrote: 86 Points
Not very smooth, and rather rough around the edges. Surprisingly, the Napa bottling is much better integrated at this time.
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3/9/2009 - fingers wrote: 90 Points
Nice deep ruby, about 90% opaque. Large chocolate powder and vanilla oak nose with a big, buttery note over everything. Nothing green or tight about it. The palate is big-bodied and smooth due to really fine tannin character and maturity. Did not change much with decanting and this seems very ready and no need to hold for long term, although it should hold up for several more years. Somewhat light in cherry and blackcurrant flavors and really focused on the oak treatment with simple, but pleasing results. Not a contemplative wine, but quite enjoyable. Very long finish (5+12+15+8) = 90
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12/24/2008 - pgm wrote: 90 Points
Thought this was quite nice, actually, with good cherry and currant aromas and flavors, some olive, and nice notes of anise spice. Pretty good structure, decent finish.
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12/23/2008 - hcampana wrote: 87 Points
Cali Cabs with the young turks (05 Foley Claret, 03 Pride Reserve Claret, 03 Rubicon, 03 Silver Oak AV Cab) (Culiacán, Mexico): This was also brought by one of the young turks. This was the sole dissapointment of the night. The wine lacked a mid palate and it wasn't showing as much fruit as the others. Oak treatment seemed heavy.
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12/23/2008 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 89 Points
Nice bottle of wine, but I was not overly impressed at all. It opened up a bit after about an hour in the bottle, but never really had any distinctive qualities. It was smooth, but not flavorful.
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11/28/2008 - troutmonster wrote: 89 Points
Drank on Thanksgiving with dad. Firm tannins which mellowed over a drinking period of about 2 hours. Probably could use more time in the cellar.
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11/27/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 86 Points
Pretty good, but overpriced. Tannins are still evident (and a bit astringent). Fruit is uninspiring, and the aromatics are OK.
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11/25/2008 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Coconut, vanilla, toast, currant and mint nose. Full-bodied with concentrated fruit flavours; long, spicy oak finish.
4/5
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11/21/2008 - mye wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple/red
Heavy earth/oak bouquet. Blackcurrant, blackberry and chocolate aroma
Very smooth on the palate. Even within 15 mins of opening. Well balanced, and well structured, leads to long finish
Excellent tasting. Beautifully smooth taste, elegant. Balanced and rich.
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11/1/2008 - ralphie312 wrote: 89 Points
Opening thrill with first taste is the most distinctive pat of Silver Oak. Nice experience.
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10/26/2008 - moxey1 wrote: 89 Points
Excellent cab. Still a little young & tight - should continue to develop quite well over the next several years.
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10/26/2008 - East of Napa wrote: 93 Points
Favorite wine of the evening. lots of wine in a 3l bottle. very nice nse, smooth tanins and a great finish. Was concerned about the large format not being as good. Not to worry. SO did not let us down.
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10/25/2008 - Always4wine wrote: 90 Points
Yummy, yummy. Much better after decanting. Solid NAPA cab. with a lot of leather and dark fruit even a bit of licorice. Very smooth on the finish with some hang time of the tannins adding srtucture.
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10/24/2008 - Larry Brooks wrote: 91 Points
Tasted next to a Moulin St. George 2003, more tannic, but great balance. I thought the tannins weren't quite integrated yet even after decanting. I vote wait a couple of years.
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10/22/2008 - bigdogflow wrote: 89 Points
No suprises here. Decanted for 45 minutes and drank over 2 hours. Easy to drink and went well with the steaks we grilled.
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10/7/2008 - wineforrest wrote: 90 Points
nice tannins, easy to drink. had with flank steak
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9/28/2008 - pandresgi@gmail.com wrote: 79 Points
Maybe to early to drink. Bitter with overwhelming coffee/bitter palate
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9/11/2008 - THaas wrote: 91 Points
Strong nose of cassis, with a powerful mouth to match. Lots of berry, a cedary/vanilla note joining the party, and an undercurrent of tobacco. Very tannic, this could stand some cellaring without any problem. Very long finish, but the wine felt a bit out of balance- too heavy for it's own good.
High score is mainly due to intensity; there's other wines that I'd prefer, especially given the price tag on this one.
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8/28/2008 - pdrago wrote: 89 Points
Had at dinner with bone in filet. The nose was gorgeous blueberry, rasberry, plum, and some vanilla. Balanced attack of fruit and transitioned nicely into a mid palate of chocolate and vanilla but then the oak started and it just overpowered the rest of the flavors. I enjoyed it for the first few sips but it became too much for me. The tannis were soft and integrated but almost non-existent. I don't see how this wine gets any better in the cellar at this point. I give it a 89 because the nose and attack were so very nice but you lose me once we get past that initial wave. Too bad because it started off so nicely. Not worth $60 but still a good wine. At $25 a bottle I might give it another try but not at $60.
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8/8/2008 - GreatLibations wrote: 89 Points
Good color density with strong aromas of spicy berries, mild leather, and earth. Full body and elegant with moderate tannins yielding strong red berry fruit flavors, a bit of cedar cask and tobacco. Cassis really shines here while finishing long and savory. This is a solid example while not a blockbuster by any means. It all about the aroma in this one.
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6/22/2008 - DLT wrote: 85 Points
Popped and poured. Plummy purple color. Nose shows lots of oak, some cherries and a little earthiness initially, which, unfortunately, vanishes after a short time. Palate hits hard with creamy, buttery oak, some black cherries in the background and smooth tannins on the finish. Extraction is solid, and flavors hold through the midpalate, through the medium finish. If you're looking for a massively oaked wine, this delivers that style well, but it's disjointed, simple and way overoaked for my taste, and not worth the price. 5+11+13+6.
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6/21/2008 - JMReed NC wrote: 90 Points
Color of purple ink. Blackberry and leather on the nose. Flavors of blackberry, chocolate, tobacco and vanilla. Hint of pepper & citrus on the finish. Wine offered up layers of flavors over several hours of enjoying the wine.
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6/16/2008 - boblerner wrote: 93 Points
Drank on Father's Day poolside bbq; excellent
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6/4/2008 - Phin wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 30 min. Red fuit. Decent density and tannis up front and through the middle. Weak finish.
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5/6/2008 - gmat5497 wrote: 88 Points
Not very impressed. I'm a big Silver Oak fan, but this one is just a middle of the road Cab. Nothing really stands out. Fruit seems somewhat subdued. Finish is semi long. Just OK.
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4/28/2008 - bjohnson350 wrote: 87 Points
Ok now everyone is going to give ma a hard time on this one but I was not impressed. This Cab is not worth the money. I would much rather have a bottle of Staglin. Medium purple and not very dark. The nose has blueberry and sour cherry with some peppers. I did like the French oak and vanilla. The taste had some raspberry, and loads of oak. I did not get much more from this, maybe a hint of some vanilla. The pallet was short in my opinion and was a little off on the finish really kind of a bad oak bitterness to the finish. It transitioned very quickly through the mid pallet.
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4/15/2008 - scottmlew wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about an hour. Smooth rich dark fruit, some vanilla and soft spice, with a rich long amazing finish
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4/4/2008 - DTWOB wrote: 89 Points
Deep dark plum color, multi-sensations in the nose - chocolate/floral/spice; nice mouth-feel, light and velvety with typical Cali-Cab deep dark berries mixed with a little vanilla and oak, very light tannins, a little flat past mid palate, smooth finish. A nice sit and sip wine or with food. A little more structure or complexity would result in a 90 pointer. There are plenty at this wine's equal for much less cost.
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2/18/2008 - M-driver wrote:
There's nothing wrong with this wine. It's a cookie-cutter Napa cab...a $15 Napa cab. Its varietally correct and has all the aspects one would expect from a $15 bottle of Napa cab. Plain and simple. Again, not bad wine. Just worth nowhere close to what this is trading for.
The 13% alcohol was nice change, however. Seems like most Cal cabs are pushing 15% these days.
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2/15/2008 - mayawatts wrote: 87 Points
Lots of oak, big fruit. Very typical California Cab style. Decanted for about an hour before drinking. The flavors played really well with a selection of strong cheeses; was less impressive on its own. For the price, I expected more - chewier mouthfeel, smoother tannins, longer finish. Perhaps this one would be better a few years down the road. Have been impressed with Silver Oak cabs in the past and was a little disappointed with this one.
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2/2/2008 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
Wine Exchange - Silver Oak Day: Slight nose of black licorice; Sharp on the back of the tongue; Heavy tannins
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2/2/2008 - Sticky wrote: 91 Points
I don't understand how people say silver oak is very overrated. I did not feel that it was over oaked either. I tasted this back to back with 2005 joseph phelps cabernet and I feel that the silver oak won the battle. Maybe at the 60 dollar list it is a bit too much but it can be found at ~50 and at that price point the silver oak delivers with a very nice nose and a smooth finish that lingers.
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1/18/2008 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Thick molasses nose; Prunes; Ripe but not overly so; Medium Dark
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1/18/2008 - krlee1029 wrote: 89 Points
Very nice. I hope it get better with time.
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1/5/2008 - scvwino wrote: 89 Points
I laugh at all of the people who say it is over oaked. This is the signiture of this wine. It is a consistant performer. There are better values out there, but nothing marks a special occasion like a bottle of silver oak. Very tasty, id give it 88-90
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12/22/2007 - oostexan wrote: 85 Points
Tasted like it was under ripe and overly oaked. Very green, but had decent concentration, and a short finish. Not my type of wine.
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12/13/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 87 Points
HDH bordeaux tasting (evanston IL): nose: real extracted on the nose. cherry, cranberry, and oak, lots of oak on the nose.
taste: guess what we get, oak, and lots of it. It's not overwhelming like the last bottle I tasted, but it's very much there. Also getting some extracted cherry and cranberry on the mouth
overall: very meh wine that is insanely stereotypical. way too much oak, while it is decently made, the price and oak is what is wrong with california cabs
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12/8/2007 - mmurry wrote: 93 Points
Imagine sitting down to a snack of chocolate-covered cherries and Earl Grey Tea, with a little ginger for your sore throat. That is exactly what the nose reminded me of. The palate had loads of cherry preserves sprinkled with brown sugar and caramel. It finished with a bit of spice,
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12/7/2007 - JohnBlueLabel wrote: 88 Points
Nice nose, some red fruit, a bit of black fruit, but some oak. Nice mouthfeel, starts with some blackberry, ? strawberry but then gets very tannic and oaky. There is a vanilla component and a milkiness on the midpalate. Very dry and astingent on the finish.
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12/4/2007 - sasvino wrote: 89 Points
It was an ok cab but for price point, I would have expected a ton more. It was really tight on the open and overly earthy throughout. Aromas: decent cherry, chocolate. Flavors: I felt the fruit was overwhelmed with a dustry, earthy texture. I let it open up for 1/2 hour and did get hints of cherry and traditional blackberry feel, finish had legs but just was not that fruity. maybe this one just needs a ton of time for the fruit to develop.
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11/29/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 86 Points
Binny's California Night (Highland Park): nose: ooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk. and tons of it. Maybe a bit of cranberry or red fruit, I can't really tell because the oak just overwhelms the fruit like a blackhole
taste: whadda know, more oak. Also getting a bit of reduction cranberry and a slight bit of earth
overall: a very bland wine that is just oaked to all hell
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11/25/2007 - meruss2 wrote: 80 Points
Very poor on the finish, I was dissapointed
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11/23/2007 - EMichels wrote: 87 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: More austere in style; A bit of heat on the finish; Herbal
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11/22/2007 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
Had it as part of a flight. While it is a nice, well-made wine I do not think it is worth the price. It had some complexity and balance, but not as much as I'd expect. I preferred the Duckhorn.
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11/15/2007 - docjavadude wrote: 90 Points
Dark in color, nose, and flavors. Lots of oak in the nose and in the mouth (of course -- it's Silver Oak after all). Still quite young and as a restaurant bottle it didn't have time to open up, so remained pretty tight. Quite a punch in the mouth with bold cherry, plum, and cranberry flavors and explosive oakiness. Surprisingly tannic, the flavors and finish were not as well balanced as previous Silver Oaks. Nice wine but not a great value.
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11/14/2007 - Coleman wrote: 90 Points
Drank at wine tasting. Very good, well made, but Very Oaky. If oak isn't your style then you wouldn't like this.
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11/8/2007 - Pat & Jen B wrote: 90 Points
Decanted & drank w/ fillet, lobster bisque and potatoes au-graitin @ Ruth's Chris, San Francisco. VERY nice... far, far better than the '98 we had recently.
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10/24/2007 - rloomis wrote: 87 Points
bright red and black cherry, alc comes across as a little hot. fresh and young fruit, a little bit of red table grape. some grape seed and stem tannins. Might drink better in a year or two, but didn't seem dense and structured enough for long term age.
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10/11/2007 - gmat5497 wrote: 90 Points
Silver Oak at it's best. Young but very approachable.
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10/4/2007 - Cal Bear wrote: 89 Points
Opened for one hour and did not decant. Recently released, so tannins/oak very prevalent. Still, more balanced and nuanced than expected given how young it is. Not too hot at all. Very dark color. The wood plays off the dark plummy fruit nicely. Pronounced chocolate notes. Nice wine. Could be higher score in a few years, but not sure about aging potential if fruit dies out first, which it may well do.
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10/1/2007 - Lou532 wrote: 88 Points
Good effort by Silver Oak. Have two more bottles and will hold for another 3-5 years before trying another.
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9/19/2007 - tahoeg wrote: 92 Points
WOW! Best Silver OAK in years. Still very young, but good fruit, acid, tanins
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8/26/2007 - philhh wrote: 92 Points
Smelled and tasted like a high-quality cherry and liquor filled dark chocolate. Noticeable tannis but the wine was tasting tired after a couple of hours in the glass. Very highly enjoyable now however.
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8/10/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 87 Points
Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Showing a deep ruby robe and red rim, this is a wine with moderately intense aromas of ripe Santa Rosa plums, eucalyptus and (not surprisingly) vanilla. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, somewhat dry tannins and black fruit flavors on the palate. The palate's vanilla is even more pronounced than for nose. Medium, dry finish. Crowd-appealing, but I will wait for the 2004 to re-stock my cellar with the Alexander Valley bottling (as I must always have some of this wine for my Silver Oak-loving friends). For now, I have a few bottles of the 2002 left.
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8/9/2007 - odu83 wrote: 91 Points
The release party at Silver Oak in Alexander Valley is an event not to miss. The setting is beautiful with rolling vineyard knolls tucked into the west side of the valley just a short drive from Geyserville. This year the weather was warm going to hot in the afternoon. Fortunately Silver Oak treats us to indoor tastings in a large cool room. We always try to find the server that gives a reasonable pour given that it's a party not a tasting counter. Levi treated us well. The food was mediocre this year, so thank goodness the wine was delicious.
Tasting young now since it just emerged from 24 months in oak, this wine will be outstanding in a couple of years. The tannis are a bit under-ripe, which is a refreshing change from the high alcohol style around the industry now. This wine was labled under 13%. The fruit is bright while still delivering that velvety flavor of a well vinted cab. Clearly Silver Oak continues to deliver the wine pre-oxidized, so long term aging seems too big a risk. We bought 8 bottles. The $60 price point is dead-on for a super quality wine.
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8/4/2007 - wcacern wrote: 93 Points
Cabernet: Summer Session / Silver Oak Day (wine Exchange): love the vanilla coconut surrounded by plum cherry, and berries. delicious ripe fruit wit ripe lush tannins, and a creamy vanilla finish that lingers. classic cali style cab.
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12/11/2006 - TonyH wrote: 90 Points
Supple and smooth. Rich ad well balances. Had at the Capital Grill
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9/12/2006 - nubbin wrote: 89 Points
Dark & yummy with a deceptive sweetness. Rich and round. Plum & berries. Push.
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