Brought by a friend to dinner after a couple hours of air. Perfect with steaks, mushrooms and a truffle cream sauce. Typical of late in the Justin Meyer era (I know he wasn’t technically winemaker after 1994) Silver oak Cabs. Somewhat extracted and heavily oaked but still quite balanced, bright and energetic while having a richness and depth of flavor and texture. Nice finish. Probably at/near peak.
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Tasted at a friend’s house with grilled steak. Very nice depth and reasonably complex. Very typical pre-2000 Silver Oak Alexander. Blackberry, vanilla, chocolate, cedar, hints of mint and some floral notes. Very smooth. Pretty well balanced, not as ripe and extracted as more recent vintages.
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Probably near the end of its prime. Still a good balance with hints of raspberry. Not long on the finish. But still a very enjoyable wine. But drink now if you have any.
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Deep red center, red rim with signs of age. Sweet nose, pipe tobacco, stewed plums and blackcurrant, touch of Brett. Smooth and sweet, cassis and ripe plums, faded tannins, modest acidity, some Bretty band aid, oak comes through on the long finish. Wasn't sure how this would present, but it is doing very well, fully mature (over the hill for some I'm sure), very pleasant drinking. Recommend drinking now, but will go a few more years.
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Low neck fill. Cork crumbled slightly upon extraction but was not soaked through. Lovely dark garnet color on glass with obvious bricking. Stylish Cabernet Sauvignon bouquet with with hints of oxidation. Good fruit on palate with moderate acidity but the fruit is slowly fading. Particles of fine sediment coat inside of bottle. Drink now to avoiding disappointment .
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similar to my last note of a year ago, but better - black fruit cassis nose with some white pepper and leather undertones - medium body, good acid balance, and more fruit than my last bottle - tannins resolved but still nicely present - medium finish with slight lingering bitterness - very nice mature 20+ year cab - somewhat limited by sparse complex aromatics, but drinking very nicely nonetheless
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Decanted 2hrs. Pretty solid showing for a 25yo Silver Oak. Probably past it’s prime but still demonstrating nice raspberry notes on the bouquet. On the palate, there were still some soft fruit flavors - raspberry and cherry and perhaps some chocolate. But the wine felt out of balance to me still showing some tannin and body but the fruit flavors were too soft and faded at this point. Still, pleasantly surprised it held up at all.
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Even perfectly stored bottles of the 1997 Silver Oak Alexander Valley are showing clear signs of being past their prime, turning toward tawny in color and displaying oxidative notes. Some blue fruits are still hanging on, but mostly this wine presents as aged vanilla and cedar. Drink up now if you have any left.
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The 1997 Silver Oak was fantastic and well aged. Although past it’s drinking window, it was in great condition - having been stored in a stable cellar between 52 and 55 for it’s life in the bottle. Probably helped that it was a large 6L bottle. The cork was very soft, but came out in one piece with a Durand. The room filled with a fantastic smell upon opening, but the wine was really closed down. There was no acidity and it just seemed dead. There was some slight bricking on the edges. But after 30 minutes of being open, it came to life in a fantastic way! I ended up serving it out of water pitchers without a proper decanting. It seemed too delicate and I didnt want to ruin the flavor and smell.
Didn’t spend too much time critically reviewing it, it was a party after all. Typical Silver Oak, big Cali cab. Everyone raved about it, and we killed the whole bottle.
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Nose of mums, black berry, plums, black cherry, and a touch of herbs, more of the same on the palate, big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, at peak drinking now, almost elegant, and a long, flavorful finish with a wonderful aftertaste.
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This bottle typifies Alexander valley Silver Oak, just a spectacular bottle. At 23 years (can i math right?) this was not as far along as many of the napa bottlings i have had from the same era. Fully resolves tannins, leather cedar and wood box, full tertiary profile. Most fruit has eroded, no signs of bricking, somewhat contradictory?
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similar to my last note of a year ago - cassis nose with some white pepper and leather undertones - light body, good acid balance but fruit deficient - tannins resolved but still in presence - medium finish with slight lingering bitterness - nice mature 20+ year cab, but limited by sparse aromatics and fruit
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry and black currant. It's in total harmony and has flavours of strawberry jam with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Lovely mature Cali cab. Enjoyed on my Anniversary dinner.
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Fresh red fruit driven nose and palate. Fully mature and packed with rose hip, sun dried tomato, damson and raspberry flavours with well balanced acidity and smooth, soft tannins. Very elegant, stylish and well balanced red wine with lingering, fresh fruity finish. Great wine.
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Cork soggy rotten and shredded like crumbly blue cheese. After sieving out the cork, the wine was fantastic. Still some tannins and acidity and fruit. Amazing given a decade of horrible storage conditions and a decade of fair storage conditions.
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brick, orangish rim - cassis nose with some white pepper and leather undertones - light body, good acid balance but fruit deficient - tannins resolved but still very much in presence - medium finish with slight lingering bitterness - nice mature 20+ year cab, but limited by sparse aromatics and fruit
Bright red. Decanted for 30 minutes. Not a hint of bricking. Beautiful nose -- baking spices, rose, cherry, some underlying leather and wet earth. Wow. By far the best of the case. Red fruits and cedar with a long, long finish. There was a lightness and complexity here that has been absent from a few of the bottles. The freshness and delicacy of the acids were elegant. This particular bottle could have easily aged for another 5+ years, before starting to decline.
This was a lovely wine - aromatic, balanced, fresh (almost youthful), very enjoyable on the palate, and with a lovely finish that I can still taste the next morning. It is mainly red fruit (cherry and maybe some raspberry) but the presence of the darker variety (blackberry with a bit of blueberry) was noticeable. This wine had just been released when we first visited Silver Oak. It was good then and darn good now. If you have it, I suggest that you open a bottle; you are in for a treat.
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A testament to the variability from bottle to bottle, even from the same case. A wonderful bottle which showed fewer signs of age, no bricking, much fresher, round, complex and elegant with a long finish.
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Drank this wine with my brutha Bob and his family, as we hosted them when they were evacuated because of the Woolsey fire. Their house made it thankfully. Thoughts go out to all that were affected by the fire. Bob loved the wine, and said it was smooth and suggested the 94 rating. I agree with him, but would have liked to have seen a little more depth and fruit flavor, and as such, my rating would have been 91. Didn't notice any bricking, and no tanins. Also, very little heat, and a light body for such a big wine. We all enjoyed the wine, and for a $60 purchase 19 years ago, it served its purpose to share with Bob on this night to help them forget a little of their worries. That's really what it's all about. Still have some other vintages that I'll probably drink sooner than later.
Opened this bottle stored in my cellar to toast the beautiful, new Silver Oak Healdsburg facility this morning with my terrific host Tom. BTW Tom, thank you for the great tour of this wonderful environmental friendly winery. Lovely, floral nose of mums, black currants, plums, black cherry, and a touch of herbs, no bell pepper, brilliant, beet red color in the glass with no bricking, big body, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, good acid, at it's peak, easily last another five years, time to enjoy your cellar efforts, this is much nicer than the last bottle I enjoyed, and a long, long finish with a long, long aftertaste..
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On the downslope. Little bricking, but a bit of funk that needed to blew off. The nose portends the address plums that come after the raspberries. Some sweet cherry and stewed fruits. As the wine opened it has a dumb moment after about an hour and then bloomed, transitioning to strong cedar and cigar box.
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This has not plateaued. No bricking, plenty of fruit, nice acid backbone. More complexity than the last bottle and a nice long finish. A touch of heat at the end that hadn't been there in other bottles.
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Still drinking very well, full bodied, deep red, rich nose of earth and herb, some tobacco. Tastes lack any fresh fruit, but the herb and mocha flavors mingle with mineral and pencil lead that lead to a surprisingly fresh and very long pleasant finish. Superb balance. Drink very soon before anything else changes.
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Deep crimson. Decanted for 20 minutes. Some sediment. This wine was fresher than expected, and still showed excellent bones. The nose was forward with cigar box, green peppers, leather and a hint of chocolate. The cigar box and leather dominated the attack, followed by mint which gave way to some green pepper, and moist earth. This seemed more akin to a classic Martha's Vineyard than an SO Alexander. Time to drink, but definitely not too late.
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This was a lovely aged Cali Cab proving that with good storage a 20yr old can still be good. Now I should say this is from a magnum so that obviously plays into it. Great deep ruby color cork was solid no staining. Nice nose and still good red fruit mouthfeel and decent finish. Drank with another couple using Riedel Sommelier glasses which helped open it up nicely over the next 2 hours. That being said if youve got 750's I'd probably enjoy them sooner than later as it seems most feel those are either still nice or fading.
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Coravin 3/7/16: Medium ruby with very slight bricking, much less than expected for its age; nose is moderately aromatic with ripe black fruit, very slight heat; palate is medium-full bodied, tannins are medium and drying, tartness and slight bitterness on the midpalate, fruit has dropped out entirely; finish is tart, bitter, drying, and short. The fruit has disappeared and all that is left is structure, without any tertiary complexity. This may have once been good, but not anymore. 75
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I held on too long but its till its quite good. Very aromatic nose of fruit and soft oaky notes. But on the palate it starts with a terrific mouthfeel then the mid palate has nothing..., then finishes a tad dry but with aged earthy and pleasant cedar notes with minerals. The empty middle is disappointing and I missed it with every sip through the bottle but overall it was still very enjoyable using an aerated for each pour as it smoothed out the long finish but still, no fruit. Hopefully other bottles have still more fruit, but if not, drink now and enjoy the smell, texture and balance.
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Drinking beautifully right now. Even better than last time I checked in on it. A great expression of well-aged traditional Cali cabs. Sad this is my last bottle.
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Medium dense carmine red; starting to loosen up.. Fine cabernet smell of red and black berries; refined and expansive but definitively not "in your face". On the palate there is graphite and cedar plus some still unresolved tannin. It's an old style wine: elegant and nicely restrained. A pleasure to sip and savor; it went well with the barbecued steak, corn and baked potato, too This is the first bottle (of 12 originally bought) in a long time and for those still having some bottles in their cellar I am not sure what advice to give: Wait a couple more years because the tannins are going to become more integrated in the future or Drink up because the wine is drying out.
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Very good tonight. A fully mature Cali cab that retains balance, freshness and good flavors. Not over the top at all with the oak fully integrated. Drink now as I dont see it getting better.
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Nose of sage, black cherry fruit, and earth, more of the same on the palate, delicious old style cabernet, medium body, like most 1997 cabernets, time to drink up, long, long finish.
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Though I had expected it to be faded, it is holding up nicely. Good color and still vibrant fruit. Will likely gradually fade from here, but no big rush to drink as of 2015.
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Nose of cherry, cedar, chocolate and hints of earth. Cedar really stoled the show on the palate with a medium finish. I would say this is over it's peak but still enjoyable. Drink up.
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Opened another bottle today with a beef dinner. The wine seemed somewhat flat upon opening but was a bit better with food. However, some of that intensity that I tasted while sampling at Silver Oak was back after about an hour. This bottle seemed better than the one I opened last year.
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Nose is dusty with cedar, saddle leather, cherry, and some funk. The palate has dark cherry, hint of mint, black tea, and some dried leather. Guessing this is an older wine (20+years) as the tannins almost resolved. Not too complex, finish a bit short.
My Ranking: 5th out of 9 bottles Group Ranking: 6th (3-way tie) out of 9 bottles
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Drank new years eve with seared ahi. Remarkably full-bodied with classic Napa fruit, if a bit muted by the years. My cellar is at 55, so this aged slowly; suspect most will be at or past prime. A very well balanced and rich cab.
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Just finished a bottle over a filet mignon New Years Eve dinner. The fill was still in the neck, although not by much.
I tasted this wine in the barrel at Silver Oak and was blown away. What caught my attention was the intensity of the flavor. Clearly 16 years has mellowed the intensity but the wine was dark red, still smelled berries and thoroughly enjoyed it.
And I have 7 more bottles.
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Lovely deep crimson. Nose of chocolate, earth, wet stone and toast. Surprisingly bright and powerful, this needed more time to breathe than we gave it. Needed the decanting. We left it for an hour, and it still developed over the subsequent 2 hours. Could have handled 2 more hours to open up before drinking.
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WoW! Although dark ruby in color it has a hint of cherry red, not bricking tho. great nose. Earthy, and soft berry flavor with a hint of chocolate and cherry candy. Silky soft, this wine has aged well
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Crazy... It's very rare that I am so generous with ratings. But this bottle was just awesome. And I wasn't really expecting it after reading others reviews. But I guess we were lucky to catch this monster on it's peak. Beautiful nose, and dark red color. Not a hint of a brownish color. Lovely blend of the fruit and integrated wood. Black currant, cherry sauce, cedar, tobacco, sweet liquorice, peper. Long finish. Easily matched the powerful food. Even won a little. Wish I had more of these...
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I am amazed at how well these AV Silver Oaks are holding up. The bouquet jumped from the just opened bottle. Dark ruby color with some bricking at the edges. Classic Cali Cab nose and medium body on the palate with excellent balance between fruit and vegetal falvors. a very satisfying wine.
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Youthful look. Dark ruby with no bricking. Medium nose of fruit and baking spice. Wife says fruit and alcohol, but oak integrated for sure. Cherry and cassis along with pie flavors on mid-palate. Shortish finish is largest negative. Low complexity at the moment. Overall very youthful, not showing age at all but for smoothness and integration of oak. This might age for quite a while.
I think I waited too long. Pleasant enough, but lacking any distinctive qualities. Tannins muted, nose showed hint of sweet fruit. Palate and finish lacked depth.
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Drank a verrtical of 96, 97, and 98 Alex. Served at room temperature. Opened a hour. The fruit on all 3 was draining out. All 3 had lots of dill, cedar and toothpick. More green showed in the 98 as has been typical since its release. The 97 was clearly the best, but the 96 was holding up strong, and a close second to the 97. Really enjoyable now and all three will last a good bit longer as none was showing any pruniiness or tobacco. Sadly I am done with all three. Long live Justine Meyer.
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Clearly, this wine continues to age well, as the ratings improve with aging. Decanted and repoured into bottle as we were drinking other wines at wine tasting party. Dark ruby color, great structure. The nose and palate both are Zinfandelish with hints of licorice, spice and pepper. A mix of plum and red fruit linger on the palate along with silky tannins. I am glad I still have two more bottles from this vintage!
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Still drinking very well for the larger format bottles. The characteristic big Napa fruit has been softened by the time in the bottle, but is still very much present. Wonderful flavor profile and elegant tannins - went great with our ribeye steaks!
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This was outstanding wine that we've been saving for years. We really enjoyed how it changed over time (&temp) , well put together. Could have saved for several more years. Nice fruit, not overpowering tannin.I wish we had more.....
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Lively and youthful at age 15. Medium bodied and restrained, very satisfying. I'd decant for a couple of hours to experience full potential as this got better with time. Tannins fully resolved, great fruit.
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I was truly surprised at how great this was tasting. In my opinion this is drinking beautifully now (no way past it's peak). Tons of fresh plums and Jammy fruit on the nose and the tongue. We drank this on a night with other stars from '97-'99 and this was the stand out. I have three left and will see how many years are left in each
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Nice bottle, but missed it's perfect window. Still a wonderful nose, but flavor lacks the punch it once had. Who doesn't right. Smooth, cherries, some oak and slight vanilla.
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Wine was definitely past its prime. Not to say that the wine was undrinkable--there was still a bit of fruit, color wasnt brown, not much on the nose--but it's definitely faded and going fast...Drink up!
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91. This one was cellared at 54 degrees since purchase in 2000. That paid off. Prime time for this wine. Purely balanced fruit with enough gas to hold up to a grilled steak. Moderately long finish. Lovely. I have no idea if Silver Oak in later years has gone downhill, but the pedigree is certainly there.
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This bottle has been thru moving but still held up. Smooth and still a subtle nose. Cherry still present but finish not as typically long as this wine can be. Happy though that it drank as well, thought I missed it. This wine lives on.
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Popped and poured at Mike Byingotn's annual Cab and burgers party at his home. Delicious, ready to go, and time to spare. Red fruit on the nose and palate, moderate finish. Tannins resolved, good structure and balance, beautiful deep plum color with no bricking. Only had one small pour. Saw no indication that this was slipping away, should hold for at least a few, if not several more years. Susan commented it was her WOTN.
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5th Annual Burgers and Cabernets: Enjoyed non-blind at a tasting; provenance and handling unknown. Very weak nose of cassis and leather. On the palate it has plum, cassis and non-integrated oak. The finish is short and consistent with the taste. Ready to drink.
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Looking back to the October 2010 review, I would agree that this vintage seems to get a bad rap of not being ageworthy. Wrong. After selling all of my 97 to K & L, I feel I may have pulled the trigger too early on letting this go. A buddy brought over a bottle after I had just sold 9. Silky smooth, subtle tannins, LOTS of cherry! It was one of the few lots I wished I held onto. Their offer is about $50 over what they paid me. It seems like I got back what I paid and that's about it. The bid ask spread on wines in the $80-$200 category is $50-$80. To their credit, I sold all my wine at once, not piecemeal at auction. Most of the auction houses estimates were pretty low. I felt like this was a good alternative to thinning out what I felt I wasn't going to be able to drink. Auction commissions of 24-30% are kind of ridiculous. They nail both the buyer and seller. Great business to be in if you have the capital.
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Better than I expected. Thought I had completely outgrown these Silver Oaks but this one hit the spot. Still a dark purple, expressive nose of dark fruit and cassis. On the palate some of the jamminess has receded but it is silky and smooth as expected.
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Stored at 55 since release, but that didn't save this. Nose is barren. Sipped over an hour and nothing really evolved. Fruit is muted and turns to a dry, slightly tart finish. Early release bottles were fun, but never outstanding. Age has been hard on this one. 3 bottles left in the cellar, need to get on with them and hope for better.
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A good example of a cab that's still holding on with grace and determination. Possesses an interesting spice box of cinnamon, sage and bay leaf while showing a controlled nose of plum and minty cedar. Proceeds with a longer peppermint and sweet cherry finish. Best of all its got some burly tannins that are still hanging around. Feels like it's going to carry one for at least another 5-7 years.
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still a wonderful wine... has aged very well. Decanted for an hour. Can smell blackberries/currants and licorice... a little pepper as well. Very smooth on first taste, not much oak left. berries and spice on the palate.... no aftertaste. very drinkable... wish i had more than one bottle left :)
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Jimmy's 40th birthday Dinner - Avia Hotel (Napa, California): Okay, so the folks at the other end of the table were bogarting this wine like I was bogarting the La joie. I finally got a pour of this and it was not as impressive as I was hoping for. It was nicely balanced, had a good amount of oak on it, and probably not enough air time. Again, on its own, with a bit more air, this would probably be spectacular.
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I take back my comments on this vineyard. Sometimes I feel like it doesn't age well. This vintage held up beautifully. Sweet smooth tannins follow ripe, mature red cherries. It won't get much better. Drink now..
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I agree with 12marshall...this a wonderful wine with refined tannis and pleasurable fruit...it may have more shelf life but life is too short not to enjoy this now
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Popped and poured at Tony & Jen's in N. Carolina. Nose: Emanating black fruit scents of blackberry and black currant - amazingly expressive for a pop and pour. Palate: Full bodied, great balance, nice ripe black fruit - very yummy!. Finish: Very lengthy, dominated by nice ripe (not to ripe) black fruit. A stereotypical classic Napa Cabernet - very enjoyable.
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Admittedly, I've never been a fan of this 'over-hyped' wine and having little expectations last night, I was pleasantly surprised. Although it came far from blowing anyone away, it showed like one would expect from an gracefully aged 'Old-er School' Cali Cab. Appealing, clear Ruby red with slight brick-red edges. For the first time ever (for me), the aromatics clearly heralded "Alexander Valley" and that alone, had me enticed. Although slightly muted, the fruit, acid and tannin were in check and this made for a very pleasurable sipper (note: when tasted along with appetizers, it was almost completely lost). Not sure how much more life this would have if stored properly, but this bottle was clearly 'as far as it was gonna' go'.
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This is a classic example of a 1997 that just is so far beyond it's peak. I've had this wine for about 5 years, kept at 58-60 degrees, no light. 1997's just were not made for aging... this wine was so thin I almost added Shiraz to it... the fruit had disappeared and replaced by an overly acidic, too tart wine better suited for salad dressing than drinking.
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Purchased at winery in what I think was 2001 along with a bottle of 1997 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Removed from my wine fridge and stored vertically for 48 hours at ~65degF. Decanted with aeration at room temperature (65-70 degF). Raspberries, blackberries, earth, leather, vanilla on the nose. Wonderful. On tasting, not quite as complex on the palate as on the nose, but with a long finish with velvety soft tannins. Thirty minutes in the decanter brought out more fruit on the palate and complexity in general, subtle oak and vanilla on the finish. Fabulous wine that was equally pleasing to the host. Don't see any improvement possible, certainly at its peak or slightly on the downswing. While not expired, perhaps ever-so-slightly tiring. Drink now.
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'94 vs '97 California Cabernet Sauvignon: A decent wine that suffered next to its competition this evening. I wouldn't seek out this wine, but there's nothing wrong with it. It's an 80's action movie you'd never go rent, but if it's on TV one day and you're bored...
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Pre-Thanksgiving 2009 Family Event (Carnero's Bistro): Presented itself nice...rounded an well integrated, some complexity to the fruit...finish just didn't linger. Would not hold this any longer, might as well enjoy!
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Very nice smell. Nice feel in the mouth, smooth and silky. A little tannic on the after taste. Fruit has deteriorated a bit, but still evident, and this wine is not getting any better. Not a bad bottle of wine, but one just expects more from a house like Silver Oak.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Very nice smell. Nice feel in the mouth, smooth and silky. A little tannic on the after taste. Fruit has deteriorated a bit, but still evident, and this wine is not getting any better. Not a bad bottle of wine, but one just expects more from a house like Silver Oak.
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Fairly alcoholic nose on opening. Let sit in the glass for about 30 min and the bouquet softened with nice berry notes. The wine was lighter on the palate than I expected with decent fruit, but nice body. It had a very silky texture as one would expect from a 13y.o. wine. Finish was decent, but not overly long with a some nice oak notes. Overall quite nice (especially when we grilled up some NY strip steaks), but honestly, I was a little disappointed it wasn't bigger and more balanced. 3 bottles left - I'm thinking I need to drink them sooner than later.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Medium to dark in color. Wonderful subtleness with bright red fruit from start to finish. My first aged Silver Oak and it was truly delightful!!!
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Very surprising that there was almost no discernable nose, even after long decanting; herbs (dill?) and blackberry; medium bodied with beautifully balanced tannins and acidity; good finish. Lighter than I expected, but still elegant.
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Consistent with last tasting and I gave this several hours to open. It really is a nice cab but for the money and the reptuations (which I do not understand) it should be a lot better. There are many better bottles for the money.
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Popped & poured this to start the evening at Chastin Amphitheatre in the cold & rain watching Dolly Parton perform. Of course, almost anything would have tasted good under the circumstances. Nice, medium bodied cabernet with good balance. Due to age, the tannins were soft & smooth. A bit of candied black fruit on the nose with some oaky spice to it. Picked up some green (maybe stem) notes too. Still plenty of fruit on the palate...blackberry & black current with some spice from the oak. Didn't pick up too much vanilla like a lot of Napa cabs. All in all, a solid wine & a good one to start off the evening.
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recently enjoyed its napa sibling so thought to open the alexander valley 97 to see how they compare. well, it falls a lot short of what I would have expected in a silver oak. the fruit had really mellowed out and the word 'thin' comes to mind. not much focus and a quaffable, one dimensional flavor. not a bad wine but nothing out of the ordinary. this wine drank much better in its youth. one last bottle left, will probably open the next time i touch the napa one just for comparison sake.
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Silver Oak is just flat out over-rated. This wine should have been ripe and prime for drinking. Made prime NY Strips with a great salad and this wine did not stand up. It had some fruit and the structure was still there but it was a bit acidic and tart on the finish. I just do not plan on buying any more Silver Oak -- just do not see the value and this wine is in my normal price point.
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Drank blind along side 99 Karl Lawrence and another completely unworthy wine.
We stopped buying Silver Oak after the 97 release because quality dropped significantly in subsequent releases. This wine is a classic Justin vintage and has everything we loved about SO: ruby red, outstanding nose, balanced, silky finish.
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Had alongside 1998 Phelps Insignia and easily held it's own. Very different character from the Insignia, much more oak and a longer finish, but less fruit forward. Both were very enjoyable and real crowd pleasers. To my taste, this wine is ready to drink and won't improve much more, although it certainly will last for years longer before it significantly declines.
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Decanted for 1 hour before drinking. Nice legs. Brambly peppery nose with a light touch of vanilla. Fabulous mouthfeel w/ a nice medium to long finish. black cherry flavors with a very light note of anise. excellent tannic structure. all in all, a good wine - better than i had hoped given some other vintages of this tried of late.
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Not a bad bottle, but very boring. Way below the taste level I like. Very one-dimensional. It never changed from the time I opened the bottle to two hours later. I will say that it was showing no age at all after ten years. I think it can take another ten years easy. Got some nice tannins left. Surprising. Five years ago I would have really liked this wine.
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A top third wine AGAIN! Every time we do 10yr old Cal Cabs blind this wine rises up and beats the Napa (the '93 was amazing in 2003). A very smooth berry fruit compote, some herbs, all with the obligatory, but not intrusive, oak-- just delicious now.
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Decanted for an hour, initially still closed and thin. Left for another hour before pouring, opened up considerably. The comments on lack of fruit are off base. Yes, this has settled down but the nose and fruit were still very much there. Oak was understated as well. Not as rich as a Cinc Cepages we opened from the same year but very enjoyable. I won't feel rushed to open the other bottle I have of this.
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rating in the 87-88 range , very good cab. great purple color , plenty of intensity , has some time left on its side is my guess. has leather on the palate and a fair amount of alcohol on the nose>many ennjoyed this with the turkey .
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Lots of dilly oak, but very good once I got past the oak (which was fairly easy). Lighter than the greatest of CA cabs. Tonight, the 94 Alexander is much better.
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Opened this bottle along with a 97 Quilceda Creek Cab on our 10 year anniversay and shared with some friends while overlooking beautiful Lake Chelan. We decanted this for a little over and hour and it was definitely ready to drink. Deep and dark in color with a wonderful nose of spice, leather and berries, I couldn't wait to give it a try and I was not dissapointed. The wine was very balanced and more silky then others have written. Maybe I got caught up in the heat of the anniversary moment but the consensus from others was that this showed better then the QC. Guess I got lucky.
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Opened at Alexanders Steakhouse (Cupertino): A little shy upon opening, all agreed that it was very enjoyable accompaniment to our steak mains an hour later. Medium bodied, and I agree with the last tasting note, this has matured nicely and is not dominated by either oak or youthful fruit. Not stellar, but no rough edges either. Seems to have a few years of life yet.
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Drinking well. Fragrant nose. The oak & friut are well integrated. NOT an oaky monster. Cassis and plum with soft oaky tannins. Will probably be this good for another year or 2.
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Disagree with earlier tasting notes of others. Yes fruit has diminished but it is not an "oak bomb". I was worried after so many less than favorable TN's recently on this wine. Drinking fine now and would guess has 2-5 more years of good drinking. No heavy nose of dill at all, tannins and fruit have given way to tosty oak and pencil shaving notes.
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Served for our anniversary. Decanted for two hours. Disappointed overall; fruit is gone but still lots of oak. Would drink now. For the cost would not buy this wine again. Another example of an over priced California Cab.
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Fruit is losing the battle with the oak. Still a decent wine but certainly not worhty of the price I paid & the cellar time. My last of 3 bottles & I Will not buy any more
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Generally a disappointment given this wines price and reputation. Overt green bean on the nose. Taste was a little better, but lacked mid-palate and mouth feel in general. Not flawed, just not great wine-making. Had I tasted it blind I would have guessed an older, cooler vintage (1988?).
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Average.....not good at all for price point or reputation. Decanted for about 2 hours as I saw many others say it had a lot off alcohol in the aftertaste. That helped. Oaky. Tannins were almost gone. Lacked some fruit as well. I wasn't disaapointed in the wine, just expected more and a a bit dissapointed that I have 2 more bottles!! Drink up! They aren't going to get better and they are wasting space in your cellar!
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Tasted November 15, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Garnet color in the glass, a little dusty looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, black berries and anise (again). Flavors of black berries and black cherries (again). Light to medium acidity, integrated tannins and medium body. Just half a step to a step behind the bottle I had a couple of weeks ago. Drink now.
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Drank during a small dinner party with friends. Wine was not decanted. Garnet colored with a fair amount of dark fruit. Not much else it seemed, although I wasn't taking notes. Nice pleasurable wine. Best advise is to drink this up sooner rather than later.
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Drank this over dinner at a friends home. Expected this to be good, but was much better than expected. Poped and poured. Ready to go now. I have one of these in my celler and I think I will try to hold it for a few years to see how well it holds up.
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Tasted November 4, 2006 at home. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Garnet color in the glass, fairly clear throughout. Nose of dried herbs, black berries and anise. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and a little fennel. Decent acidity but tannins are fully resolved so drink up is my recommendation. I have one bottle of this myself and I’ll drink it up by early 2007.
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So tight on first opening it was like a drum...after 1 and 1/2 hours in a decanter it opened up to dark chocolate and tobacco with a finish like a Romeo and Juliette Churchill cigar. We wondered if the lower alcohol style of days past was making us dissapointed in the mouth feel...
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I'm not a fan of Silver Oak and this was "gifted" to me when I purchased an Arvid painting ... but I was VERY IMPRESSED with this bottle. Plenty of fruit balanced perfectly with Sonoma "dust", minimal oak - tannins still present so it can last another 3 years. Needless to say, I was very surprised ... bravo!
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Big like you'd expect a Silver Oak to be, but the Alexander Valley continues to be somewhat unremarkable...not fruity enough to be distinctive, not oaky enough to be a classic
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I would agree with Parker on all aspects of the wine except the olives. The nose was very floral with roses and carnations and black cherries. The taste was medium light with ripe cherries, currants and plums. This wine is nearing its peak and should be consumed over the next three years.
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The best Silver Oak I've had -- what a pleasant contrast to the 1996 I opened several weeks ago. Ruby red, with slight bricking at the rim. Deep cassis fruit, with only a little dill/green pepper. Good acidity and balance. Lots of toasty oak, but it doesn't throw the wine off balance. Ready to drink now.
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Two bottles brought from my personal cellar to Cuvee Restaurant, enjoyed with the McMillans, Alessios and Stephen Metcalfe. Both bottles were clean and tasted the same. Similar impression as 8/12/02, although the tannins now appear to be better integrated and the texture is silkier. A real crowd pleaser, which is why I brought the bottles for these friends.
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Bright disc. Deep ruby with red rim. Clean nose, showing prominent American oak, mint, black cherry, plum and currants. The nose is fruit-forward but not highly complex. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a good attack and evolution. The flavors are similar to the nose. Ample, slightly dry tannins. Medium, smooth finish. A nice, typical fruit-forward, American oak-laced example of this bottling. It should drink well for the next several years.
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Tasted at winery. Bright disc. Deep ruby with red rim. Nose clean, slightly closed (the bottle had just been opened), showing primarily mint, oak, currants and exotic spices. The palate is full-bodied, with firm tannins. The flavors are similar to the nose. The finish is medium in length and is mildly astringent. This wine needs time.
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12/24/2023 - VDLT Wine Does not like this wine:
Ugh, sour & undrnkable.
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11/18/2023 - Sausalito wrote: 66 Points
Solid
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5/14/2022 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brought by a friend to dinner after a couple hours of air. Perfect with steaks, mushrooms and a truffle cream sauce. Typical of late in the Justin Meyer era (I know he wasn’t technically winemaker after 1994) Silver oak Cabs. Somewhat extracted and heavily oaked but still quite balanced, bright and energetic while having a richness and depth of flavor and texture. Nice finish. Probably at/near peak.
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1/22/2022 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at a friend’s house with grilled steak. Very nice depth and reasonably complex. Very typical pre-2000 Silver Oak Alexander. Blackberry, vanilla, chocolate, cedar, hints of mint and some floral notes. Very smooth. Pretty well balanced, not as ripe and extracted as more recent vintages.
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12/25/2021 - rbieber168@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Probably near the end of its prime. Still a good balance with hints of raspberry. Not long on the finish. But still a very enjoyable wine. But drink now if you have any.
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12/11/2021 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep red center, red rim with signs of age.
Sweet nose, pipe tobacco, stewed plums and blackcurrant, touch of Brett.
Smooth and sweet, cassis and ripe plums, faded tannins, modest acidity, some Bretty band aid, oak comes through on the long finish.
Wasn't sure how this would present, but it is doing very well, fully mature (over the hill for some I'm sure), very pleasant drinking. Recommend drinking now, but will go a few more years.
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10/22/2021 - 41hijinx Likes this wine: 89 Points
Low neck fill. Cork crumbled slightly upon extraction but was not soaked through. Lovely dark garnet color on glass with obvious bricking. Stylish Cabernet Sauvignon bouquet with with hints of oxidation. Good fruit on palate with moderate acidity but the fruit is slowly fading. Particles of fine sediment coat inside of bottle. Drink now to avoiding disappointment .
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9/19/2021 - Verb Likes this wine: 92 Points
similar to my last note of a year ago, but better - black fruit cassis nose with some white pepper and leather undertones - medium body, good acid balance, and more fruit than my last bottle - tannins resolved but still nicely present - medium finish with slight lingering bitterness - very nice mature 20+ year cab - somewhat limited by sparse complex aromatics, but drinking very nicely nonetheless
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8/8/2021 - bayareadodgerfan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 2hrs. Pretty solid showing for a 25yo Silver Oak. Probably past it’s prime but still demonstrating nice raspberry notes on the bouquet. On the palate, there were still some soft fruit flavors - raspberry and cherry and perhaps some chocolate. But the wine felt out of balance to me still showing some tannin and body but the fruit flavors were too soft and faded at this point. Still, pleasantly surprised it held up at all.
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7/5/2021 - vtrappe wrote:
Silver Oak is not able to be cellared per their drink ability timing !
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7/4/2021 - rkww Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Even perfectly stored bottles of the 1997 Silver Oak Alexander Valley are showing clear signs of being past their prime, turning toward tawny in color and displaying oxidative notes. Some blue fruits are still hanging on, but mostly this wine presents as aged vanilla and cedar. Drink up now if you have any left.
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7/3/2021 - MrSkimo Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 1997 Silver Oak was fantastic and well aged. Although past it’s drinking window, it was in great condition - having been stored in a stable cellar between 52 and 55 for it’s life in the bottle. Probably helped that it was a large 6L bottle. The cork was very soft, but came out in one piece with a Durand. The room filled with a fantastic smell upon opening, but the wine was really closed down. There was no acidity and it just seemed dead. There was some slight bricking on the edges. But after 30 minutes of being open, it came to life in a fantastic way! I ended up serving it out of water pitchers without a proper decanting. It seemed too delicate and I didnt want to ruin the flavor and smell.
Didn’t spend too much time critically reviewing it, it was a party after all. Typical Silver Oak, big Cali cab. Everyone raved about it, and we killed the whole bottle.
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2/1/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of mums, black berry, plums, black cherry, and a touch of herbs, more of the same on the palate, big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, at peak drinking now, almost elegant, and a long, flavorful finish with a wonderful aftertaste.
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12/25/2020 - Nswalls Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle typifies Alexander valley Silver Oak, just a spectacular bottle. At 23 years (can i math right?) this was not as far along as many of the napa bottlings i have had from the same era. Fully resolves tannins, leather cedar and wood box, full tertiary profile. Most fruit has eroded, no signs of bricking, somewhat contradictory?
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11/24/2020 - Gary Likes this wine: 89 Points
Getting long in the tooth. Drink now.
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10/11/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 90 Points
similar to my last note of a year ago - cassis nose with some white pepper and leather undertones - light body, good acid balance but fruit deficient - tannins resolved but still in presence - medium finish with slight lingering bitterness - nice mature 20+ year cab, but limited by sparse aromatics and fruit
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10/9/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lighter version. Elegant like the 95.
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8/17/2020 - cknapp wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry and black currant. It's in total harmony and has flavours of strawberry jam with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Lovely mature Cali cab. Enjoyed on my Anniversary dinner.
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6/5/2020 - Fausto_Coppi Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fresh red fruit driven nose and palate. Fully mature and packed with rose hip, sun dried tomato, damson and raspberry flavours with well balanced acidity and smooth, soft tannins. Very elegant, stylish and well balanced red wine with lingering, fresh fruity finish. Great wine.
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6/3/2020 - dwcamp2 Likes this wine:
Cork soggy rotten and shredded like crumbly blue cheese. After sieving out the cork, the wine was fantastic. Still some tannins and acidity and fruit. Amazing given a decade of horrible storage conditions and a decade of fair storage conditions.
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4/16/2020 - Gr8penut Likes this wine: 90 Points
drink now!
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3/30/2020 - StephenPezzola Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still had plenty of fruit forward. Very smooth finish. Had a little trouble removing the cork. Spectacular wine.
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10/16/2019 - Verb wrote: 91 Points
brick, orangish rim - cassis nose with some white pepper and leather undertones - light body, good acid balance but fruit deficient - tannins resolved but still very much in presence - medium finish with slight lingering bitterness - nice mature 20+ year cab, but limited by sparse aromatics and fruit
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10/10/2019 - gman4commerce Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing -- great vintage and it stood the test of time for sure.
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8/19/2019 - Gr8penut Likes this wine: 90 Points
drink now!
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6/29/2019 - PDavisMarble wrote: 93 Points
Smoky, leather, tobacco, wet earth. Still wonderful.
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6/8/2019 - ivan.chittenden@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking beautifully.
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6/7/2019 - wvanvalkenburg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a great wine. Lots of fruit and fully mature.
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5/7/2019 - PDavisMarble wrote: 94 Points
Bright red. Decanted for 30 minutes. Not a hint of bricking. Beautiful nose -- baking spices, rose, cherry, some underlying leather and wet earth. Wow. By far the best of the case. Red fruits and cedar with a long, long finish. There was a lightness and complexity here that has been absent from a few of the bottles. The freshness and delicacy of the acids were elegant. This particular bottle could have easily aged for another 5+ years, before starting to decline.
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12/18/2018 - JJ58 Likes this wine:
Surprisingly youthful and delicious...and I’m not usually a fan
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12/14/2018 - Labrador Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was a lovely wine - aromatic, balanced, fresh (almost youthful), very enjoyable on the palate, and with a lovely finish that I can still taste the next morning. It is mainly red fruit (cherry and maybe some raspberry) but the presence of the darker variety (blackberry with a bit of blueberry) was noticeable. This wine had just been released when we first visited Silver Oak. It was good then and darn good now.
If you have it, I suggest that you open a bottle; you are in for a treat.
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12/5/2018 - PDavisMarble wrote: 92 Points
A testament to the variability from bottle to bottle, even from the same case. A wonderful bottle which showed fewer signs of age, no bricking, much fresher, round, complex and elegant with a long finish.
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11/9/2018 - mshellow Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank this wine with my brutha Bob and his family, as we hosted them when they were evacuated because of the Woolsey fire. Their house made it thankfully. Thoughts go out to all that were affected by the fire. Bob loved the wine, and said it was smooth and suggested the 94 rating. I agree with him, but would have liked to have seen a little more depth and fruit flavor, and as such, my rating would have been 91. Didn't notice any bricking, and no tanins. Also, very little heat, and a light body for such a big wine. We all enjoyed the wine, and for a $60 purchase 19 years ago, it served its purpose to share with Bob on this night to help them forget a little of their worries. That's really what it's all about. Still have some other vintages that I'll probably drink sooner than later.
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7/11/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened this bottle stored in my cellar to toast the beautiful, new Silver Oak Healdsburg facility this morning with my terrific host Tom. BTW Tom, thank you for the great tour of this wonderful environmental friendly winery. Lovely, floral nose of mums, black currants, plums, black cherry, and a touch of herbs, no bell pepper, brilliant, beet red color in the glass with no bricking, big body, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, good acid, at it's peak, easily last another five years, time to enjoy your cellar efforts, this is much nicer than the last bottle I enjoyed, and a long, long finish with a long, long aftertaste..
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6/3/2018 - PDavisMarble wrote: 88 Points
On the downslope. Little bricking, but a bit of funk that needed to blew off. The nose portends the address plums that come after the raspberries. Some sweet cherry and stewed fruits. As the wine opened it has a dumb moment after about an hour and then bloomed, transitioning to strong cedar and cigar box.
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4/22/2018 - bradjohn9 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent, spicy, peppery, still very good after so many years,
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1/11/2018 - raek wrote:
Might be at its peak. Forest floor, cedar, some tannins, short finish. Nice bouquet
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12/20/2017 - PDavisMarble wrote: 91 Points
This has not plateaued. No bricking, plenty of fruit, nice acid backbone. More complexity than the last bottle and a nice long finish. A touch of heat at the end that hadn't been there in other bottles.
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11/4/2017 - DNAWineGuy wrote: 92 Points
This wine held up remarkable well
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9/30/2017 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking very well, full bodied, deep red, rich nose of earth and herb, some tobacco. Tastes lack any fresh fruit, but the herb and mocha flavors mingle with mineral and pencil lead that lead to a surprisingly fresh and very long pleasant finish. Superb balance. Drink very soon before anything else changes.
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9/4/2017 - amyschioldager Likes this wine:
Opened up after several hours and then was delicious. Thought it was bad when I first opened, glad I didn't throw it out.
BBQ with Wendy/Steve, Dan/Suzie, Dave/Denise, Craig/Lisa
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9/4/2017 - PDavisMarble wrote: 90 Points
Deep crimson. Decanted for 20 minutes. Some sediment. This wine was fresher than expected, and still showed excellent bones. The nose was forward with cigar box, green peppers, leather and a hint of chocolate. The cigar box and leather dominated the attack, followed by mint which gave way to some green pepper, and moist earth. This seemed more akin to a classic Martha's Vineyard than an SO Alexander. Time to drink, but definitely not too late.
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6/19/2017 - redmancge Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was a lovely aged Cali Cab proving that with good storage a 20yr old can still be good. Now I should say this is from a magnum so that obviously plays into it. Great deep ruby color cork was solid no staining. Nice nose and still good red fruit mouthfeel and decent finish. Drank with another couple using Riedel Sommelier glasses which helped open it up nicely over the next 2 hours. That being said if youve got 750's I'd probably enjoy them sooner than later as it seems most feel those are either still nice or fading.
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3/9/2017 - bobby a Likes this wine: 88 Points
Color and nose still good but some fruit is lost,drink now.
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3/7/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 75 Points
Coravin 3/7/16: Medium ruby with very slight bricking, much less than expected for its age; nose is moderately aromatic with ripe black fruit, very slight heat; palate is medium-full bodied, tannins are medium and drying, tartness and slight bitterness on the midpalate, fruit has dropped out entirely; finish is tart, bitter, drying, and short. The fruit has disappeared and all that is left is structure, without any tertiary complexity. This may have once been good, but not anymore. 75
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11/28/2016 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 89 Points
I held on too long but its till its quite good. Very aromatic nose of fruit and soft oaky notes. But on the palate it starts with a terrific mouthfeel then the mid palate has nothing..., then finishes a tad dry but with aged earthy and pleasant cedar notes with minerals. The empty middle is disappointing and I missed it with every sip through the bottle but overall it was still very enjoyable using an aerated for each pour as it smoothed out the long finish but still, no fruit. Hopefully other bottles have still more fruit, but if not, drink now and enjoy the smell, texture and balance.
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7/30/2016 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Even better than last time I checked in on it. A great expression of well-aged traditional Cali cabs. Sad this is my last bottle.
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6/15/2016 - Bandreas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium dense carmine red; starting to loosen up..
Fine cabernet smell of red and black berries; refined and expansive but definitively not "in your face".
On the palate there is graphite and cedar plus some still unresolved tannin.
It's an old style wine: elegant and nicely restrained. A pleasure to sip and savor; it went well with the barbecued steak, corn and baked potato, too
This is the first bottle (of 12 originally bought) in a long time and for those still having some bottles in their cellar I am not sure what advice to give:
Wait a couple more years because the tannins are going to become more integrated in the future or
Drink up because the wine is drying out.
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2/21/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Dark red. Nice earthy nose, decent red fruit flavours and a balanced finish.
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1/25/2016 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good tonight. A fully mature Cali cab that retains balance, freshness and good flavors. Not over the top at all with the oak fully integrated. Drink now as I dont see it getting better.
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1/17/2016 - RedderTheBetter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still quite good, but drink sooner than later.
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9/7/2015 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Nice fully mature Cabernet. Sage, dark cherry and sweet earth flavors, smooth finish. Time to drink up.
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8/7/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose of sage, black cherry fruit, and earth, more of the same on the palate, delicious old style cabernet, medium body, like most 1997 cabernets, time to drink up, long, long finish.
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6/21/2015 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 90 Points
Though I had expected it to be faded, it is holding up nicely. Good color and still vibrant fruit. Will likely gradually fade from here, but no big rush to drink as of 2015.
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5/27/2015 - tcarter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth, balanced. Classic.
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5/24/2015 - wmlowejr wrote:
Okay, but probably past its prime.
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2/14/2015 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Nose of cherry, cedar, chocolate and hints of earth. Cedar really stoled the show on the palate with a medium finish. I would say this is over it's peak but still enjoyable. Drink up.
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1/3/2015 - EdwardjK wrote: 90 Points
Opened another bottle today with a beef dinner. The wine seemed somewhat flat upon opening but was a bit better with food. However, some of that intensity that I tasted while sampling at Silver Oak was back after about an hour. This bottle seemed better than the one I opened last year.
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12/31/2014 - M Macht Likes this wine: 90 Points
The fruit is fading. No tannins to speak of. Probably over its prime. Still a very nice bottle of wine.
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12/9/2014 - f22nickell wrote: 89 Points
Seattle Wine Group - Dec 2014 Tasting - Theme: CA Cabs (Amaroso Room - Wine Storage Bellevue): Bottle H
(Ron)
Nose is dusty with cedar, saddle leather, cherry, and some funk. The palate has dark cherry, hint of mint, black tea, and some dried leather. Guessing this is an older wine (20+years) as the tannins almost resolved. Not too complex, finish a bit short.
My Ranking: 5th out of 9 bottles
Group Ranking: 6th (3-way tie) out of 9 bottles
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11/29/2014 - RedderTheBetter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drink now
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1/1/2014 - OCWino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank new years eve with seared ahi. Remarkably full-bodied with classic Napa fruit, if a bit muted by the years. My cellar is at 55, so this aged slowly; suspect most will be at or past prime. A very well balanced and rich cab.
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12/31/2013 - Pip1 wrote: 80 Points
This wine was too old. Threw it out.
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12/31/2013 - EdwardjK Likes this wine: 89 Points
Just finished a bottle over a filet mignon New Years Eve dinner. The fill was still in the neck, although not by much.
I tasted this wine in the barrel at Silver Oak and was blown away. What caught my attention was the intensity of the flavor. Clearly 16 years has mellowed the intensity but the wine was dark red, still smelled berries and thoroughly enjoyed it.
And I have 7 more bottles.
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12/30/2013 - PDavisMarble wrote: 90 Points
Lovely deep crimson. Nose of chocolate, earth, wet stone and toast. Surprisingly bright and powerful, this needed more time to breathe than we gave it. Needed the decanting. We left it for an hour, and it still developed over the subsequent 2 hours. Could have handled 2 more hours to open up before drinking.
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10/30/2013 - JLucas wrote:
Past its prime. Some fruit in the background, but it's gone. My own fault for not drinking it sooner.
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6/9/2013 - spineguy Does not like this wine:
Mildly corked. Will not rate. Nose off. Mouthfeel medium. Decent finish. Not sure it would be stellar even if it was a good bottle.
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6/9/2013 - Tarpon222 wrote: 93 Points
Dynamite. Earthy, leather, medium body, nice finish. This has aged gracefully. Reminder of reasonable aging. Cannot imagine this gets an better.
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4/8/2013 - fritza wrote: 94 Points
WoW! Although dark ruby in color it has a hint of cherry red, not bricking tho. great nose. Earthy, and soft berry flavor with a hint of chocolate and cherry candy. Silky soft, this wine has aged well
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3/20/2013 - Tartiflette Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crazy... It's very rare that I am so generous with ratings. But this bottle was just awesome. And I wasn't really expecting it after reading others reviews. But I guess we were lucky to catch this monster on it's peak. Beautiful nose, and dark red color. Not a hint of a brownish color. Lovely blend of the fruit and integrated wood. Black currant, cherry sauce, cedar, tobacco, sweet liquorice, peper. Long finish. Easily matched the powerful food. Even won a little. Wish I had more of these...
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2/15/2013 - RCBAROLO wrote: 92 Points
A personal favorite always fine drinking
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1/28/2013 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 90 Points
I am amazed at how well these AV Silver Oaks are holding up. The bouquet jumped from the just opened bottle. Dark ruby color with some bricking at the edges. Classic Cali Cab nose and medium body on the palate with excellent balance between fruit and vegetal falvors. a very satisfying wine.
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1/25/2013 - Chiantihound wrote: 90 Points
Youthful look. Dark ruby with no bricking. Medium nose of fruit and baking spice. Wife says fruit and alcohol, but oak integrated for sure. Cherry and cassis along with pie flavors on mid-palate. Shortish finish is largest negative. Low complexity at the moment. Overall very youthful, not showing age at all but for smoothness and integration of oak. This might age for quite a while.
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1/1/2013 - ERH wrote: 78 Points
- It's lacking fruit with a light body. Flabby texture with a short finish.
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12/24/2012 - jonmurray wrote: 88 Points
I accidentally waited too long. Past its prime. Totally drinkable (and not bad), but a bit bland.
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12/9/2012 - gmat5497 wrote: 87 Points
In my opinion, over the hill. Very bland. Nothing stood out.
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9/22/2012 - sbeeks wrote: 86 Points
This isn't aging well. A bit beat.
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7/15/2012 - FLI wrote: 88 Points
I think I waited too long. Pleasant enough, but lacking any distinctive qualities. Tannins muted, nose showed hint of sweet fruit. Palate and finish lacked depth.
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6/17/2012 - greyhound93 wrote: 93 Points
Well balanced and better that the previous two bottles we drank two years ago. Light tannins, very drinkable. wish we had more 97.
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5/20/2012 - shiel wrote: 90 Points
Drank a verrtical of 96, 97, and 98 Alex. Served at room temperature. Opened a hour. The fruit on all 3 was draining out. All 3 had lots of dill, cedar and toothpick. More green showed in the 98 as has been typical since its release. The 97 was clearly the best, but the 96 was holding up strong, and a close second to the 97. Really enjoyable now and all three will last a good bit longer as none was showing any pruniiness or tobacco. Sadly I am done with all three. Long live Justine Meyer.
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4/24/2012 - fritza wrote: 94 Points
Clearly, this wine continues to age well, as the ratings improve with aging. Decanted and repoured into bottle as we were drinking other wines at wine tasting party. Dark ruby color, great structure. The nose and palate both are Zinfandelish with hints of licorice, spice and pepper. A mix of plum and red fruit linger on the palate along with silky tannins. I am glad I still have two more bottles from this vintage!
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3/21/2012 - SaxSF Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still drinking very well for the larger format bottles. The characteristic big Napa fruit has been softened by the time in the bottle, but is still very much present. Wonderful flavor profile and elegant tannins - went great with our ribeye steaks!
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2/26/2012 - wineovich wrote: 93 Points
This was outstanding wine that we've been saving for years. We really enjoyed how it changed over time (&temp) , well put together. Could have saved for several more years. Nice fruit, not overpowering tannin.I wish we had more.....
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2/18/2012 - maxfischer wrote: 92 Points
Lively and youthful at age 15. Medium bodied and restrained, very satisfying. I'd decant for a couple of hours to experience full potential as this got better with time. Tannins fully resolved, great fruit.
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11/18/2011 - mfriedman12 wrote: 94 Points
I was truly surprised at how great this was tasting. In my opinion this is drinking beautifully now (no way past it's peak). Tons of fresh plums and Jammy fruit on the nose and the tongue. We drank this on a night with other stars from '97-'99 and this was the stand out. I have three left and will see how many years are left in each
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10/26/2011 - Zinister wrote: 87 Points
Nice bottle, but missed it's perfect window. Still a wonderful nose, but flavor lacks the punch it once had. Who doesn't right. Smooth, cherries, some oak and slight vanilla.
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10/8/2011 - cephomer wrote: 85 Points
Wine was definitely past its prime. Not to say that the wine was undrinkable--there was still a bit of fruit, color wasnt brown, not much on the nose--but it's definitely faded and going fast...Drink up!
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9/24/2011 - ruffsurf wrote:
91. This one was cellared at 54 degrees since purchase in 2000. That paid off. Prime time for this wine. Purely balanced fruit with enough gas to hold up to a grilled steak. Moderately long finish. Lovely. I have no idea if Silver Oak in later years has gone downhill, but the pedigree is certainly there.
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9/5/2011 - Vsansone wrote: 89 Points
This bottle has been thru moving but still held up. Smooth and still a subtle nose. Cherry still present but finish not as typically long as this wine can be. Happy though that it drank as well, thought I missed it. This wine lives on.
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4/23/2011 - vintage61 wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured at Mike Byingotn's annual Cab and burgers party at his home. Delicious, ready to go, and time to spare. Red fruit on the nose and palate, moderate finish. Tannins resolved, good structure and balance, beautiful deep plum color with no bricking. Only had one small pour. Saw no indication that this was slipping away, should hold for at least a few, if not several more years. Susan commented it was her WOTN.
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4/23/2011 - floydtp wrote: 87 Points
5th Annual Burgers and Cabernets: Enjoyed non-blind at a tasting; provenance and handling unknown. Very weak nose of cassis and leather. On the palate it has plum, cassis and non-integrated oak. The finish is short and consistent with the taste. Ready to drink.
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4/11/2011 - charlie43 wrote: 94 Points
Looking back to the October 2010 review, I would agree that this vintage seems to get a bad rap of not being ageworthy. Wrong. After selling all of my 97 to K & L, I feel I may have pulled the trigger too early on letting this go.
A buddy brought over a bottle after I had just sold 9. Silky smooth, subtle tannins, LOTS of cherry! It was one of the few lots I wished I held onto. Their offer is about $50 over what they paid me. It seems like I got back what I paid and that's about it. The bid ask spread on wines in the $80-$200 category is $50-$80. To their credit, I sold all my wine at once, not piecemeal at auction. Most of the auction houses estimates were pretty low. I felt like this was a good alternative to thinning out what I felt I wasn't going to be able to drink. Auction commissions of 24-30% are kind of ridiculous. They nail both the buyer and seller. Great business to be in if you have the capital.
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4/3/2011 - shiel wrote: 90 Points
Typical SO Alex with dill and cedar notes but fruit is showing through. Drink now or hold.
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3/27/2011 - bwillia wrote: 89 Points
Better than I expected. Thought I had completely outgrown these Silver Oaks but this one hit the spot. Still a dark purple, expressive nose of dark fruit and cassis. On the palate some of the jamminess has receded but it is silky and smooth as expected.
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2/14/2011 - jplevin1 wrote: 88 Points
Definitely past its prime
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1/12/2011 - RR47 wrote: 84 Points
Stored at 55 since release, but that didn't save this. Nose is barren. Sipped over an hour and nothing really evolved. Fruit is muted and turns to a dry, slightly tart finish. Early release bottles were fun, but never outstanding. Age has been hard on this one. 3 bottles left in the cellar, need to get on with them and hope for better.
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12/12/2010 - gmat5497 wrote: 89 Points
Not spectacular but okay. Something just doesn't seem to all come together.
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12/9/2010 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 89 Points
A good example of a cab that's still holding on with grace and determination. Possesses an interesting spice box of cinnamon, sage and bay leaf while showing a controlled nose of plum and minty cedar. Proceeds with a longer peppermint and sweet cherry finish. Best of all its got some burly tannins that are still hanging around. Feels like it's going to carry one for at least another 5-7 years.
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12/6/2010 - dferreir wrote: 93 Points
drinking very well
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11/24/2010 - rtd3 wrote: 91 Points
still a wonderful wine... has aged very well. Decanted for an hour. Can smell blackberries/currants and licorice... a little pepper as well. Very smooth on first taste, not much oak left. berries and spice on the palate.... no aftertaste. very drinkable... wish i had more than one bottle left :)
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11/13/2010 - scw wrote: 90 Points
drink now! still good but loosing it character
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11/13/2010 - dave smigielski wrote:
Jimmy's 40th birthday Dinner - Avia Hotel (Napa, California): Okay, so the folks at the other end of the table were bogarting this wine like I was bogarting the La joie. I finally got a pour of this and it was not as impressive as I was hoping for. It was nicely balanced, had a good amount of oak on it, and probably not enough air time. Again, on its own, with a bit more air, this would probably be spectacular.
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10/10/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
I take back my comments on this vineyard. Sometimes I feel like it doesn't age well. This vintage held up beautifully. Sweet smooth tannins follow ripe, mature red cherries. It won't get much better. Drink now..
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10/4/2010 - redman77 wrote: 92 Points
I agree with 12marshall...this a wonderful wine with refined tannis and pleasurable fruit...it may have more shelf life but life is too short not to enjoy this now
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10/4/2010 - gordoh wrote: 90 Points
Ready to drink. Will not get better.
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9/22/2010 - 12marshall wrote: 95 Points
Lovely nose... Cassis oak
Palate... Currant tobacco oak
Perhaps Better than it was 10 years ago
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7/26/2010 - Gfritzh wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Medium body, restrained fruit, drinking well with good tannins on the finish.
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5/16/2010 - danscellar wrote: 90 Points
This one was ready to drink. Color starting to turn a bit brown, solid tannin, good nose and solid finish. Just a bit disappointed for a 97 Silver Oak
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5/5/2010 - prasm wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured at Tony & Jen's in N. Carolina. Nose: Emanating black fruit scents of blackberry and black currant - amazingly expressive for a pop and pour. Palate: Full bodied, great balance, nice ripe black fruit - very yummy!. Finish: Very lengthy, dominated by nice ripe (not to ripe) black fruit. A stereotypical classic Napa Cabernet - very enjoyable.
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4/10/2010 - golfwine wrote: 88 Points
Admittedly, I've never been a fan of this 'over-hyped' wine and having little expectations last night, I was pleasantly surprised. Although it came far from blowing anyone away, it showed like one would expect from an gracefully aged 'Old-er School' Cali Cab. Appealing, clear Ruby red with slight brick-red edges. For the first time ever (for me), the aromatics clearly heralded "Alexander Valley" and that alone, had me enticed. Although slightly muted, the fruit, acid and tannin were in check and this made for a very pleasurable sipper (note: when tasted along with appetizers, it was almost completely lost). Not sure how much more life this would have if stored properly, but this bottle was clearly 'as far as it was gonna' go'.
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3/28/2010 - cabrnay wrote: 83 Points
This is a classic example of a 1997 that just is so far beyond it's peak. I've had this wine for about 5 years, kept at 58-60 degrees, no light. 1997's just were not made for aging... this wine was so thin I almost added Shiraz to it... the fruit had disappeared and replaced by an overly acidic, too tart wine better suited for salad dressing than drinking.
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3/13/2010 - shortsqueeze wrote: 91 Points
Purchased at winery in what I think was 2001 along with a bottle of 1997 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Removed from my wine fridge and stored vertically for 48 hours at ~65degF. Decanted with aeration at room temperature (65-70 degF). Raspberries, blackberries, earth, leather, vanilla on the nose. Wonderful. On tasting, not quite as complex on the palate as on the nose, but with a long finish with velvety soft tannins. Thirty minutes in the decanter brought out more fruit on the palate and complexity in general, subtle oak and vanilla on the finish. Fabulous wine that was equally pleasing to the host. Don't see any improvement possible, certainly at its peak or slightly on the downswing. While not expired, perhaps ever-so-slightly tiring. Drink now.
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3/9/2010 - RoccoSydney wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth. Still nice fruit, but getting quite ready. 3-4 more years, no more.
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12/26/2009 - cpsmith33 wrote: 88 Points
past its prime, thought there would be more fruit remaining for a silver oak.
still nice solid cali cab for 12 years old.
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12/25/2009 - leadpencil wrote: 91 Points
Medium bodied. Cassis, black cherry, licorice. A little sturdier than the 97 Napa.
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12/25/2009 - leadpencil wrote: 91 Points
Medium bodied. Cassis, licorice, well integrated tannins. Drink now.
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12/24/2009 - joerazore wrote:
very smooth. drank after a 2006 Quilceda red wine. I actually enjoyed the Quilceda more.
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12/23/2009 - Alex G. wrote:
'94 vs '97 California Cabernet Sauvignon: A decent wine that suffered next to its competition this evening. I wouldn't seek out this wine, but there's nothing wrong with it. It's an 80's action movie you'd never go rent, but if it's on TV one day and you're bored...
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12/19/2009 - jmprusko wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful, classic CA cab, at its prime.
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11/25/2009 - 1800kidney wrote: 90 Points
Pre-Thanksgiving 2009 Family Event (Carnero's Bistro): Presented itself nice...rounded an well integrated, some complexity to the fruit...finish just didn't linger. Would not hold this any longer, might as well enjoy!
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11/10/2009 - islayman wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Very nice smell. Nice feel in the mouth, smooth and silky. A little tannic on the after taste. Fruit has deteriorated a bit, but still evident, and this wine is not getting any better. Not a bad bottle of wine, but one just expects more from a house like Silver Oak.
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11/10/2009 - islayman wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Very nice smell. Nice feel in the mouth, smooth and silky. A little tannic on the after taste. Fruit has deteriorated a bit, but still evident, and this wine is not getting any better. Not a bad bottle of wine, but one just expects more from a house like Silver Oak.
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10/30/2009 - bayareadodgerfan wrote: 85 Points
Fairly alcoholic nose on opening. Let sit in the glass for about 30 min and the bouquet softened with nice berry notes. The wine was lighter on the palate than I expected with decent fruit, but nice body. It had a very silky texture as one would expect from a 13y.o. wine. Finish was decent, but not overly long with a some nice oak notes. Overall quite nice (especially when we grilled up some NY strip steaks), but honestly, I was a little disappointed it wasn't bigger and more balanced. 3 bottles left - I'm thinking I need to drink them sooner than later.
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10/17/2009 - BuffaloBandit wrote: 85 Points
A little weak and thin. Hints of cherry and charcoal. Lots of sediment, but still kind of tannic. Pleasant, but not outstanding.
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8/15/2009 - bigdogflow wrote:
Shannon's 40th Birthday Celebration (San Antonio, TX): 90-92
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5/23/2009 - ejca wrote:
drank over two day, both tastings were a bit mediocre
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4/19/2009 - gmat5497 wrote: 91 Points
Aging very nicely. Smooth, balanced, full of fruit
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3/26/2009 - Three-Star Dave wrote: 91 Points
After decanting a few hours, still strong and chewy. Nice.
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3/25/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Medium to dark in color. Wonderful subtleness with bright red fruit from start to finish. My first aged Silver Oak and it was truly delightful!!!
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1/18/2009 - skoch wrote: 88 Points
Very surprising that there was almost no discernable nose, even after long decanting; herbs (dill?) and blackberry; medium bodied with beautifully balanced tannins and acidity; good finish. Lighter than I expected, but still elegant.
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1/18/2009 - BradE wrote:
Very solid. Good fruit, not as subtle as mature claret, but a good Sunday afternoon football drink.
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12/26/2008 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with last tasting and I gave this several hours to open. It really is a nice cab but for the money and the reptuations (which I do not understand) it should be a lot better. There are many better bottles for the money.
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12/7/2008 - irishf8 wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful when decanted for several hours.
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12/5/2008 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
The Blind Drunks 1997 California Cab Retrospective Dinner (Dunham Woods Riding Club, Wayne, Illinois): Notes of soft red fruit, currants, cherries and sage. Red fruit on the palate, along with cherry and a subtle tart note. Finishes nicely, with medium length.
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11/28/2008 - winesnob4u wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Got better throughout the meal. I believed it lost some flavor, but others at table love it.
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11/16/2008 - Baylorwine wrote: 89 Points
Lost some of the big flavor. Beginning to taste tired.
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11/12/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 84 Points
dusty herby nose with green pepper. too much acid/too little fruit.
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11/12/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
not decanted. good balance, but i'd say, drink up. generally, a opleasant surprise.
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11/12/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 85 Points
Josh's 1997 California Cabernet Tasting (Coups des Tartes, Phoenix): Blackcurrant nose. Tastes of black cherry and blackberry. Rich and extracted. Rustic style with firm tannins. Dry astringent finish. 13.3% alcohol.
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11/12/2008 - jivey wrote: 90 Points
Actually was better with time.
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10/29/2008 - gbbwino wrote: 88 Points
Popped & poured this to start the evening at Chastin Amphitheatre in the cold & rain watching Dolly Parton perform. Of course, almost anything would have tasted good under the circumstances. Nice, medium bodied cabernet with good balance. Due to age, the tannins were soft & smooth. A bit of candied black fruit on the nose with some oaky spice to it. Picked up some green (maybe stem) notes too. Still plenty of fruit on the palate...blackberry & black current with some spice from the oak. Didn't pick up too much vanilla like a lot of Napa cabs. All in all, a solid wine & a good one to start off the evening.
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9/4/2008 - Gfritzh wrote: 88 Points
This wine is still drinking well with good color, medium body, well balanced fruit and acidity and smooth tannins on the medium-long finish.
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8/25/2008 - Asmo wrote: 87 Points
recently enjoyed its napa sibling so thought to open the alexander valley 97 to see how they compare. well, it falls a lot short of what I would have expected in a silver oak. the fruit had really mellowed out and the word 'thin' comes to mind. not much focus and a quaffable, one dimensional flavor. not a bad wine but nothing out of the ordinary. this wine drank much better in its youth. one last bottle left, will probably open the next time i touch the napa one just for comparison sake.
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5/31/2008 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 88 Points
Silver Oak is just flat out over-rated. This wine should have been ripe and prime for drinking. Made prime NY Strips with a great salad and this wine did not stand up. It had some fruit and the structure was still there but it was a bit acidic and tart on the finish. I just do not plan on buying any more Silver Oak -- just do not see the value and this wine is in my normal price point.
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5/15/2008 - craigi wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 30 minutes then consumed over 3 hours.
Drank blind along side 99 Karl Lawrence and another completely unworthy wine.
We stopped buying Silver Oak after the 97 release because quality dropped significantly in subsequent releases. This wine is a classic Justin vintage and has everything we loved about SO: ruby red, outstanding nose, balanced, silky finish.
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5/3/2008 - ToddR911 wrote: 85 Points
Not particularly impressed by this wine. Seems a touch acidic.
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4/27/2008 - medpres wrote: 91 Points
A very drinkable wine, made in a refined style without the overpowering fruit/alcohol concentrations.
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4/7/2008 - ckwilson wrote: 92 Points
Had alongside 1998 Phelps Insignia and easily held it's own. Very different character from the Insignia, much more oak and a longer finish, but less fruit forward. Both were very enjoyable and real crowd pleasers. To my taste, this wine is ready to drink and won't improve much more, although it certainly will last for years longer before it significantly declines.
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3/8/2008 - tbird23 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice bottle; a crowd pleaser. Nice fruit, light oak, smokey finish. Would definitely have again.
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3/1/2008 - Stirling1 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 1 hour before drinking. Nice legs. Brambly peppery nose with a light touch of vanilla. Fabulous mouthfeel w/ a nice medium to long finish. black cherry flavors with a very light note of anise. excellent tannic structure. all in all, a good wine - better than i had hoped given some other vintages of this tried of late.
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2/13/2008 - gmat5497 wrote: 89 Points
Nice.
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2/2/2008 - tubeman wrote: 87 Points
Still nice. Very smooth and got smoother as the evening went on.
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1/12/2008 - EyeDoc wrote: 89 Points
Very good bottle - blackberries, vanilla, hint of dill. Silky smooth tannins. Lacks some complexity or would score higher.
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12/19/2007 - jarvisdrinker wrote: 87 Points
Not a bad bottle, but very boring. Way below the taste level I like. Very one-dimensional. It never changed from the time I opened the bottle to two hours later. I will say that it was showing no age at all after ten years. I think it can take another ten years easy. Got some nice tannins left. Surprising. Five years ago I would have really liked this wine.
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11/27/2007 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
A top third wine AGAIN! Every time we do 10yr old Cal Cabs blind this wine rises up and beats the Napa (the '93 was amazing in 2003). A very smooth berry fruit compote, some herbs, all with the obligatory, but not intrusive, oak-- just delicious now.
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11/26/2007 - dtirsell wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour, initially still closed and thin. Left for another hour before pouring, opened up considerably. The comments on lack of fruit are off base. Yes, this has settled down but the nose and fruit were still very much there. Oak was understated as well. Not as rich as a Cinc Cepages we opened from the same year but very enjoyable. I won't feel rushed to open the other bottle I have of this.
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11/23/2007 - jsebiri wrote:
rating in the 87-88 range , very good cab. great purple color , plenty of intensity , has some time left on its side is my guess. has leather on the palate and a fair amount of alcohol on the nose>many ennjoyed this with the turkey .
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11/22/2007 - jhartigan99 wrote: 85 Points
Getting to end of life - very thin with no fruit
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9/12/2007 - BeavisCC wrote: 89 Points
Lots of dilly oak, but very good once I got past the oak (which was fairly easy). Lighter than the greatest of CA cabs. Tonight, the 94 Alexander is much better.
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9/5/2007 - golfhawk wrote: 89 Points
Very smooth and soft but not a big wine. Could be drank onit's own.
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8/24/2007 - Baylorwine wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully! Strong fruit. Not seeing too much increase, but still has time to go.
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8/2/2007 - Ridgeguy wrote: 93 Points
Opened this bottle along with a 97 Quilceda Creek Cab on our 10 year anniversay and shared with some friends while overlooking beautiful Lake Chelan. We decanted this for a little over and hour and it was definitely ready to drink. Deep and dark in color with a wonderful nose of spice, leather and berries, I couldn't wait to give it a try and I was not dissapointed. The wine was very balanced and more silky then others have written. Maybe I got caught up in the heat of the anniversary moment but the consensus from others was that this showed better then the QC. Guess I got lucky.
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7/29/2007 - CooGAR wrote: 86 Points
All oak.....no fruit
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7/13/2007 - zinslurpie wrote:
Opened at Alexanders Steakhouse (Cupertino): A little shy upon opening, all agreed that it was very enjoyable accompaniment to our steak mains an hour later. Medium bodied, and I agree with the last tasting note, this has matured nicely and is not dominated by either oak or youthful fruit. Not stellar, but no rough edges either. Seems to have a few years of life yet.
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6/24/2007 - dino_mike wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well. Fragrant nose. The oak & friut are well integrated. NOT an oaky monster. Cassis and plum with soft oaky tannins. Will probably be this good for another year or 2.
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6/2/2007 - budman wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well from a magnum. Not too oaky, and plenty of dark fruit.
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5/25/2007 - Julex wrote: 91 Points
Disagree with earlier tasting notes of others. Yes fruit has diminished but it is not an "oak bomb". I was worried after so many less than favorable TN's recently on this wine. Drinking fine now and would guess has 2-5 more years of good drinking. No heavy nose of dill at all, tannins and fruit have given way to tosty oak and pencil shaving notes.
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4/7/2007 - stevewine wrote: 92 Points
drink now
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3/10/2007 - gladwin97351@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Served for our anniversary. Decanted for two hours. Disappointed overall; fruit is gone but still lots of oak. Would drink now. For the cost would not buy this wine again. Another example of an over priced California Cab.
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2/21/2007 - gr8vino wrote: 88 Points
Fruit is losing the battle with the oak. Still a decent wine but certainly not worhty of the price I paid & the cellar time. My last of 3 bottles & I Will not buy any more
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12/29/2006 - Stirling wrote: 85 Points
Generally a disappointment given this wines price and reputation. Overt green bean on the nose. Taste was a little better, but lacked mid-palate and mouth feel in general. Not flawed, just not great wine-making. Had I tasted it blind I would have guessed an older, cooler vintage (1988?).
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12/25/2006 - CooGAR wrote: 88 Points
Average.....not good at all for price point or reputation. Decanted for about 2 hours as I saw many others say it had a lot off alcohol in the aftertaste. That helped. Oaky. Tannins were almost gone. Lacked some fruit as well. I wasn't disaapointed in the wine, just expected more and a a bit dissapointed that I have 2 more bottles!! Drink up! They aren't going to get better and they are wasting space in your cellar!
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12/25/2006 - aof wrote: 88 Points
oaky. soft tannins, fruit forward but not jammy. too much oak for my liking.
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11/21/2006 - PatLee wrote:
Dill on the nose. Vanilla and smooth on the palette. Lots of oak. Used to love, but I wouldn't buy again.
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11/15/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 88 Points
Dallas Offline - 1996 & 1997 California Cabernet Tasting (Il Sole, Dallas, TX): WIML88,WA89,WS88
Tasted November 15, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Garnet color in the glass, a little dusty looking throughout. Nose of dried herbs, black berries and anise (again). Flavors of black berries and black cherries (again). Light to medium acidity, integrated tannins and medium body. Just half a step to a step behind the bottle I had a couple of weeks ago. Drink now.
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11/15/2006 - win wrote: 88 Points
Dallas OL Il Sole (Il Sole, Dallas): Port like nose, with interesting tannins.
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11/6/2006 - WineDrinkerofTX wrote: 91 Points
Drank during a small dinner party with friends. Wine was not decanted. Garnet colored with a fair amount of dark fruit. Not much else it seemed, although I wasn't taking notes. Nice pleasurable wine. Best advise is to drink this up sooner rather than later.
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11/6/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 91 Points
Drank this over dinner at a friends home. Expected this to be good, but was much better than expected. Poped and poured. Ready to go now. I have one of these in my celler and I think I will try to hold it for a few years to see how well it holds up.
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11/4/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90+,WA89,WS88
Tasted November 4, 2006 at home. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Garnet color in the glass, fairly clear throughout. Nose of dried herbs, black berries and anise. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and a little fennel. Decent acidity but tannins are fully resolved so drink up is my recommendation. I have one bottle of this myself and I’ll drink it up by early 2007.
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9/26/2006 - andyctree wrote:
LOVED!!!
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8/1/2006 - ejca wrote:
very big wine, but not great.
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7/27/2006 - otisabdul wrote: 88 Points
Smooth and chocolately, but tannins are fully played out. Probably 1-2 years past its peak. Drink up.
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7/26/2006 - BBaugh wrote: 97 Points
This was great served with a little lamb
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6/3/2006 - moutondoc wrote: 89 Points
subtle, still lots of oak, did not do well in blind tasting with caymus ss 2001
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4/21/2006 - odu83 wrote: 88 Points
So tight on first opening it was like a drum...after 1 and 1/2 hours in a decanter it opened up to dark chocolate and tobacco with a finish like a Romeo and Juliette Churchill cigar. We wondered if the lower alcohol style of days past was making us dissapointed in the mouth feel...
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4/20/2006 - Big_Al wrote: 92 Points
I'm not a fan of Silver Oak and this was "gifted" to me when I purchased an Arvid painting ... but I was VERY IMPRESSED with this bottle. Plenty of fruit balanced perfectly with Sonoma "dust", minimal oak - tannins still present so it can last another 3 years. Needless to say, I was very surprised ... bravo!
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4/16/2006 - stevewine wrote:
not as fruity as some of the earlier vintage well balanced drink over the next few years
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4/12/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote: 92 Points
Big like you'd expect a Silver Oak to be, but the Alexander Valley continues to be somewhat unremarkable...not fruity enough to be distinctive, not oaky enough to be a classic
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12/26/2005 - johnwine wrote: 89 Points
I would agree with Parker on all aspects of the wine except the olives. The nose was very floral with roses and carnations and black cherries. The taste was medium light with ripe cherries, currants and plums. This wine is nearing its peak and should be consumed over the next three years.
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12/25/2005 - MJTed wrote: 88 Points
This wine faded big time since I last tried it in 2002.
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12/13/2005 - gr8vino wrote:
Not decanted, still some fruit but a lot of oak. The oak will win out in the end. Drink up
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10/21/2005 - WVWine wrote:
Slightly corked. Bummer.
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9/3/2005 - mj3putt wrote: 86 Points
Drank without decanting with seared ribeye. Seems to lack any fruit whatsoever, but plenty of dry oak. Overall a disappointment.
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10/4/2004 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Sell 1
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7/17/2004 - Siggy wrote: 90 Points
The best Silver Oak I've had -- what a pleasant contrast to the 1996 I opened several weeks ago. Ruby red, with slight bricking at the rim. Deep cassis fruit, with only a little dill/green pepper. Good acidity and balance. Lots of toasty oak, but it doesn't throw the wine off balance. Ready to drink now.
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2/8/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Two bottles brought from my personal cellar to Cuvee Restaurant, enjoyed with the McMillans, Alessios and Stephen Metcalfe. Both bottles were clean and tasted the same. Similar impression as 8/12/02, although the tannins now appear to be better integrated and the texture is silkier. A real crowd pleaser, which is why I brought the bottles for these friends.
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8/12/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
Bright disc. Deep ruby with red rim. Clean nose, showing prominent American oak, mint, black cherry, plum and currants. The nose is fruit-forward but not highly complex. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a good attack and evolution. The flavors are similar to the nose. Ample, slightly dry tannins. Medium, smooth finish. A nice, typical fruit-forward, American oak-laced example of this bottling. It should drink well for the next several years.
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6/22/2002 - brianofthevine wrote: 93 Points
Red/black fruit, nice structure to it with typical cream vanilla oak. Good long finish.
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8/27/2001 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at winery. Bright disc. Deep ruby with red rim. Nose clean, slightly closed (the bottle had just been opened), showing primarily mint, oak, currants and exotic spices. The palate is full-bodied, with firm tannins. The flavors are similar to the nose. The finish is medium in length and is mildly astringent. This wine needs time.
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