and still fresh with enjoyable balance of red fruit, minerals and oak. Pleasant juice with a filet. The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
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Before writing this note I reviewed my notes on this wine from '09, '10 and '16. 100 % cabernet. Cork pristine when tonged out. Fully evolved now with fruit still there but secondary notes coming through strongly. Drink or hold but leaning heavily on the drink - I would recommend drinking up any remaining holdings in the next couple years - probably slightly past prime but not yet degrading in any significant way. Highly recommend, drinking beautifully and at this point of maturation quite a good QPR wine at our acquisition price way back in the day. Reddish purple, peripheral bricking present, soft mouthfeel, complex and fully integrated, medium bodied and with a lovely medium length aftertaste. Oak & tannins present but very soft and fully integrated. Fruit probably starting to drop off a bit. Nose dark, soft and more muted with plum, black cherry, violet, black pepper and a distinct smokey finish. Primary flavors up front included dark fruit, cassis and blackberry giving way to earthier notes of stone, leather, black tea and a smokier and less floral note on the finish. Another example of how beautiful a well made and properly aged high end CA cab can evolve into. 1 bottle left of the original case of 12 and will probably drink it by if not for New Year's.
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Nice dark fruit on the front and a smooth balance on the palate, low to moderate minerality with light tannins and low acidity. Harkens to the 100% Cabernet! Don't wait much longer.
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This was 4 years beyond the recommend drinking window and it showed it. This vintage peaked a few years ago. Still drinkable but not your typical Silver Oak.
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Drank this a bit later than we should have. I thought it was corked - the cork disintegrated upon opening, but phew! Delicious and smooth - especially within the second hour of opening up. However I do wish we had enjoyed this wine a year or two ago at it’s peak. we left it a bit too long.
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Silver Oak Healdsburg Tasting Experience (Silver Oak Cellars Healdsburg, Ca.): Tasting Silver Oak Healdsburg (Silver Oak Cellars Healdsburg, Ca.): Kathy noted ammonia on the first pour so a new bottle was opened by the staff and tasted, nose of black cherry, sage, and forest floor, big body, tasty, rich fruit, at peak so needs to be opened and enjoyed at its peak in my opinion, in the next 6 months, but will hold up for another 8 years, and a long, long finish.
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Dark purple with brown edges. First nose is incredible. Mix of oak, vanilla, jammy dark fruit, cigar box, and leather. Second nose is almost all dark fruit immediately after swirling. Then the vanilla and oak return. Delicate mouthfeel with an increasing dry finish. Strong plum flavor.
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Nose of black cherry, mocha and herbs, big body, tasty, rich, juicy fruit, at peak so time to enjoy is now, paired with a take out California Sirloin Burger from Flemings, and a long, long finish and flavorful aftertaste. Photo uploaded.
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I knew this was in the tasting but not which order (there were 11 bottles). Didn't note color. Sweet cherry, dill, cedar and savory on nose. On palate, similar flavor profile with medium body, medium acidity/tannins with exquisite balanced. I guess it was a Sonoma Cab dominant blend with 10+ years of age.
Based on weighting (1st =3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd =1 point), this was the WOTN (group skews towards liking Old World, / Earthy Wines). This wine was a gift from my sister and I have never had anything from Silver Oak before. While clearly at peak or on way down hill, this wine has aged extremely well and is very well made. 93+/-
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Father's Day at Flemings, nose of black cherry, mint, mocha and herbs, big body, tasty, goes great with the steak, long, long finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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Obviously the folks who have tried this wine have vastly differing tastes in wine than I have. I last had the '04 S.O. Alex V in October 2010 and rated it in the top 99.7% of the 3000+ wines on my spreadsheet. Deep red, smooth, full body, and that nice oaky bouquet and taste that I prefer.
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Happy Anniversary Cellar Tracker-opened and enjoyed in your honor. Nose of black currents, black berry, mocha, and a hint of green bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, at it's best so time to enjoy is now, and a medium/long finish.
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Opened table side at restaurant. Popped and poured. moderate amount of fine sediment. Very typical nose of dark red and black fruits. Cassis and Black currants on the nose and palate, soft on the palate with some secondaries showing. Mild tannins with a smooth mouth feel consistent with a 12-year-old California Cab. In a very nice place tonight, while not a rockstar compared to the other wines which included a 2004 Tignanello and an 04 Felisena Chianti reserva, it was in a good place and showed well.
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This wine is still holding on after 14 years. It had a fruity nose of dark berry and some leather. The tannins were still present, and it held up perfectly with a tenderloin roast. The oak has subsided leaving a nice dark fruit taste with good mouthfeel. I have one bottle left and think it’s good for two or three more years.
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Wan't sure what to expect - but was very surprised that it was still very tasty. Still drinking well with plenty of smooth oak and fruit. Definitely at the end of the road in a year or two - drink what you have....
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nose - tomato, vegetal. tasted blind and i was guessing there'd be some cabfranc in there mouth - tobacco, resolved cherry, clean and complex, nice wine. in its drinking window
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Very pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Consumed 3 bottles with beef tenderloin at dinner party and all guest agreed that the wine was still very good.
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Blind tasting. Nose of black cherry, leather and a touch of orange ring. On the palate, shows older, smoother, with integrated oak, tobacco, and leather. Group first place, my first place.
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Overall group favorite at a tasting of Cal=Cabs produced by winemaking families in business for 40 or more years. The signature oakiness of this producer's wines has receded into just a pleasing note of soft spice and vanilla, while fruit, mint and nice warm herbs come to the fore. It's worth noting that this is the Alexander Valley bottling, considered to be the producer's lesser wine. But this bottle was outstanding.
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After being decanted in a decanter and 20 min in the glass, the wine was open and did well for the next couple of hours. It was stable and never got awkward. Soft mouth feel, good texture, complex and integrated soft and smooth tannins, with a violet floralish finish. Probably has another 1-2 more years at or near this stage.
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This wine goes as the most unique nose (other than the 82 Mondavi). The nose was citrus and sweet, almost like a pineapple and pomegranate. The entry showed some age to the black cherry fruit which dominated the start. This wine had a great herbaceous middle. The finish was quite subtle, with some black pepper that was starting to show the ripeness of age. This wine could have used another 1-2 years of bottle age, but was in a great spot tonight. Herbal finish was definitely one of the characteristics that kept us revisiting it as the afternoon rolled on!
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We had this as a third bottle at Thanksgiving dinner, after a Chardonnay and a Pinot. It tasted mature and dry, but in a good way. It was pretty seamless to go back and forth between the Pinot and this Cabernet, which gives you a sense for the weight (or lack thereof) of this Silver Oak. Went well with the traditional turkey, stuffing, etc. We decanted and as others have mentioned the wine improved over the next 30-60 minutes. Drink now.
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A beautiful, complex, soft and now very mature Alexander Valley cab from a very good winemaker. A reasonable QPR at our acquisition cost. We popped and poured this on a whim last night and up front it was too cold and needed more air so 1st glass very muted, 2nd glass singing - give this at least 30-60 minutes in the decanter and let it warm up from the cellar temp to much closer to room temp. Tannins still present but very smooth and totally integrated - my guess is that with proper cellaring this wine still has 2-3 really good years to go but at this point has definitely peaked - I see no further upside to continued cellaring. Dark purple, soft mouth feel, good texture, very smooth and complex, well integrated and balanced with a reasonable but not super long aftertaste. Nose dark and floral with dark fruit, violet and black pepper. Primary flavors up front included dark fruit, oak and cassis with warm cooking spices and again a floral violet / lilac note on the very end. Definitely recommend this wine.
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Nose of black currents, blackberries and bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium body, delicious tasting, mocha tasted on the mid palate and became more evident through the meal, medium/long finish.
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Easter Sunday Brunch at Flemings. Nose of sage, briar, blackberry, plum, and lovely aromatics, more of the same on the palate, medium body, delicious tasting, paired well with the Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon, long, lovely finish.
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Much better the second and third bottle opened up after an hour or two perfect silver oak flavor the oak and lead finish could not have dranken better very fun super bowl bottle
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Over the hill have 5 more hoping some of the others are doing better. Decanted 30 mins opened up a little got the lead oak flavor of a typical silver oak but it lost it all within the hour.
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Has lost its baby fat, but well structured with lots of ripe fruit. Medium to full body, good structure with sweet fruit. Medium length and very pleasant finish.
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Upon popping the cork this wine presented unremarkable, shallow fruit and lots of alcohol. I feared I had waited too long (8 years). As the evening progressed (2 hours) it gained balance, the fruit came out and the alcohol subsided. Overall it was an acceptable wine for a second label but I would not seek it out for a special evening. If you have this wine, drink now. There is nothing to be gained and everything to lose by holding longer.
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Drinking great. Intense and complex nose on the 1st pouring. I think aeration/decanting shouldn't be done. Huge expansive nose of purple fruits, violets and earth. Smooth tannins give the medium cherry fruit and older notes (mineral, soft cherry and light oak) a lift through a smooth finish. It should drink this well for a couple years.
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We did a 3 bottle tasting 04, 05 and 06, this one stood out. It is an impressive bottle, and will stand the test of time. Best to enjoy this with appetizers and great conversation with good friends.
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Dark ruby color with purple margins. Nose is rich and deep, which you can smell more than a metre away, reminiscent of plums and blackberry jam. Dry, medium plus bodied, black currant & blackberries, with some tobacco & car leather. Medium minus tannins, quite pleasant. Medium plus finish and complexity.
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Lots of black fruits and a little hot on the nose. Black fruits, graphite, red tea leaves and dark chocolate with mild tannins and good acidity in the palate. Mid to long finish. Still have 2-5 years in the peak. Perfect for grilled steak!
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Opened up after an hour in the decanter. Dark, full bodied with smooth tannins. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I expected it to be better considering the price.
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As you can see I have changed my tune in regards to this wine. I had this last in 2011, and I bashed it, but I think the wine needed more time. It is still somewhat lacking, but you are starting to taste some of the traditional Silver Oak characteristics. I have one bottle left, and I am not going to drink it for another 2 to 4 years.
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Fully integrated, with little tannins but plenty of cedar, smoke, currants, cassis and plum. Very smooth and ready for action, paired nearly perfectly with charcoal grilled leg of lamb. Drink soon!
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This wine added depth in the decanter over a couple hours. Went from an 89 out of the bottle to 90 with a decant. Nice sweet red cherry, earth and mineral flavors, medium bodied and smooth.
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Had this as part of a reverse vertical, which included the '09 & '08. By far this '04, had the most muscle and finesse of the 3. This was much better than I remember my previous 4 bottles being.
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Thanksgiving Dinner wine at Bridges. Bright beet red color in the glass, lovely nose of herbs, currents, blackberries with a hint of mocha and sage, more of the same on the palate, medium body, very mouthfilling cabernet, seemed to develop more chocolate character as the evening went on, medium finish, lovely aftertaste.
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Bottle decanted about 45 minutes. Still dark colored; not inky, but opaque purple with no evident bricking. Oak, cassis and blue fruits on the nose. Plums and raspberries, and a little gravel, on the palate. Balanced acidity. Good stuff but I kept thinking this should be better for the price. Still has life to go before it peaks, I think.
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Tasted against a 2005 and a 2008, this was the lightest, smoothest and perhaps most polished of the three vintages. Medium bodied, with a layer of mocha and slightly sweet currant and ripe plum and berry flavors with hints of vanilla on a silky smooth tannin finish. http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/06/silver-oak-alexander-valley-vertical.html
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Huge black cherry and chocolate nose. Palette was fruity with chocolate and coffee overtones, also slight mint and vanilla. Very smooth with resolved tannins. Wonderful.
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Aromas and flavors of baked red cherry, toasted cedar, and spiced vanilla bean. Medium to full body. Dry on the palate with chalky tannins. Well balanced acidity.
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Bright beet red color in the glass, lovely nose of herbs, currents, blackberries with a hint of mocha and sage, more of the same on the palate, medium body, very mouthfilling cabernet, seemed to develop more chocolate character as the evening went on, medium finish, lovely aftertaste, paired at Flemings with a in bone filet mignon and sauteed mushrooms no butter just garlic, enjoyable with the salmon steak too. at its best, drink the next four or five years.
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*Tasted at the winery* Cherries, blackcurrant and warm gravel on the nose. Medium+ mouth feel. A little lighter in the style than the Silver Oak Napa Valley. Tasted side by side with the 08 vintage and this one shows more developed aromas and complexity. It also seems to have more acidity at the same time. Nice long finish with mocha, warm gravel and layers of dark fruit. Beautiful Cabernet from Silver Oak.
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Classic Silver Oak aroma and flavor profile. Perhaps just a little heavy on the oak. Nicely balanced, with sufficient acidity to balance the fruit. This is drinking surprisingly well now. I would have thought that it would be tighter and more tannic. This was a gift, but if I had many of these, I would start drinking them.
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This started off very shut down and would have been better early on decanted; even then when it opened up, it was no where near the experience of the 02`; still, I liked it`s softness and finesse and in a certain way, it`s elegance.
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Dark garnet color with a hint of brick. Medium nose of blackberry, oak, spice. Dark fruit intensive with notes of vanilla, dill, cherry. Tannins are still rich and juicy. Medium acidity. Nice finish that lasts about 30 seconds. Drinking well right now.
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I enjoy this bottle quite a bit as it wasn't overpowering (one of our guests called it minimalist, but then I pour her a 1977 Leoville Las Cases), and had nice smooth structure. Lots of strawberry and raspberry on the the nose.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs and aromas of mint, tobacco, cedar, smokey and strawberry jam and has flavours of oak with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish.
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still going strong this cab shows strong dill and cedar on the tongue with nice ripe fruit and typical SO finish. hold or drink and enjoy this classic SO
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Same score as before. Evolved a little since the last time I had it. Less fruit, slight acidity that reminds me of boysenberry. Very smooth on the palate with slight oak undertones. Good with grilled food.
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Oak on the nose and palate. Some jam and a slight leather taste. Mouth filling with the alcohol. Overall a little out of balance but was good with steaks. Medium finish.
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For the first thirty minutes this smells incredible with a bloody mess of ripe plums, iron, and molasses. Across the palette there is some nice initial dark fruit, oak, and menthol cigarette smokiness in a luscious, velvety juice. We had this with grilled cheeseburgers and it was excellent. By the end of the meal it had degraded considerably both on the nose and the palette and tasted mostly of oak. Short finish. Weird stuff.
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Dark plum color. Currants and chambord nose with burnt toast. Fruit is almost completely missing, just a big presence of raw oak with a dry bland finish. Not good.
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Perfect age to drink this well made cabernet sauvignon from Alexander Valley. Tons of fruit forward, dark cherries, raspberries, black berries, thoughout the nose to palate and finish. Wonderful pucker from tannins as it courses over the tongue, but not too much. Lovely paired with Thanksgiving dinner. Long finish.
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Nose of stewed strawberries and later raspberries. Mouth refreshing and silky for a cab. Body medium with good tannins and moderate acidity. Initial impression a little bit like a great Pinot. Flavors of ripe black cherries, toasted almond, vanilla bean, ground coffee. Finish is dry and long.
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I will never buy another bottle of Silver Oak again. This wine has no depth or substance. The 04 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley C/S or the 04 BV Rutherford all taste better than this wine and they only cost $20. I don't know if they forgot to put the wine in barrels for a few years or what, but this wine tastes like it is fading. One of the greatest wines I ever had was a magnum of the 1975 Silver Oak Alexander Valley C/S back in 03, but the recent vintages that I have had (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) have all been disappointments. The winemaker's notes suggest that this wine should provide drinking pleasure through 2023. I don't think I agree with that.
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- Crimsom color with medium forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body. Round texture with a medium finish. A bit sharp on the nose, not much fruit.
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Recently toured the winery. Very classy place with great tour and great employees. The aroma took us back to the very moment of the tour. Like this wine. Very full, distinct flavor. Think it will continue to progress as the tannins mature.
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This was an interesting but not my favourite. It starts very light with not much of a flavour, and then the flavour fills out with smoke and wood. The finish is not very long either. Unfortunately we consumed this with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner so not the best pairing, although the flavour paired well with sausage and stuffing. Perhaps the flavours would have been more enjoyable with hickory smoked ribs or something similar.
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I bought this wine directly from the winery in 2011. Very muscular, highly-strung red with very evident notes of oak, dark chocolate, dark berries, vanilla, graphite and espresso. This wine is not for everyone as it delivers a strong, meaty character that lingers on to the very long end. Delicious. I'm glad I opened it this late. Silver Oak does perform better with medium term cellaring, and I believe the great 2004 vintage required it. Drink from 2009 to 2014.
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--- COLOR: Garnet with deep ruby rim NOTE: Yikes, this smells exactly like buttered toast with some raspberry preserves slathered on, then a sprinkling of rubbing alcohol. Or it could just be raspberry shoe polish, not sure. It only gets worse when you try to drink it. The mouth has a nice opulence, with smooth tannins, but from there to the finish I am certain someone dropped their black shoe polish bottle in the vat. It's such a strikingly angular, odd Cab that I don't know what to say. It's almost like it could have been great, but someone fell asleep and left it in the barrel twice as long as it required. This almost makes me mad. The fruit is there, buried underneath the nastiness of the cedar/oak that is almost nauseating. Someone took God's gift of grapes and smothered them. Grape-a-cide.
DECANT: 1-5 hours (no difference) GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 7.5 (and I'm being generous because it's barely drinkable with or without food) OTHER: COST: 60 (it was a gift, glad I didn't buy it) VALUE: 0.01 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: never TRY AGAIN: never PAIRING: the LA sewer system Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Opened this along with several other high end Napa wines and, somewhat surprisingly, this was the hit of the night. Supple, well integrated, tannins with significant fruit remaining, balanced out by an ideal level of acidity. May not have a lot of time left, but drinking beautifully now.
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tend to agree on the heavy oak impressions, but disagree on it being a flat wine. paired with a steak w cab reduction sauce and it wsa very nice. there was some round flavors to it, but it wasnt a big cab taste - at least not enough to say it was flat. dont see holding this one for very long though.
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Tons and tons of oak on the nose with dark fruit trying to sneak its way out. Pretty good mouthfeel but to much oak that really hides the dark fruit. For what I find these for they are not bad but for the price point average way over priced. Definitely worth the 35.00 I get these for.
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Paired with braised short ribs on an unusually cold May evening in So Cal. found it flat, no fruit flavors, lacking complexity and unimpressive. Preferred this over the SO Napa of the same vintage at the winery, now wondering? Have 4 more bottles will try again in a year but not expecting much.
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The most over-oaked bottle of wine I think I have ever had. Its almost like you are sucking on wood, with no hint of any fruit flavors. We used to really like Silver Oak Alex Cabs, buying 6 of the 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The simply fact is that they have become way over priced, and the wine making has drifted to focus on only oak. Totally not balanced either. Unfortunately, I still have 5 left.
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I'm accused by the napa/cab lovers of being a S.O. hater... but this was a very nice bottle. Great balance, fruit still hanging in there quite well and structure to cellar for many more years.
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Stored at 58 degrees, opened and decanted for 1.5 hours before drinking. Full body, strong finish, slightly heavy on the oak but admittedly a little young. This should improve further but overall a very nice wine.
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This was way over oaked for my taste. Smooth but very short finish that left you with a oak tree sap taste in you mouth. It was not corked just not very good. Four of us at dinner and three voted drinkable but did not like it and I voted not drinkable at all. I cannot recommend this wine to anyone. Like Phredd, I don’t like to give scores under 80, but this one deserves the low score.
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NC Cindy tasting. The color was medium garnet, lighter than the '03 Silver Oak Napa we had immediately prior, which was a little scary. Like the prior wine, this one had a nice nose of cherry and a little bit of herbs and/or vegetable garden, with the same notes of vanilla and oak. On the palate, however, this was even worse. Very light, almost vanishing cherry flavors, and without much in the way of secondary flavors. This was relatively simple, with a hollow center, and even shorter on the finish than the '03 Napa. Again, disappointing would be a bit of an understatement. Blind, I'm not 100% sure I would have even pegged this as a cabernet. It was that far off. I don't give many scores under 80, and I won't give that to this wine, either...but I at least thought about it. If the price point were $10, I'd consider buying this wine, but wouldn't be sure. For $55+, there is just no way. BTW, nobody at the tasting thought this wine was flawed in any way. It just wasn't very good.
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On the nose, muted fruit and lovely cedar. This wine is very elegant, well-proportioned, and drank well out of the bottle. Very silky and pretty, possessing weight and finesse. Decanted for 2 hours, the wine opened up a little more but not significantly. Very tasty, but pricey these days; I would recommend it if you have the chance to pick it up for under $50 retail or $75 at a restaurant.
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Continues developing very nicely, more balanced and well rounded and somewhat more subtle then previous bottles. Once again very good, enjoyed this earlier tonight with Kim and good CT wine buddy neighborbill and spouse Debbie with dinner at the Lake Hickory CC. Too expensive to be a reasonable QPR but highly recommend this wine. Lighter purple then previous bottles, well structured, tannins and oak soft with ongoing maturation and currently very well balanced and elegant, in prime drinking window with further cellaring potential for at least 3-5 years but don't necessarily anticipate significant further improvement. Nose softening with red cherry, vanilla, blueberry and muted floral tones. Primary flavors included well balanced subtle oak, dark stone fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry. Definitely recommend this wine despite price point, too expensive to be a reasonable QPR. Start drinking holdings now, this wine will remain good for years to come but at this point I see very little further improvement.
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Has to be one of the biggest con jobs going in the wine industry. This is a very average wine sold at an inflated price. Obviously, the marketing and name says a lot more than the quality of the wine.
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Pleasant enough, but I expected more from this wine at this price. I taste vanilla and a little hint of anise. And there is a bit too much oak. The wine is rather one note. Nothing special, but could develop into more with some cellar time.
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Nose of strawberry jam with hints of earth and mint. Medium body with a sharp flavor profile of bitter black fruit and cedar. Long finish is nice but not too complex.
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Good wine, a bit oaky, and not as smooth as I would have expected. Also slightly tannic. I think I should've waited another year to drink this one. Not worth the price ... I could do better for half the price.
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The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Strawberry, Raspberry, Smokey Bacon, and Medium Toast. It tastes like Oak and not much fruit. The body is Medium. The wine finishes Medium.
The bad news is I have two more bottles (gifts) but the good news is my wife likes it. Horrible QPR, seriously I probably wouldn't repurcahse for $25.
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Anniversary dinner. Wonderful cab. Nose filled with allot of oak and vanilla, cherries, chocolate, buttered toast, new shoe leather and some 'green' bramble. Color rich purple/garnet with bold legs. Wonderfully smooth on the tongue with full body sweet notes of cherry and well integrated tannins and acidity. If I was 'forced' to say something negative it would be that it might be just a tad over oaked. Still in all a great wine.
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A bit better than my last bottle. Medium body, not too tannic, and as the name implies, pretty good amount of oak on the back. Worth $60? Probably not.
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Popped and poured at a restaraunt. Dark purple with black fruit and some greeness on the nose. Black fruit profile in the mouth and quite smooth. Medium length finish with tannins showing on the back end. Should improve with time. Nice but nothing special. Silver Oak seems to be genarally overpriced these days.
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Restaurant purchase, not decanted. Dark purple garnet color. Closed nose showing a bit of vanilla and darker fruit. Too young, a bit harsh, with blueberry, blackberry and unsettled tannins. Needs time.
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This wine took a while to open and show fruit. The typical oak was very restrained. Tasted blind at 1st and had no idea it was Silver Oak. When the modest fruit and light oak came in, it did not impress like other vintages. Light tannins still present. I'll wait for year to see if I'm off or if this is a real near-termer.
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Waaay too early -- fairly astringent to open -- loads of tannin. Good fruit though relatively closed down. We decided to drink it over 2 days -- it improved each tasting as it opened up. No need to open another bottle for a few years. My guess is that it will be better next time around. Final 1/2 glasses were drunk a week later -- we got a glimpse of true Silver Oak hallmarks -- mint, earth, a hint of oak and nice finish. This should be lovely in 7+ years.
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Garnet color, nose of oak, vanilla, dark fruits and floral. Flavors of oak, dark fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry. The finish was shorter than the first bottle I had a month ago and far less tannic. For me, this could be a weekly entertainer or everyday wine (QPR not for everyone) and best used for small informal get togethers. A very nice, but not quite inspiring Cali cab. Paired with grilled BBQ chicken this go around vs Ny Strip a month ago at the restaurant.
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Beautifully dark and concentrated in the glass. A nose of dill and sage, currants and ripe black fruits. The mouth was impressively full, with an explosion of fruits, but also slightly harsh tannins. The finish has complex and moderate in length. My first bottle of Silver Oak Alexander Valley and while I wasn't disappointed, I'm not itching to start a vertical.
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Did a blind tasting with same vintage from Napa. The Alexander Valley bottle didn't have a chance. It might have been perfectly fine if it hadn't been competing with the 2004 Napa. Sadly, the aromas were light, the medium to full bodied taste/flavor was distinctly more 'fruity' than the better structured, more solid Napa. For the price difference of just $30, there is no question that the better choice is to buy Napa!!
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50+4+13+15+6 Garnet color. Smoke, plum, cherry on nose. Very tight with heavy tannins, astringent, chewy. Drank solo, might have shown better with food. Not even sure it deserved the score I gave. Meh.
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Firm oaky undertones with superimposed vanilla and surprisingly floral tones. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, dark stone fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry.
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Our first '04, very good but still young, opened 2-3 hours prior to consumption, would clearly have benefitted from formal decanting. Dark purple, well structured, tannic and oaky but already balanced and elegant, my guess is the prime drinking window is still 1-2 years away, has cellaring potential for at least 10-12 years. Nose initially muted then almost explosive with aeration - firm oaky undertones with superimposed vanilla and surprisingly floral tones. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, dark stone fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry. Definitely recommend this wine, too expensive to be any kind of a QPR, we really love this wine and are collecting a vertical.
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Got raked by the '04 Justin Isoceles in a tasting. This wine is very good w/ classic Alexenader fruit which is tinged by herbs. Agree that this is always better after 7-10 yrs. It has the structure to make it.
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Very nice aromas of chocolate, dill and berries are followed by flavors of currant, mocha and berry. The wine has good structure, yet is very approachable now. I always find this wine to be best in 4 to 7 years.
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Reduced nose with black fruit flavors. Flabby unfocused palate with heavy vanilla and woody notes, with highly extracted black fruits in the background and a jammy mouthfeel. Clipped hot finish. Just not a style I enjoy. People pay $50 for this? Not worth more than $20 in my opinion, and I choked this glass down. Outclassed by entry level cabs from ZD and Freemark Abby tonight.
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K&L Charity Event. Bright red color in the glass at 5 years of age, nose of herbs, currents, and cocoa, more of the same on the palate, medium body, very mouthfilling cabernet, medium finish with a flavorful aftertaste.
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Still very young. Real tight on the nose. As the name inmplies, BIG oak on the back end. Might get better with a few more years, but kind of dissapointing given the reputaion of SO>
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If you enjoy S.O. you will like this, if you don't this vintage won't convert you. Strong french oak smoothness/dill with little in the way of tannins.
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Not as much structure as previous Alexander Valley Silver Oaks; however, still very earthy and complex with berries, tobacco, chocolate. Nice smooth finish. Not sure I would buy more. Would not cellar more than 5 years.
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Rich fruit, big oak and tannin. None too complex, lengthy finish, full bodied. A little heat on the back end. Great with a New York steak. Fruit flattens out a bit after opening up. Among comparably priced bottles I have drank recently, this one takes third place to the ’06 Caymus and the ’03 Larkmead Cabernet respectively.
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Very little on the nose, and not much fruit on the palate. It's a clean wine with some barnyard funk in the mouth, but the finish dropped off. Hopefully, this just needs another couple of years in the bottle.
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Tons of sweet oak and creamy fruit. Very clean and smooth. Almost no tannin. It's good for what it is although I don't think I will be buying any more.
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When opened - mute nose, with a hint of caramel. Minimal fruit dominated by heavy char and harsh green tannin. After 2 hours in the glass it morphed into a sweet, sickly, pasty mess. Gross! Better before, but needed a chunk of meat to cover its weaknesses.
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Dark purple. pop/poured through vinturi aerator.. still tight and nothing but alcohol and oak.
let it sit in glass for 30 mins.. opened up slightly with some fruit aromas. but still dominated by oak/earth scents
on the palate very little except earth/oak, but the wine is smooth. Easy to drink b/c the tannins are present, but well integrated. I just wish there were more flavour.. medium weight, medium finish..
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Ordered off the menu at Palmer's (Andover, MA) on New Year's Eve. Nice, but straightforward, cabernet with sweet dark fruit and green herbs. Medium to heavy weight with a touch of toast and tannin.
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taste: almost all oak on the palate with some red berries and cranberries
overall: stereotypical silver oak, it is what it is, which is having a fresh 2x4 being put into the vat with an insane aggressive amount of oaking. Maybe I just don't get it, but this is just a solid wine that is horribly over priced and gets way too much hype for what it brings
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Opened a bottle for my son's birthday. Used aeriator since we popped and poured. Color presented a young wine; deep red almost purple. At first tannins were strong, but as the wine opened in our glasses it became a well balanced pleasure with flavors of coconut and fresh berries. What a wonderful wine that with more bottle aging should become a classic.
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Good color with a bouquet of redfruit, mildly spiced berries, and a pinch of black olive. Full nectar weight with very elegant tannin infusion. This wine is perfectly balanced with darkfruit and berries, a little black olive, cassis, and citrus. The finish lingers dry and savory. 04 has finesse, elegance, and supreme balance, not unlike a beautiful ballerina in flight.
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I just went to the release party with 7 friends. The variation in flavor from one glass to the next depending on temperature and length of time the bottle was open was remarkable. The cooler bottles exhibited more fruit, plum and cherry. Very nice. I had one glass that had clearly been opening up and showed outstanding depth and balance. It's one of the better vintages of the Alexander Valley that I've had, and I've had most going back to 89.
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1/20/2024 - geb wrote:
Y
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9/20/2023 - Jeff Maxwell Likes this wine:
and still fresh with enjoyable balance of red fruit, minerals and oak. Pleasant juice with a filet.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
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8/6/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Before writing this note I reviewed my notes on this wine from '09, '10 and '16. 100 % cabernet. Cork pristine when tonged out. Fully evolved now with fruit still there but secondary notes coming through strongly. Drink or hold but leaning heavily on the drink - I would recommend drinking up any remaining holdings in the next couple years - probably slightly past prime but not yet degrading in any significant way. Highly recommend, drinking beautifully and at this point of maturation quite a good QPR wine at our acquisition price way back in the day. Reddish purple, peripheral bricking present, soft mouthfeel, complex and fully integrated, medium bodied and with a lovely medium length aftertaste. Oak & tannins present but very soft and fully integrated. Fruit probably starting to drop off a bit. Nose dark, soft and more muted with plum, black cherry, violet, black pepper and a distinct smokey finish. Primary flavors up front included dark fruit, cassis and blackberry giving way to earthier notes of stone, leather, black tea and a smokier and less floral note on the finish. Another example of how beautiful a well made and properly aged high end CA cab can evolve into. 1 bottle left of the original case of 12 and will probably drink it by if not for New Year's.
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6/30/2022 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark fruit, smooth on the palate. Cork damaged, but able to decant the wine cleanly. Wine itself was great, after an hour of decanting. Drink now!
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6/12/2022 - Jeff Maxwell Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice dark fruit on the front and a smooth balance on the palate, low to moderate minerality with light tannins and low acidity. Harkens to the 100% Cabernet! Don't wait much longer.
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12/31/2021 - Jim B Likes this wine: 87 Points
Should have drank this a couple years ago.
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12/25/2021 - pmcellar Likes this wine: 88 Points
This was 4 years beyond the recommend drinking window and it showed it. This vintage peaked a few years ago. Still drinkable but not your typical Silver Oak.
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11/25/2021 - St.Helena wrote:
Should have enjoyed last year as it turned and didn’t taste like a Silver Oak.
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6/26/2021 - Summer65 Likes this wine:
Drank this a bit later than we should have. I thought it was corked - the cork disintegrated upon opening, but phew! Delicious and smooth - especially within the second hour of opening up. However I do wish we had enjoyed this wine a year or two ago at it’s peak. we left it a bit too long.
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12/4/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Silver Oak Healdsburg Tasting Experience (Silver Oak Cellars Healdsburg, Ca.): Tasting Silver Oak Healdsburg (Silver Oak Cellars Healdsburg, Ca.): Kathy noted ammonia on the first pour so a new bottle was opened by the staff and tasted, nose of black cherry, sage, and forest floor, big body, tasty, rich fruit, at peak so needs to be opened and enjoyed at its peak in my opinion, in the next 6 months, but will hold up for another 8 years, and a long, long finish.
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10/9/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
In excellent shape. Not as weighty as more recent vintages.
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10/4/2020 - Mbwainscott wrote: 85 Points
Not the best year and kept a little longer than should have.
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8/29/2020 - vintagedds wrote:
Donated to MadonnaSchool2020.
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8/16/2020 - gpcoleman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wedrank this well past the drink time and it was wonderful.
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7/18/2020 - Robwild Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit disappointing. Unbalanced and closed, even after an hour. Sharp acidity and short finish. Oak and dark fruit. Drink up.
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5/8/2020 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple with brown edges. First nose is incredible. Mix of oak, vanilla, jammy dark fruit, cigar box, and leather. Second nose is almost all dark fruit immediately after swirling. Then the vanilla and oak return. Delicate mouthfeel with an increasing dry finish. Strong plum flavor.
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4/3/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black cherry, mocha and herbs, big body, tasty, rich, juicy fruit, at peak so time to enjoy is now, paired with a take out California Sirloin Burger from Flemings, and a long, long finish and flavorful aftertaste. Photo uploaded.
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1/11/2020 - Deelirious wrote:
Nice wine. Elegant. Not particularly worth 10 years of cellaring and $60. But enjoyable nonetheless
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12/24/2019 - RACJacoby wrote:
Waited too long
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11/12/2019 - waywardsailor Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still some fruit on the nose. A bit of menthol. Palate very smooth, a bit faded. Short-lived. Nothing terribly exciting. Prob past it's peak.
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8/11/2019 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Atlanta no-name Wine Tasting Group; 8/10/2019-8/11/2019 (BB House): Wine #6 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
I knew this was in the tasting but not which order (there were 11 bottles). Didn't note color. Sweet cherry, dill, cedar and savory on nose. On palate, similar flavor profile with medium body, medium acidity/tannins with exquisite balanced. I guess it was a Sonoma Cab dominant blend with 10+ years of age.
Based on weighting (1st =3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd =1 point), this was the WOTN (group skews towards liking Old World, / Earthy Wines). This wine was a gift from my sister and I have never had anything from Silver Oak before. While clearly at peak or on way down hill, this wine has aged extremely well and is very well made. 93+/-
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6/30/2019 - Pjzlotnik wrote:
missing
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6/16/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Father's Day at Flemings, nose of black cherry, mint, mocha and herbs, big body, tasty, goes great with the steak, long, long finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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5/10/2019 - cfz3 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Obviously the folks who have tried this wine have vastly differing tastes in wine than I have. I last had the '04 S.O. Alex V in October 2010 and rated it in the top 99.7% of the 3000+ wines on my spreadsheet. Deep red, smooth, full body, and that nice oaky bouquet and taste that I prefer.
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4/27/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Happy Anniversary Cellar Tracker-opened and enjoyed in your honor. Nose of black currents, black berry, mocha, and a hint of green bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, at it's best so time to enjoy is now, and a medium/long finish.
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2/2/2019 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened table side at restaurant. Popped and poured. moderate amount of fine sediment. Very typical nose of dark red and black fruits. Cassis and Black currants on the nose and palate, soft on the palate with some secondaries showing. Mild tannins with a smooth mouth feel consistent with a 12-year-old California Cab. In a very nice place tonight, while not a rockstar compared to the other wines which included a 2004 Tignanello and an 04 Felisena Chianti reserva, it was in a good place and showed well.
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12/29/2018 - drbenne wrote: 96 Points
Just the right time to drink. Great nose,balance and finish.
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12/16/2018 - Ricky99 wrote: 90 Points
Birthday dinner at Cape May. After pouring into decanter tremendous cab nose with warm oak and leather... drank smoothly all night
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11/22/2018 - CCestaro wrote: 91 Points
This wine is still holding on after 14 years. It had a fruity nose of dark berry and some leather. The tannins were still present, and it held up perfectly with a tenderloin roast. The oak has subsided leaving a nice dark fruit taste with good mouthfeel. I have one bottle left and think it’s good for two or three more years.
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11/18/2018 - ppuccioni wrote: 93 Points
Wan't sure what to expect - but was very surprised that it was still very tasty. Still drinking well with plenty of smooth oak and fruit. Definitely at the end of the road in a year or two - drink what you have....
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9/15/2018 - soyhead wrote:
nose - tomato, vegetal. tasted blind and i was guessing there'd be some cabfranc in there
mouth - tobacco, resolved cherry, clean and complex, nice wine. in its drinking window
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7/7/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine:
Drank this after several great wines at the end on the night. This came across almost sweet and heavy with vanilla extract and oak. Hard to drink.
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3/24/2018 - FGS Likes this wine: 90 Points
Plenty of oak and vanilla on the nose. Smooth throughout. Drink now or hold another few years, but the window is closing.
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1/3/2018 - danscellar wrote: 91 Points
As usual a good cab from Silver Oak, likely not their best vintage but still quite good!! Enjoy!!
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12/25/2017 - JSolo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Consumed 3 bottles with beef tenderloin at dinner party and all guest agreed that the wine was still very good.
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11/20/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Blind tasting. Nose of black cherry, leather and a touch of orange ring. On the palate, shows older, smoother, with integrated oak, tobacco, and leather. Group first place, my first place.
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11/4/2017 - IlonaN wrote: 92 Points
Overall group favorite at a tasting of Cal=Cabs produced by winemaking families in business for 40 or more years. The signature oakiness of this producer's wines has receded into just a pleasing note of soft spice and vanilla, while fruit, mint and nice warm herbs come to the fore. It's worth noting that this is the Alexander Valley bottling, considered to be the producer's lesser wine. But this bottle was outstanding.
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4/30/2017 - Colorado Native 3G Likes this wine: 91 Points
After being decanted in a decanter and 20 min in the glass, the wine was open and did well for the next couple of hours. It was stable and never got awkward. Soft mouth feel, good texture, complex and integrated soft and smooth tannins, with a violet floralish finish. Probably has another 1-2 more years at or near this stage.
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4/14/2017 - mflesh wrote:
This wine goes as the most unique nose (other than the 82 Mondavi). The nose was citrus and sweet, almost like a pineapple and pomegranate. The entry showed some age to the black cherry fruit which dominated the start. This wine had a great herbaceous middle. The finish was quite subtle, with some black pepper that was starting to show the ripeness of age. This wine could have used another 1-2 years of bottle age, but was in a great spot tonight. Herbal finish was definitely one of the characteristics that kept us revisiting it as the afternoon rolled on!
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4/8/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
A private tasting and dinner at a friend's (Amsterdam, NL): Tasting, brief note. Soft, supple and rounded, light tannins, fully mature.
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4/2/2017 - cmueller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth, pluminess with soft oak. Not a lot of fruit, some bricking in color. Drink now as it's slowly fading.
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3/12/2017 - jb@jbisme.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Likely a couple years past it's peak this still went well with a juicy ribeye. Merlot-like smoothness. Plums and cranberries.
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2/4/2017 - somersetwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent!!!
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12/18/2016 - JSolo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bridge Christmas dinner. Great with beef tenderloin.
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12/18/2016 - gmmilani Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyed the wine, but it not as good as I remember when drinking it 3 years ago. Hasn't really developed, and starting to fade. Ready to drink now.
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11/26/2016 - somersetwine wrote:
Excellent!
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11/24/2016 - rgujral Likes this wine: 89 Points
We had this as a third bottle at Thanksgiving dinner, after a Chardonnay and a Pinot. It tasted mature and dry, but in a good way. It was pretty seamless to go back and forth between the Pinot and this Cabernet, which gives you a sense for the weight (or lack thereof) of this Silver Oak. Went well with the traditional turkey, stuffing, etc. We decanted and as others have mentioned the wine improved over the next 30-60 minutes. Drink now.
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10/6/2016 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 92 Points
A beautiful, complex, soft and now very mature Alexander Valley cab from a very good winemaker. A reasonable QPR at our acquisition cost. We popped and poured this on a whim last night and up front it was too cold and needed more air so 1st glass very muted, 2nd glass singing - give this at least 30-60 minutes in the decanter and let it warm up from the cellar temp to much closer to room temp. Tannins still present but very smooth and totally integrated - my guess is that with proper cellaring this wine still has 2-3 really good years to go but at this point has definitely peaked - I see no further upside to continued cellaring. Dark purple, soft mouth feel, good texture, very smooth and complex, well integrated and balanced with a reasonable but not super long aftertaste. Nose dark and floral with dark fruit, violet and black pepper. Primary flavors up front included dark fruit, oak and cassis with warm cooking spices and again a floral violet / lilac note on the very end. Definitely recommend this wine.
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9/24/2016 - somersetwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great on the palate......deep blackberry and very smooth on the end.
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7/2/2016 - JSolo Likes this wine: 89 Points
Needed to decant for 1 hour.
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5/25/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black currents, blackberries and bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium body, delicious tasting, mocha tasted on the mid palate and became more evident through the meal, medium/long finish.
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5/21/2016 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Drinking very nicely.
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4/15/2016 - dchorton Likes this wine: 90 Points
A great Silver Oak, just as expected. Smooth and deep. Tastes older than its years.
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3/27/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Easter Sunday Brunch at Flemings. Nose of sage, briar, blackberry, plum, and lovely aromatics, more of the same on the palate, medium body, delicious tasting, paired well with the Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon, long, lovely finish.
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2/14/2016 - Swalker wrote: 93 Points
Happy Valentines Day
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2/8/2016 - awaxenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better the second and third bottle opened up after an hour or two perfect silver oak flavor the oak and lead finish could not have dranken better very fun super bowl bottle
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1/17/2016 - awaxenberg wrote: 88 Points
Over the hill have 5 more hoping some of the others are doing better. Decanted 30 mins opened up a little got the lead oak flavor of a typical silver oak but it lost it all within the hour.
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1/7/2016 - Winiac wrote: 91 Points
Has lost its baby fat, but well structured with lots of ripe fruit. Medium to full body, good structure with sweet fruit. Medium length and very pleasant finish.
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1/2/2016 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 89 Points
Probably past its peak but still full flavored with subtle sweetness and a solid finish
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12/31/2015 - Vailman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Upon popping the cork this wine presented unremarkable, shallow fruit and lots of alcohol. I feared I had waited too long (8 years). As the evening progressed (2 hours) it gained balance, the fruit came out and the alcohol subsided. Overall it was an acceptable wine for a second label but I would not seek it out for a special evening. If you have this wine, drink now. There is nothing to be gained and everything to lose by holding longer.
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11/25/2015 - zwaccol wrote: 94 Points
Must have been stored superbly as this was awesome. No signs being past its prime.
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11/22/2015 - bsweetnam Likes this wine: 90 Points
Showing very well.
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10/25/2015 - cmueller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Past it's peak but still good.
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8/29/2015 - AEROSMITH wrote: 92 Points
just another amazing s o cab.still has years to go .blueberries on the back side.
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8/20/2015 - gubaseball wrote:
Drank at Norah's 35 Birthday Party!!!
So much fun!
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6/17/2015 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking great. Intense and complex nose on the 1st pouring. I think aeration/decanting shouldn't be done. Huge expansive nose of purple fruits, violets and earth. Smooth tannins give the medium cherry fruit and older notes (mineral, soft cherry and light oak) a lift through a smooth finish. It should drink this well for a couple years.
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5/18/2015 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular. Balanced. Solid. Full of fruit.
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4/25/2015 - DavidK14 Likes this wine: 94 Points
We did a 3 bottle tasting 04, 05 and 06, this one stood out. It is an impressive bottle, and will stand the test of time. Best to enjoy this with appetizers and great conversation with good friends.
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3/29/2015 - geneyus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby color with purple margins. Nose is rich and deep, which you can smell more than a metre away, reminiscent of plums and blackberry jam. Dry, medium plus bodied, black currant & blackberries, with some tobacco & car leather. Medium minus tannins, quite pleasant. Medium plus finish and complexity.
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3/22/2015 - R. Hung wrote: 91 Points
Lots of black fruits and a little hot on the nose. Black fruits, graphite, red tea leaves and dark chocolate with mild tannins and good acidity in the palate. Mid to long finish. Still have 2-5 years in the peak. Perfect for grilled steak!
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1/26/2015 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I liked a lot. Mature but still had the distinctive SO taste.
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1/3/2015 - aecklund wrote: 89 Points
Opened up after an hour in the decanter. Dark, full bodied with smooth tannins. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I expected it to be better considering the price.
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12/28/2014 - capacious wrote: 84 Points
Lacks the structure needed- ok fruit, but even after 3 hours, doesn't come together as a silver oak should.its only ok
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12/25/2014 - Jarndyce Does not like this wine: 80 Points
not much here, disappointed. Opens up a bit after some time, but very little fruit and no finish at all.
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12/13/2014 - Merky_Waters Likes this wine: 90 Points
89-90
fully mature. drink now. little fruit on opening but complexity comes with air.
blackberry, black cherry, cola, cedar, and a whiff of vanilla and black chocolate. fig, raisin, bitter almond, and licorice.
acid and tannic structure are present but not in harmony. tannis a bit rough, and acid a bit tart.
enjoyable if you know what to expect, but by no means a Fruit Bomb or, "WOW," Cab.
mature, fragile, but still in the game.
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11/15/2014 - Rico100 wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing. Not much there there.
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9/20/2014 - ckilpatrick wrote: 91 Points
Drank with NY Strips - awesome cedar and black currant. Drinking perfectly. 4 hour decant.
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9/11/2014 - dstraub wrote: 85 Points
Very hard to taste anything but wood.
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6/22/2014 - VinoServant wrote: 89 Points
As you can see I have changed my tune in regards to this wine. I had this last in 2011, and I bashed it, but I think the wine needed more time. It is still somewhat lacking, but you are starting to taste some of the traditional Silver Oak characteristics. I have one bottle left, and I am not going to drink it for another 2 to 4 years.
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5/25/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Fully integrated, with little tannins but plenty of cedar, smoke, currants, cassis and plum. Very smooth and ready for action, paired nearly perfectly with charcoal grilled leg of lamb. Drink soon!
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4/13/2014 - JCGuthrie wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Still lots of life left.
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4/3/2014 - synopsis222 Likes this wine:
Drank many years ago. We had a mangum for a special engagement. I don't remember much but it was good.
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3/17/2014 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
This wine added depth in the decanter over a couple hours. Went from an 89 out of the bottle to 90 with a decant. Nice sweet red cherry, earth and mineral flavors, medium bodied and smooth.
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1/3/2014 - cpdwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing! Drink now, as it is perfect.
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12/29/2013 - Cgallivan wrote: 94 Points
Had this as part of a reverse vertical, which included the '09 & '08. By far this '04, had the most muscle and finesse of the 3. This was much better than I remember my previous 4 bottles being.
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12/25/2013 - ersmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great with tonight's grilled strip steaks.
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12/1/2013 - Jennyderry wrote: 95 Points
Awesome wine. Really opened up after 20 minutes. Wish we had another bottle.
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11/28/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Thanksgiving Dinner wine at Bridges. Bright beet red color in the glass, lovely nose of herbs, currents, blackberries with a hint of mocha and sage, more of the same on the palate, medium body, very mouthfilling cabernet, seemed to develop more chocolate character as the evening went on, medium finish, lovely aftertaste.
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10/24/2013 - MDRwinos wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Ready to drink now. No reason to wait.
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10/13/2013 - ersmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still light and smooth
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10/12/2013 - gmmilani wrote: 94 Points
Drinking well now. Berry flavors with a long finish.
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7/19/2013 - JuniorSamples Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bottle decanted about 45 minutes. Still dark colored; not inky, but opaque purple with no evident bricking. Oak, cassis and blue fruits on the nose. Plums and raspberries, and a little gravel, on the palate. Balanced acidity. Good stuff but I kept thinking this should be better for the price. Still has life to go before it peaks, I think.
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6/16/2013 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted against a 2005 and a 2008, this was the lightest, smoothest and perhaps most polished of the three vintages. Medium bodied, with a layer of mocha and slightly sweet currant and ripe plum and berry flavors with hints of vanilla on a silky smooth tannin finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2013/06/silver-oak-alexander-valley-vertical.html
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5/20/2013 - Jwd12 wrote: 91 Points
Huge black cherry and chocolate nose. Palette was fruity with chocolate and coffee overtones, also slight mint and vanilla. Very smooth with resolved tannins. Wonderful.
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5/15/2013 - Foodievines wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine.
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5/2/2013 - Rosdail wrote: 92 Points
surprised - held up great! I was expecting to be disappointed. Nice fruit, acid and still some tanins!
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4/15/2013 - blash Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another good vintage for SO. Nice nose and taste. Long finish.
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3/31/2013 - ecola wrote: 90 Points
Aromas and flavors of baked red cherry, toasted cedar, and spiced vanilla bean. Medium to full body. Dry on the palate with chalky tannins. Well balanced acidity.
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3/8/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright beet red color in the glass, lovely nose of herbs, currents, blackberries with a hint of mocha and sage, more of the same on the palate, medium body, very mouthfilling cabernet, seemed to develop more chocolate character as the evening went on, medium finish, lovely aftertaste, paired at Flemings with a in bone filet mignon and sauteed mushrooms no butter just garlic, enjoyable with the salmon steak too. at its best, drink the next four or five years.
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2/10/2013 - askoje wrote: 93 Points
*Tasted at the winery*
Cherries, blackcurrant and warm gravel on the nose. Medium+ mouth feel. A little lighter in the style than the Silver Oak Napa Valley.
Tasted side by side with the 08 vintage and this one shows more developed aromas and complexity. It also seems to have more acidity at the same time.
Nice long finish with mocha, warm gravel and layers of dark fruit. Beautiful Cabernet from Silver Oak.
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2/3/2013 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
good structure and balance, medium finish and body
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12/23/2012 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Silver Oak aroma and flavor profile. Perhaps just a little heavy on the oak. Nicely balanced, with sufficient acidity to balance the fruit. This is drinking surprisingly well now. I would have thought that it would be tighter and more tannic. This was a gift, but if I had many of these, I would start drinking them.
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12/22/2012 - VinoTx wrote: 86 Points
Not aging very gracefully. Still too much oak. Flavors not well integrated so tastes clunky.
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12/6/2012 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 85 Points
This started off very shut down and would have been better early on decanted; even then when it opened up, it was no where near the experience of the 02`; still, I liked it`s softness and finesse and in a certain way, it`s elegance.
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10/5/2012 - DonWinspear wrote: 91 Points
Dark garnet color with a hint of brick. Medium nose of blackberry, oak, spice. Dark fruit intensive with notes of vanilla, dill, cherry. Tannins are still rich and juicy. Medium acidity. Nice finish that lasts about 30 seconds. Drinking well right now.
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9/17/2012 - EHF wrote: 89 Points
I enjoy this bottle quite a bit as it wasn't overpowering (one of our guests called it minimalist, but then I pour her a 1977 Leoville Las Cases), and had nice smooth structure. Lots of strawberry and raspberry on the the nose.
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9/15/2012 - emzee.mc wrote: 85 Points
Forget about this if you can shuck out 100 bucks for the Napa Valley one.
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9/4/2012 - EmilyE wrote:
- Garnet color with slow forming legs and aromas of mint, tobacco, cedar, smokey and strawberry jam and has flavours of oak with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish.
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8/28/2012 - shiel wrote: 92 Points
still going strong this cab shows strong dill and cedar on the tongue with nice ripe fruit and typical SO finish. hold or drink and enjoy this classic SO
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8/7/2012 - Gig Harbor Estate wrote: 91 Points
Excellent! Currant and black berry. We'll balanced with a full finish.
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8/4/2012 - Backdoctor wrote:
I myself did not get to taste any of this, but my friends said it was great.
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7/25/2012 - aaronwine wrote: 90 Points
Drinking nicely. Oak overpowers fruit on the finish.
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7/21/2012 - Jrgordonjr wrote: 92 Points
Very good. Mellowed a little over time and easy to drink.
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7/4/2012 - dchorton wrote: 92 Points
Another terrifically smooth and drinkable AV Cab from Silver Oak. I love this stuff.
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6/24/2012 - AZEngineer wrote: 89 Points
Nothing special, maybe on the downhill side
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6/23/2012 - jfpwine wrote: 89 Points
Same score as before. Evolved a little since the last time I had it. Less fruit, slight acidity that reminds me of boysenberry. Very smooth on the palate with slight oak undertones. Good with grilled food.
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6/17/2012 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
35th Anniversary Party Cellar Tasting; 6/16/2012-6/17/2012 (Rich & Dana's): This has also opened nicely overnight. Aromas of black fruit, roasted currants and herbs, hint of dill as well. The palate features red fruit and plum, as well as spice and herb qualities. Nice finish. 91-92 pts.
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6/16/2012 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
35th Anniversary Party Cellar Tasting; 6/16/2012-6/17/2012 (Rich & Dana's): Crimson color. Notes of red currant, blackberry, spice and herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, with approachable tannins and flavors of red fruit and spice.
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4/28/2012 - redz wrote: 92 Points
we like it
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4/22/2012 - Pakats wrote: 91 Points
Drank at The Swanky Soirée
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2/17/2012 - jfpwine wrote: 89 Points
Oak on the nose and palate. Some jam and a slight leather taste. Mouth filling with the alcohol. Overall a little out of balance but was good with steaks. Medium finish.
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2/12/2012 - overhill wrote: 89 Points
For the first thirty minutes this smells incredible with a bloody mess of ripe plums, iron, and molasses. Across the palette there is some nice initial dark fruit, oak, and menthol cigarette smokiness in a luscious, velvety juice. We had this with grilled cheeseburgers and it was excellent. By the end of the meal it had degraded considerably both on the nose and the palette and tasted mostly of oak. Short finish. Weird stuff.
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1/31/2012 - ersmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very light and smooth right now. Great match with tonight's meatloaf.
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1/8/2012 - WinoRhino wrote: 88 Points
Decent
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12/25/2011 - Kdad wrote: 90 Points
Better than the 2003
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12/25/2011 - brigcampbell wrote: 83 Points
Dark plum color. Currants and chambord nose with burnt toast. Fruit is almost completely missing, just a big presence of raw oak with a dry bland finish. Not good.
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12/4/2011 - sojoknuckle Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was a nice bottle, smooth and it is the time to drink this bottle now. The fruit notes on this wine are very light.
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11/29/2011 - RAD2626 wrote: 86 Points
Drank in magnum format. Little disappointing. Starting to show its age. Nothing to distinguish it from less expensive cabernets from the same era.
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11/25/2011 - shiel wrote: 87 Points
Drank with 03 and 05. Good but not great fruit. Well balanced. Oak has faded. Medium tannins.
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11/24/2011 - wehouck wrote: 94 Points
Perfect age to drink this well made cabernet sauvignon from Alexander Valley. Tons of fruit forward, dark cherries, raspberries, black berries, thoughout the nose to palate and finish. Wonderful pucker from tannins as it courses over the tongue, but not too much. Lovely paired with Thanksgiving dinner. Long finish.
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11/24/2011 - Iceman611 wrote: 94 Points
Nose of stewed strawberries and later raspberries. Mouth refreshing and silky for a cab. Body medium with good tannins and moderate acidity. Initial impression a little bit like a great Pinot. Flavors of ripe black cherries, toasted almond, vanilla bean, ground coffee. Finish is dry and long.
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11/12/2011 - JJB007 wrote: 99 Points
this was excellent
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10/27/2011 - VinoServant wrote: 80 Points
I will never buy another bottle of Silver Oak again. This wine has no depth or substance. The 04 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley C/S or the 04 BV Rutherford all taste better than this wine and they only cost $20. I don't know if they forgot to put the wine in barrels for a few years or what, but this wine tastes like it is fading. One of the greatest wines I ever had was a magnum of the 1975 Silver Oak Alexander Valley C/S back in 03, but the recent vintages that I have had (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) have all been disappointments. The winemaker's notes suggest that this wine should provide drinking pleasure through 2023. I don't think I agree with that.
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10/16/2011 - Alexepop wrote: 80 Points
- Crimsom color with medium forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body. Round texture with a medium finish.
A bit sharp on the nose, not much fruit.
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10/15/2011 - klanham wrote: 91 Points
Recently toured the winery. Very classy place with great tour and great employees. The aroma took us back to the very moment of the tour. Like this wine. Very full, distinct flavor. Think it will continue to progress as the tannins mature.
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10/10/2011 - rbfoote wrote: 87 Points
This was an interesting but not my favourite. It starts very light with not much of a flavour, and then the flavour fills out with smoke and wood. The finish is not very long either. Unfortunately we consumed this with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner so not the best pairing, although the flavour paired well with sausage and stuffing. Perhaps the flavours would have been more enjoyable with hickory smoked ribs or something similar.
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9/23/2011 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark fruit, spice, fine tobacco and tight tannins. B+
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9/11/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 93 Points
I bought this wine directly from the winery in 2011. Very muscular, highly-strung red with very evident notes of oak, dark chocolate, dark berries, vanilla, graphite and espresso. This wine is not for everyone as it delivers a strong, meaty character that lingers on to the very long end. Delicious. I'm glad I opened it this late. Silver Oak does perform better with medium term cellaring, and I believe the great 2004 vintage required it. Drink from 2009 to 2014.
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9/1/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 75 Points
---
COLOR: Garnet with deep ruby rim
NOTE: Yikes, this smells exactly like buttered toast with some raspberry preserves slathered on, then a sprinkling of rubbing alcohol. Or it could just be raspberry shoe polish, not sure. It only gets worse when you try to drink it. The mouth has a nice opulence, with smooth tannins, but from there to the finish I am certain someone dropped their black shoe polish bottle in the vat. It's such a strikingly angular, odd Cab that I don't know what to say. It's almost like it could have been great, but someone fell asleep and left it in the barrel twice as long as it required. This almost makes me mad. The fruit is there, buried underneath the nastiness of the cedar/oak that is almost nauseating. Someone took God's gift of grapes and smothered them. Grape-a-cide.
DECANT: 1-5 hours (no difference)
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 7.5 (and I'm being generous because it's barely drinkable with or without food)
OTHER:
COST: 60 (it was a gift, glad I didn't buy it)
VALUE: 0.01
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: never
TRY AGAIN: never
PAIRING: the LA sewer system
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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8/30/2011 - dstraub wrote: 85 Points
Not as bad as the last one, but we all think Silver Oak is one of the most overrated and over-oaked wines out there, and extremely over-priced.
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8/21/2011 - jjmabaseb wrote: 88 Points
a bit thin. didn't stand up to serious barbeque. but, a very nice wine
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6/24/2011 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened this along with several other high end Napa wines and, somewhat surprisingly, this was the hit of the night. Supple, well integrated, tannins with significant fruit remaining, balanced out by an ideal level of acidity. May not have a lot of time left, but drinking beautifully now.
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6/19/2011 - mreinhard74@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Over oaked and a bit thin. Tannins overpower the limited fruit. Still, there's some nice boysenberry back notes and a decent finish.
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6/18/2011 - bowmanbc wrote: 88 Points
tend to agree on the heavy oak impressions, but disagree on it being a flat wine. paired with a steak w cab reduction sauce and it wsa very nice. there was some round flavors to it, but it wasnt a big cab taste - at least not enough to say it was flat. dont see holding this one for very long though.
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6/4/2011 - CabIsKing wrote: 89 Points
Tons and tons of oak on the nose with dark fruit trying to sneak its way out. Pretty good mouthfeel but to much oak that really hides the dark fruit. For what I find these for they are not bad but for the price point average way over priced. Definitely worth the 35.00 I get these for.
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5/28/2011 - thash wrote: 88 Points
shouldn't command this community ave price. but ill take an 04 Alexander over anything after about 2006 in a napa.
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5/15/2011 - pbenton wrote: 85 Points
Paired with braised short ribs on an unusually cold May evening in So Cal. found it flat, no fruit flavors, lacking complexity and unimpressive. Preferred this over the SO Napa of the same vintage at the winery, now wondering? Have 4 more bottles will try again in a year but not expecting much.
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5/11/2011 - dstraub wrote: 82 Points
The most over-oaked bottle of wine I think I have ever had. Its almost like you are sucking on wood, with no hint of any fruit flavors. We used to really like Silver Oak Alex Cabs, buying 6 of the 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The simply fact is that they have become way over priced, and the wine making has drifted to focus on only oak. Totally not balanced either. Unfortunately, I still have 5 left.
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5/1/2011 - brigcampbell wrote:
I'm accused by the napa/cab lovers of being a S.O. hater... but this was a very nice bottle. Great balance, fruit still hanging in there quite well and structure to cellar for many more years.
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3/14/2011 - Fishboy wrote: 88 Points
Really enjoyed this cab.
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3/11/2011 - abi9 wrote: 90 Points
Stored at 58 degrees, opened and decanted for 1.5 hours before drinking. Full body, strong finish, slightly heavy on the oak but admittedly a little young. This should improve further but overall a very nice wine.
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2/4/2011 - thatrick wrote: 77 Points
This was way over oaked for my taste. Smooth but very short finish that left you with a oak tree sap taste in you mouth. It was not corked just not very good. Four of us at dinner and three voted drinkable but did not like it and I voted not drinkable at all. I cannot recommend this wine to anyone. Like Phredd, I don’t like to give scores under 80, but this one deserves the low score.
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1/30/2011 - awilliamson4 wrote: 82 Points
This was like a pinot not a cab. Not impressed.
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1/28/2011 - Phredd Does not like this wine: 82 Points
NC Cindy tasting. The color was medium garnet, lighter than the '03 Silver Oak Napa we had immediately prior, which was a little scary. Like the prior wine, this one had a nice nose of cherry and a little bit of herbs and/or vegetable garden, with the same notes of vanilla and oak. On the palate, however, this was even worse. Very light, almost vanishing cherry flavors, and without much in the way of secondary flavors. This was relatively simple, with a hollow center, and even shorter on the finish than the '03 Napa. Again, disappointing would be a bit of an understatement. Blind, I'm not 100% sure I would have even pegged this as a cabernet. It was that far off. I don't give many scores under 80, and I won't give that to this wine, either...but I at least thought about it. If the price point were $10, I'd consider buying this wine, but wouldn't be sure. For $55+, there is just no way. BTW, nobody at the tasting thought this wine was flawed in any way. It just wasn't very good.
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1/21/2011 - BBinSC wrote: 88 Points
On the nose, muted fruit and lovely cedar. This wine is very elegant, well-proportioned, and drank well out of the bottle. Very silky and pretty, possessing weight and finesse. Decanted for 2 hours, the wine opened up a little more but not significantly. Very tasty, but pricey these days; I would recommend it if you have the chance to pick it up for under $50 retail or $75 at a restaurant.
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1/17/2011 - omars wrote: 89 Points
Vanilla
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12/28/2010 - cooker315 wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet color, wonderful nose of dark fruit, cedar and graphite.
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12/17/2010 - ikkaariainen wrote: 91 Points
Continues developing very nicely, more balanced and well rounded and somewhat more subtle then previous bottles. Once again very good, enjoyed this earlier tonight with Kim and good CT wine buddy neighborbill and spouse Debbie with dinner at the Lake Hickory CC. Too expensive to be a reasonable QPR but highly recommend this wine. Lighter purple then previous bottles, well structured, tannins and oak soft with ongoing maturation and currently very well balanced and elegant, in prime drinking window with further cellaring potential for at least 3-5 years but don't necessarily anticipate significant further improvement. Nose softening with red cherry, vanilla, blueberry and muted floral tones. Primary flavors included well balanced subtle oak, dark stone fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry. Definitely recommend this wine despite price point, too expensive to be a reasonable QPR. Start drinking holdings now, this wine will remain good for years to come but at this point I see very little further improvement.
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12/2/2010 - dklane wrote: 85 Points
Rather light for cab. Great mellow flavors with smooth finish. Must drink now don't think will last much longer. Decanted 2 hrs
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11/26/2010 - Sticky wrote: 87 Points
I agree with Tanzer's 87. Too much oak, really underwhelmed by it. The Silver Oak Napa blows this away.
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11/20/2010 - drgrape wrote: 89 Points
With a little less oak, I would haave rated it higher.It was very smooth and good dark fruit.
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11/1/2010 - vinodonpedro wrote: 87 Points
A pleasant wine but nothing much to say. Rich and full... flavourful
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10/30/2010 - thehillgroup wrote: 89 Points
A good wine, but not worth the price.
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10/24/2010 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 86 Points
Has to be one of the biggest con jobs going in the wine industry. This is a very average wine sold at an inflated price. Obviously, the marketing and name says a lot more than the quality of the wine.
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10/8/2010 - Pridemore Likes this wine:
SRJC Sonoma Appellations Course; 10/8/2010-10/22/2010 (Sonoma County): Wonderful!
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10/3/2010 - la_bacchus wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant enough, but I expected more from this wine at this price. I taste vanilla and a little hint of anise. And there is a bit too much oak. The wine is rather one note. Nothing special, but could develop into more with some cellar time.
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10/1/2010 - Surfdoc wrote: 88 Points
Nose of strawberry jam with hints of earth and mint. Medium body with a sharp flavor profile of bitter black fruit and cedar. Long finish is nice but not too complex.
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9/13/2010 - Kevdog wrote: 88 Points
decanted for close to an hour before drinking over 2 hours... never really came alive for me
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9/7/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Not bad at all, I'd probably enjoyed it more if I didn't know the wine was Silver Oak. Preconceived notions are not good in wine appreciation.
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7/24/2010 - Central Coast Wino wrote: 90 Points
Good wine, a bit oaky, and not as smooth as I would have expected. Also slightly tannic. I think I should've waited another year to drink this one. Not worth the price ... I could do better for half the price.
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7/14/2010 - cooker315 wrote: 89 Points
Tannins were still a little bold, also a little grainy. Nice deep garnet color, decent fruit. Wait 2 more years to try again.
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6/20/2010 - depdoc wrote: 87 Points
Minimal aroma, light color for a cab. Very little fruit. Subpar for a Silver Oak.
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6/12/2010 - brigcampbell Does not like this wine: 87 Points
The wine looks Garnet colored.
The legs are Slow.
It smells like Strawberry, Raspberry, Smokey Bacon, and Medium Toast.
It tastes like Oak and not much fruit.
The body is Medium.
The wine finishes Medium.
The bad news is I have two more bottles (gifts) but the good news is my wife likes it. Horrible QPR, seriously I probably wouldn't repurcahse for $25.
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5/17/2010 - Rubanyi wrote: 93 Points
The true Silver Oak we're used to. Smooth, balanced wine.
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5/7/2010 - Turtle09 wrote: 90 Points
Lots of oak, with strong vanilla and leather notes, nice cherry and currant...enjoyable bottle
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3/27/2010 - mye wrote: 86 Points
Drank with Bill to celebrate new job.
not bad, but quite a bit of oak.
after about 2 hours, it smoothed out a bit.
lots of notes of vanilla.
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3/26/2010 - moxey1 wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful nose. not fully developed yet, very smooth, excellent fruit and finish
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2/28/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 83 Points
I found this wine to be super tannic, over oaked and vegetal. The fruit that was there was hidden behind the oak and tannins.
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2/26/2010 - Dmeunier wrote:
Nice bouquet, herbal and earth notes. Nice mouth feel. My favorite part is the finish. It lingers and is very smooth.
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2/24/2010 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Anniversary dinner. Wonderful cab. Nose filled with allot of oak and vanilla, cherries, chocolate, buttered toast, new shoe leather and some 'green' bramble. Color rich purple/garnet with bold legs. Wonderfully smooth on the tongue with full body sweet notes of cherry and well integrated tannins and acidity. If I was 'forced' to say something negative it would be that it might be just a tad over oaked. Still in all a great wine.
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2/21/2010 - bobv wrote: 87 Points
Medium to light body, soft tannin. Fruity and Vanilla flavors. Not as nice as other Silver Oaks we have had.
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2/2/2010 - awise45 wrote: 90 Points
Rich and full, very nice. Slight hint of vanilla on finish.
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1/9/2010 - Curtis2676 wrote: 85 Points
Drank on NYE 09; very frut forward; underwhelmed.
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1/1/2010 - pgm wrote: 89 Points
A solid, relatively conventional Cali cab, with black currant, black cherry and dark plum notes. Some good herbal notes. Very nice fruit here.
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12/24/2009 - Millercg68 wrote: 90 Points
A bit better than my last bottle. Medium body, not too tannic, and as the name implies, pretty good amount of oak on the back. Worth $60? Probably not.
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12/23/2009 - Yamadori wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured at a restaraunt. Dark purple with black fruit and some greeness on the nose. Black fruit profile in the mouth and quite smooth. Medium length finish with tannins showing on the back end. Should improve with time. Nice but nothing special. Silver Oak seems to be genarally overpriced these days.
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12/20/2009 - dchorton wrote: 92 Points
Smooth, deep, beautiful finish and mouth feel.
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12/9/2009 - smphelps wrote: 88 Points
Restaurant purchase, not decanted. Dark purple garnet color. Closed nose showing a bit of vanilla and darker fruit. Too young, a bit harsh, with blueberry, blackberry and unsettled tannins. Needs time.
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12/6/2009 - dino_mike wrote: 87 Points
This wine took a while to open and show fruit. The typical oak was very restrained. Tasted blind at 1st and had no idea it was Silver Oak. When the modest fruit and light oak came in, it did not impress like other vintages. Light tannins still present. I'll wait for year to see if I'm off or if this is a real near-termer.
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12/5/2009 - gregsp wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with prior notes.
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11/24/2009 - gcubanl wrote: 94 Points
Very good - one of Vicki's fav î„…
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11/21/2009 - PDavisMarble wrote: 85 Points
Waaay too early -- fairly astringent to open -- loads of tannin. Good fruit though relatively closed down. We decided to drink it over 2 days -- it improved each tasting as it opened up. No need to open another bottle for a few years. My guess is that it will be better next time around. Final 1/2 glasses were drunk a week later -- we got a glimpse of true Silver Oak hallmarks -- mint, earth, a hint of oak and nice finish. This should be lovely in 7+ years.
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11/8/2009 - pghgator wrote: 90 Points
Garnet color, nose of oak, vanilla, dark fruits and floral. Flavors of oak, dark fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry. The finish was shorter than the first bottle I had a month ago and far less tannic. For me, this could be a weekly entertainer or everyday wine (QPR not for everyone) and best used for small informal get togethers. A very nice, but not quite inspiring Cali cab. Paired with grilled BBQ chicken this go around vs Ny Strip a month ago at the restaurant.
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11/8/2009 - caeleric wrote: 91 Points
Beautifully dark and concentrated in the glass. A nose of dill and sage, currants and ripe black fruits. The mouth was impressively full, with an explosion of fruits, but also slightly harsh tannins. The finish has complex and moderate in length. My first bottle of Silver Oak Alexander Valley and while I wasn't disappointed, I'm not itching to start a vertical.
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11/8/2009 - lviehmyer wrote: 88 Points
Did a blind tasting with same vintage from Napa. The Alexander Valley bottle didn't have a chance. It might have been perfectly fine if it hadn't been competing with the 2004 Napa. Sadly, the aromas were light, the medium to full bodied taste/flavor was distinctly more 'fruity' than the better structured, more solid Napa. For the price difference of just $30, there is no question that the better choice is to buy Napa!!
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11/3/2009 - Double-A Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coconut, currant, and vanilla nose. Full, dry and gripping palate with very good flavour replays; long, toasty finish.
4.5/5
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11/1/2009 - annerk wrote: 88 Points
50+4+13+15+6 Garnet color. Smoke, plum, cherry on nose. Very tight with heavy tannins, astringent, chewy. Drank solo, might have shown better with food. Not even sure it deserved the score I gave. Meh.
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10/20/2009 - indywineguy78 wrote:
Firm oaky undertones with superimposed vanilla and surprisingly floral tones. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, dark stone fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry.
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10/15/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 90 Points
Our first '04, very good but still young, opened 2-3 hours prior to consumption, would clearly have benefitted from formal decanting. Dark purple, well structured, tannic and oaky but already balanced and elegant, my guess is the prime drinking window is still 1-2 years away, has cellaring potential for at least 10-12 years. Nose initially muted then almost explosive with aeration - firm oaky undertones with superimposed vanilla and surprisingly floral tones. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, dark stone fruit, cassis, black pepper and blueberry. Definitely recommend this wine, too expensive to be any kind of a QPR, we really love this wine and are collecting a vertical.
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10/10/2009 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK TWPP Sonoma tasting. Expected more. Big nose, some pickle barrel. Firm grip. May need 5 more yrs. Did not buy at $45.
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10/7/2009 - peeks13 wrote: 86 Points
A Night of Classic Cabernet (9/23/2009) (Wine Discount Center Barrington): Light to medium body, not bad, just not worth $50.
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10/6/2009 - Grinner wrote: 90 Points
Got raked by the '04 Justin Isoceles in a tasting. This wine is very good w/ classic Alexenader fruit which is tinged by herbs. Agree that this is always better after 7-10 yrs. It has the structure to make it.
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9/18/2009 - Bchimenti wrote: 87 Points
A bit too much finger nail polish on the finish. I'll try it again tomorrow...
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9/18/2009 - Bchimenti wrote: 87 Points
Tasting a little too much finger nail polish. I'll try it again tomorrow...
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9/7/2009 - gcubanl wrote: 90 Points
One of Vicki's favorite
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9/5/2009 - matthen wrote: 89 Points
Very nice aromas of chocolate, dill and berries are followed by flavors of currant, mocha and berry. The wine has good structure, yet is very approachable now. I always find this wine to be best in 4 to 7 years.
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8/22/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 84 Points
Reduced nose with black fruit flavors. Flabby unfocused palate with heavy vanilla and woody notes, with highly extracted black fruits in the background and a jammy mouthfeel. Clipped hot finish. Just not a style I enjoy. People pay $50 for this? Not worth more than $20 in my opinion, and I choked this glass down. Outclassed by entry level cabs from ZD and Freemark Abby tonight.
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8/12/2009 - BigPoppaMD wrote: 90 Points
Not a huge Silver Oak fan, but I thought this was really good.
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7/23/2009 - jman wrote: 88 Points
drank with jason, ray birthday dinner at blue ribbons.
opened up after 2.5 hours, good smooth wine, not complicated.
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6/28/2009 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
K&L Charity Event. Bright red color in the glass at 5 years of age, nose of herbs, currents, and cocoa, more of the same on the palate, medium body, very mouthfilling cabernet, medium finish with a flavorful aftertaste.
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6/23/2009 - Millercg68 wrote: 88 Points
Still very young. Real tight on the nose. As the name inmplies, BIG oak on the back end. Might get better with a few more years, but kind of dissapointing given the reputaion of SO>
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6/12/2009 - auditd0rk wrote: 91 Points
Fantastic wine. Floral nose with darkfruit. Great finish. Firm tannins.
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6/5/2009 - Julex wrote: 90 Points
If you enjoy S.O. you will like this, if you don't this vintage won't convert you. Strong french oak smoothness/dill with little in the way of tannins.
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5/24/2009 - darrel_f wrote: 89 Points
Not as much structure as previous Alexander Valley Silver Oaks; however, still very earthy and complex with berries, tobacco, chocolate. Nice smooth finish. Not sure I would buy more. Would not cellar more than 5 years.
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5/23/2009 - jleg wrote:
Rich fruit, big oak and tannin. None too complex, lengthy finish, full bodied. A little heat on the back end. Great with a New York steak. Fruit flattens out a bit after opening up. Among comparably priced bottles I have drank recently, this one takes third place to the ’06 Caymus and the ’03 Larkmead Cabernet respectively.
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5/2/2009 - ews3 wrote: 86 Points
Philadelphia Wine Festival (Marriott, Philadelphia PA): I thought this showed more development than the Napa -- but still a disappointment
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5/2/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Eighth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown): The second Silver Oak wine. Good, but it was missing something. Tasted right after the signature Silver Oak. Good standard Cali Cab nose, lighter on palate and finish.
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4/23/2009 - Phin wrote: 92 Points
Decent typical Napa cab. Dark cherry and blackberry. Poor QPR.
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4/5/2009 - gregsp wrote: 88 Points
Very little on the nose, and not much fruit on the palate. It's a clean wine with some barnyard funk in the mouth, but the finish dropped off. Hopefully, this just needs another couple of years in the bottle.
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1/30/2009 - micki wrote: 91 Points
Had with friends last saturday night. Outstanding California Cab. Lots of fruit. deep purple color. Full body with some cedar, fruit and nice tannins
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1/19/2009 - jleg wrote:
Tons of sweet oak and creamy fruit. Very clean and smooth. Almost no tannin. It's good for what it is although I don't think I will be buying any more.
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1/4/2009 - yhn wrote: 72 Points
When opened - mute nose, with a hint of caramel.
Minimal fruit dominated by heavy char and harsh green tannin.
After 2 hours in the glass it morphed into a sweet, sickly, pasty mess. Gross! Better before, but needed a chunk of meat to cover its weaknesses.
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1/1/2009 - mye wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple. pop/poured through vinturi aerator.. still tight and nothing but alcohol and oak.
let it sit in glass for 30 mins.. opened up slightly with some fruit aromas. but still dominated by oak/earth scents
on the palate very little except earth/oak, but the wine is smooth. Easy to drink b/c the tannins are present, but well integrated.
I just wish there were more flavour..
medium weight, medium finish..
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1/1/2009 - Cahill wrote: 88 Points
Ordered off the menu at Palmer's (Andover, MA) on New Year's Eve. Nice, but straightforward, cabernet with sweet dark fruit and green herbs. Medium to heavy weight with a touch of toast and tannin.
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12/28/2008 - umazz wrote: 90 Points
Big and dry, not so fruity, more like a Bordeaux. No big cassis note, very nice wine.
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12/20/2008 - nectar14 wrote: 88 Points
Forward and ripe. Black cherry and vanilla oak. Pleasant for its clarity.
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11/7/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 87 Points
Binny's California Night (Binny's, Highland Park IL): nose: typical silver oak nose with almost nothing but oak on the nose along with small bits of cranberries and red currants
taste: almost all oak on the palate with some red berries and cranberries
overall: stereotypical silver oak, it is what it is, which is having a fresh 2x4 being put into the vat with an insane aggressive amount of oaking. Maybe I just don't get it, but this is just a solid wine that is horribly over priced and gets way too much hype for what it brings
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11/7/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Binny's HP California Wine Night w/ Jill (Binny's Highland Park): Binny's HP California Wine Night w/ Jill.
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10/26/2008 - MaxAlex wrote: 90 Points
Opened a bottle for my son's birthday. Used aeriator since we popped and poured. Color presented a young wine; deep red almost purple. At first tannins were strong, but as the wine opened in our glasses it became a well balanced pleasure with flavors of coconut and fresh berries. What a wonderful wine that with more bottle aging should become a classic.
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8/25/2008 - Wonder wrote: 88 Points
A bit young. Opened up during the course of the evening. I'll enjoy these bottles in a few years.
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8/12/2008 - GreatLibations wrote: 89 Points
Good color with a bouquet of redfruit, mildly spiced berries, and a pinch of black olive. Full nectar weight with very elegant tannin infusion. This wine is perfectly balanced with darkfruit and berries, a little black olive, cassis, and citrus. The finish lingers dry and savory. 04 has finesse, elegance, and supreme balance, not unlike a beautiful ballerina in flight.
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8/6/2008 - gjv115 wrote: 92 Points
I just went to the release party with 7 friends. The variation in flavor from one glass to the next depending on temperature and length of time the bottle was open was remarkable. The cooler bottles exhibited more fruit, plum and cherry. Very nice. I had one glass that had clearly been opening up and showed outstanding depth and balance. It's one of the better vintages of the Alexander Valley that I've had, and I've had most going back to 89.
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