Nicely integrated darker fruit with fading but well balanced tannins present. Still has a few good years. Do not decant for aeration as there won't be much left.
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couldn’t not believe it when we drank the first bottle. Pure joy; vanilla, blackberry and a hint of spice were the notes we all captured. Opened a second bottle (my last) and it was identical to the first. it wa 100% at its peak.
what a true pleasure.
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Part of 4 vintage tasting. My least favorite of the four it was green and black pepper on nose. Little harsher finish. Wasn’t the same as other three years but still ok. Would probably not identified it as silver oak.
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Deep, clear ruby color with no sign of bricking. Nose a bit closed at first, but opened over the evening. Delicious fruit and forest, with rounded but still well-structured tannins. Moderate finish. Cork was a bit delicate but showed no sign of leakage. This 18 year old has plenty of staying power, drink now or hold.
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A sound 93 rating. We had it with mussels provencale, mussels marinara and eggplant rollatine and it was a perfect pairing. Well a white wine with mussels provencale would it have been even better. If you still have this wine I think you should drink it ASAP.
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This is always a great bottle of wine. Napa tastes much firmer and more mature then the alexander Valley.
The wine looks violet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like chocolate, strawberry and blueberry. It tastes like strawberry, blackberry and raspberry. The body is medium/full. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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From a 3.0 liter, after a lengthy decant. Just not my style: all sweet oak and syrup, with little structure to balance things out. A bit harsh, I know. YMMV.
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From magnum. What an incredible surprise. Wine was opened for a couple of hours and then poured into glasses prior to dinner for a half hour. This wine was elegant and not past at all. Wonderful soft fruit on the nose and pallet with very supple tannin and oak, great balance, and some fantastic dustiness that I originally thought was my glass but turned out to be that Oakville/Rutherford area bench. Medium finish but OMG was this a good wine. Again, can't imagine a 750ml still in this good of shape. I've had this wine young years ago and I'm not typically a fan of Silver Oak but this was stunning. Alcohol was only 13.9% in this wine and I think that really makes a difference.
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Nose of black cherry, chalk, fig, and allspice, more of the same on the palate, inky, chalky taste on the mid palate, sweet/sour taste like a lemon tart or baker's chocolate, medium/big body, at it's peak, surprisingly youthful for a 18 year old wine. long finish.
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Nose of black cherry, plum, chocolate, and a touch of licorice, more of the same on the palate, delicious with the Fleming's Filet mignon, medium/big body, mouth filling, old style cabernet taste, long finish.
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We opened a 1997 Napa last week and then a 1999 Napa last evening. Although properly cellared, I think we held both vintages way too long. Both were flat and lacking the character we associate with Silver Oak. We plan to go through our wines to make sure that we are drinking most of our pre-2001 bottles so that we don't lose out on some great wine!
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- Ruby color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry, black currant and strawberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - This was outstanding wine. Perfectly balanced. Ready to drink now
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, strawberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Really wonderful structure to this wine. Always good. The Napa is so much more refined than the Alex Valley.
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I didn't intend to hold this bottle for so long, but it was actually better than expected. A bit too oaky, but otherwise enjoyable. My only other critique, which didn't factor into my rating, was the price. In hindsight, $100 is insane for Silver Oak. There are plenty of better California cabs that can be had for a fraction of the price. I expect a lot more for wine priced at this level. I much prefer their Alexander Valley cab, but even at $60, I don't see myself buying any more Silver Oak.
10/23 edit: I just drank a bottle of 2009 Graton Ridge Russian River Pinot Noir ($30), and it struck me how two completely different wineries with otherwise excellent grapes produce wine. (I would score the Graton Ridge about an 86 as well.) Graton Ridge is a small shop and has it's ups and downs year to year. Being a home wine and beer maker myself, I appreciate the transition Graton Ridge has made from apples to grapes and wine. They do a good job producing above average wine for the level they operate at. Silver Oak is a completely different type of winery. It has the resources to make outstanding wine consistently year after year. It should not be producing unbalanced, over-oaked wine, especially at $100/bottle. To be honest, thinking back to the last bottle of wine I made at home, a merlot with Central Valley grapes, in which I added oak chips to the fermentor, I would consider that on par with this bottle of Silver Oak. (Ironically, it was a 1996 bottle of Silver Oak that really got me hooked on collecting wine!)
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs and aromas of blackberry and raspberry. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Always a wonderful bottle of Cab. The Napa has so much more of a backbone than does the Alex Valley.
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Open for new years great taste, oak color (dark) but fruit taste, Opened at the right time. Smooth going down, decantored for 2 hours Before drinking. Don't wait to drink
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Nice wine, but past its prime. Very subtle fruit & secondary characteristics. Oak nicely integrated & no offensive alcohol. Bought at Costco almost 5 years ago for $90 & cellared since. Decanted for 45 minutes before tasting. A good Napa deal for $50-$60, but not for their tyipcall $100 asking price.
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Coconut with rich blackberry on the nose. Coconut dominates the blackberry flavors on the palate & rides them hard to the finish. Way too much American oak for my taste, however there are fans of this winery that love the style.
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Having not had one of these in a while, was unsure what to expect...drinking beautifully right now as tannins have smoothed out yet the fruit is still there. Classic dill you expect from SO but a great aged napa cab. Everything works well together. Wish I had more.
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Typical Silver oak. Loaded with oak. Loads of fruit. I used to like the Alex much better, but this is an outstanding bottle of wine. Dark purple in color and slightly tannic. Might want to wait another year or so, but enjoyable now.
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Started out a little mucty and I thought we lost the wine. We let it decant for about an hour and it opened up to a real nicenose and soft fruit. I would not wait to drink this wine, its time is now or last year. Drink up.
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Wines Rated 90 Points or Better (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had powered chocolate, coffee, and licorice. It ended with a little black currant.The palate was very smooth, with black currant and coffee, some licorice, and a vanilla finish.
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Popped and poured from the mag with Fred's steak. Dusty, tannic and a bit tart. Dominated by secondary notes of oak, herbs, tobacco and some olive. Fruit opened a bit toward the back half of the bottle but pretty austere overall for a Napa cab this vintage.
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Silver Oak Vertical by Traci (Traci's House): Lots of musk, barnyark, and earth. licorice and tobacco mouth and fiinish. Most old world of the vertical for sure. Still age wothy at this point unlike the others.
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A lot less oak on day two, almost a different wine, although I enjoyed both versions equally. This wine has long legs and can be enjoyed for many years to come.
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This keeps getting better and better. Two hours in the decanter worked well this time. Perfectly balanced, less oak than previous bottles, and elegantly softened tannins. Decent finish as well.
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Pulled from my cellar(about 58 deg.) Popped and poured. Had to try a few sips: a bit tight and obviously too cold. As Sprity said, it needs to be at room temp. & decanted. Patience will be well rewarded. Absolutely spot-on after 1 hr, even better after 2 ! Drinking beuatifully now and could easily go another 4-5 yrs. Wish I had 1 more to test that theory.
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Big wine with lots of fresh fruits - black currants, blackberrries. Not much oak and don't pick up any dill or vanilla. WOTF in a double blind tasting of four wines total.
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** Color: Dark Garnet Aroma: Almost like a perfume of vanilla and oak Taste: Very smooth with vanilla, oak, plum and chocolate on the finish. This was a very balance wine with a nive smooth finish. Very typical Older Silver Oak.
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Wasn't sold on this like others. To me it was just a lot of oak, little fruit and is largely fading. Maybe it was this particular bottle? Would not have been bad as a $20 wine, but considering the price, this is one of the worst values I have had.
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This wine needs to be room temp. and decanted for at least 45 minutes. Upon anxiously sipping way too soon I went to check the cork for failure. It was skunky and a bit sour. My partner was persistant, while I opened another bottle to be sure. Now we are enjoying both bottles lavishly. Let this one decant for a wonderful oaky, smooth delight! Lessoned learned, don't judge too soon. Like a sail on a stiff breeze, open her up and let her breathe.
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Enjoyed with Don at Mastro's in Costa Mesa. Delicious. Could smell the aromatics when the wine was poured. Well balanced, terrific fruit, very well integrated. Drinking terrific right now. I have had this in proper storage since purchasing at the winery in 01. Tannins are integrated but still present. Wonderful wine, and not overoaked.
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Not my favorite bottle of Silver Oak. I tend to like the Alex Valley much better. Dark ruby red in color. Probably could use more time in the bottle. Still somewhat tannic. I do not think that this wine has peaker at all.
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Paired well with BBQ'd shoulder steaks wrapped in bacon. Didn't get the toasty notes as per usual, but the wine was a bit cooler than when previously tasted.
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Drank with Kim for steak dinner and finished off with Bill and Deb playing pool. Very nicely matured quintessential CA cab, highly recommend for cab lovers and this is worth the money. Opened up extremely nicely after about 3 hours of aeration in the bottle. Smooth, silky yet very full bodied and sophisticated. Nose somewhat muted with cloves, smoke, cassis and black pepper and flavors centered around cassis, some terroir notes, allspice, more white then black pepper and smoke came through on long aftertaste. Our only bottle at this point, highly recommend this but it is pricey. In comparison with the Alex Valley this one is clearly better, much better integrated and more smooth and complex but not nearly as fruit forward as the Alex Valley.
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WOTN. With tough competition form an '03 Decoy and a '94 Napa Silver oak, this wine had everything going for it. Well integrated nose of oak & black fruit, silky smooth mouthfeel & a long delicious finish. It was a very happy new year ;)
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Had at Huizache Grill in New Braunfels with Chuck.
Aromatics were great. Very Bordeaux like earth, leather and blackberry. In the mouth, though, the wine dissapoints. Rather thin and with a very short finish. 92 for the nose, 87 for the palate.
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Tasted June 14, 2007. Opened and briefly decanted before serving. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Trademark nose of heavy dill notes masking the underlying mix of dark fruits. That pretty much carried through to the palate. Light to medium acidity, medium tannins and medium body. Drink or hold. 13.9% alcohol.
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Had along side an '02 Walter Clore Private Reserve & an '01 Cakebread Benchland Select, pretty tough competition but the Silver Oak held up fairly well. After a three hour plus decant I picked up lots of oak on the nose, it lessened in the mouth and the fruit was coming through on the finish. Though as it evolved in the glass I did pick up a jammy scent. I'm not certain if time will help the fruit flavors come through or if the oak will take over even more than it has.
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yummy,great nose, full body, lots of currant, casis, chocolate, leather, espresso. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce at the finish, very silky and integrated tannins.
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Great bottle of Silver Oak. This is the first Napa I have tried from Silver Oak. I usually have the Alexander Valley. I prefer the Alexander Valley to the Napa. The Napa is more complex and opened up nicely after an hour or so. Still tannic in my opinion. Has a long finish. Very deep red ruby in color. I personally think it could use a few more years.
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Brought to dinner by Scott. Decanted for less than an hour. Deep dark wine with a very rich expressive nose. This is very full-bodied, a big bold well-made wine but it came over as a little simple. I think with more time in the bottle this could flesh out a couple of points more.
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Very nice, as usual. This bottle seemed a bit more tannic than many others I have enjoyed from the same vintage, but it was nevertheless very good. I think it would softened a bit if we had given it more time in the decanter.
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This bottle was opened vs. a 94 Montelena, both were fantastic. The Silver Oak clearyl won out on the nose and fruit. Nice night with these two great wines!
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Excellent! Medium bodied, loads of dark fruits, sweet tannins, well balanced, no hard edges. A few years in the bottle did this one justice. This was in all aspects an OUTSTANDING bottle of wine that is without question ready to drink. It left all of us wishing we had more. No hesitations here... if you got 'em, drink up!
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Lots of oak, of course. But very big and well balanced. Light on tannins. This wine is firmly in its drinkability window. If you consider heavy oak a flaw, this wine may not be for you, but if you like the characteristics that make up the Silver Oak signature , this is exactly what you want.
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Met my very high expectations for the '99 vintage AND Silver Oak AND Napa Valley designation. Smooth and sophisticated from beginning to the finish line.
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This wine is ready to drink right now. Great balance and long finish. Notes of coffee and well balance of oak. Wonderful balance of tannins. One of the better wines I've had this year. The full bodied earthy tatse reamins long after the glass is empty.
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This wine is ready to drink right now. Great balance and long finish. Notes of coffee and well balance of oak. Wonderful balance of tannins. One of the better wines I've had this year. Well worth the 80 dollars I paid for it. Compairs well to the Rudd 1999 Jericho Canyon.
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A student gave me this as a Christmas gift (last year I got an '82 Beychevelle...what happened?) Served it blind to Jeff and Tanya with some nice dry-aged steaks next to a mid-priced '01 BV Cab for comparison's sake. They both picked the Silver Oak. Interesting juice: not as dark as I expected, nice brambly fruit on the nose-blackberry/cassis, ripe tannic structure, some oak but not as intrusive as I'd expected given reports I've read. I found this to be a very good but ultimately uninteresting California Cab...certainly not worth the 120 bucks I've seen it retailing for around Boston. Does this evolve into something more interesting? I didn't pick up on it over the course of the evening. Maybe I'm asking too much-it was quite tasty, just not my style.
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6/20/2023 - rsquared 5 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour which was a mistake - really not much there... then had a 2000 PnP and it was delightful
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3/24/2021 - spineguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nicely integrated darker fruit with fading but well balanced tannins present. Still has a few good years. Do not decant for aeration as there won't be much left.
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12/25/2020 - gman4commerce Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tremendous wine - opened for son - his birth year - this is ready to drink.
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11/1/2020 - DMET Likes this wine: 95 Points
couldn’t not believe it when we drank the first bottle. Pure joy; vanilla, blackberry and a hint of spice were the notes we all captured. Opened a second bottle (my last) and it was identical to the first. it wa 100% at its peak.
what a true pleasure.
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5/17/2020 - chuckos77 wrote: 89 Points
Part of 4 vintage tasting. My least favorite of the four it was green and black pepper on nose. Little harsher finish. Wasn’t the same as other three years but still ok. Would probably not identified it as silver oak.
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3/16/2020 - GHarmsen wrote: 83 Points
Slightly over the hill, with the tannins and oak outpowering the fading fruit.
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4/6/2019 - Clearys Likes this wine:
Very good after airing a bit in decanter
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9/2/2018 - shiel wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was singing. Sweet mellow tannins with a hint of dill. Just beautiful. I'd say its at its peak and has a few years to go.
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7/1/2018 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich old Cab. Soft tannins. A little short on the finish but really enjoyable with a great steak.
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3/2/2018 - fredshouse Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, clear ruby color with no sign of bricking. Nose a bit closed at first, but opened over the evening. Delicious fruit and forest, with rounded but still well-structured tannins. Moderate finish. Cork was a bit delicate but showed no sign of leakage. This 18 year old has plenty of staying power, drink now or hold.
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12/6/2017 - libero wrote: 93 Points
A sound 93 rating. We had it with mussels provencale, mussels marinara and eggplant rollatine and it was a perfect pairing. Well a white wine with mussels provencale would it have been even better. If you still have this wine I think you should drink it ASAP.
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10/20/2017 - welchcellars wrote:
Drank at Swiftwater Cellars with my beautiful wife. Beautiful easy drinking cab. Full velvety mouth feel. Excellent with red meat.
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9/9/2017 - Marc S Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is always a great bottle of wine. Napa tastes much firmer and more mature then the alexander Valley.
The wine looks violet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like chocolate, strawberry and blueberry. It tastes like strawberry, blackberry and raspberry. The body is medium/full. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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8/13/2017 - Winedad53 wrote: 92 Points
Lush with plenty of life
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7/31/2017 - JonnyG Does not like this wine: 87 Points
From a 3.0 liter, after a lengthy decant. Just not my style: all sweet oak and syrup, with little structure to balance things out. A bit harsh, I know. YMMV.
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6/4/2017 - BigWhiskey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking fantastic right now. Earthy, silky smooth.
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4/22/2017 - ToddR911 wrote: 88 Points
Needed more time to open up, was better on the second day but just not as good as usual for Silver Oak
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12/22/2016 - jerrylindstrom Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Excellent, maybe peaking. Classic cabernet nose and taste, including the "dust".
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12/18/2016 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. What an incredible surprise. Wine was opened for a couple of hours and then poured into glasses prior to dinner for a half hour. This wine was elegant and not past at all. Wonderful soft fruit on the nose and pallet with very supple tannin and oak, great balance, and some fantastic dustiness that I originally thought was my glass but turned out to be that Oakville/Rutherford area bench. Medium finish but OMG was this a good wine. Again, can't imagine a 750ml still in this good of shape. I've had this wine young years ago and I'm not typically a fan of Silver Oak but this was stunning. Alcohol was only 13.9% in this wine and I think that really makes a difference.
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8/31/2016 - brettshores wrote: 91 Points
Awesomeness is the word I will use. This bottle still has life in the cellar and was delicious
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3/8/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black cherry, chalk, fig, and allspice, more of the same on the palate, inky, chalky taste on the mid palate, sweet/sour taste like a lemon tart or baker's chocolate, medium/big body, at it's peak, surprisingly youthful for a 18 year old wine. long finish.
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2/12/2016 - TheWineyChef Likes this wine: 95 Points
Well balanced wine with finesse and depth. Wish I had more than one bottle. Drinking great right now but might be at its peak.
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1/22/2016 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A lot of finesse and has held up well. Well balanced and delicate.
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11/1/2015 - rwaldrip Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine surprised me. Silver oak usually doesn't hold up this long, in my opinion. But this one was at it's prime.
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10/16/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black cherry, plum, chocolate, and a touch of licorice, more of the same on the palate, delicious with the Fleming's Filet mignon, medium/big body, mouth filling, old style cabernet taste, long finish.
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9/5/2015 - BigWhiskey Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a good wine right now, but getting soft. Many of the usual Silver Oak notes are understated.
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4/10/2015 - Tony Poli wrote: flawed
Corked. What a shame...
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10/18/2014 - Taxcreditguy wrote: 93 Points
Good balance, blackberry and strawberry
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1/6/2014 - Maggie D wrote:
We opened a 1997 Napa last week and then a 1999 Napa last evening. Although properly cellared, I think we held both vintages way too long. Both were flat and lacking the character we associate with Silver Oak. We plan to go through our wines to make sure that we are drinking most of our pre-2001 bottles so that we don't lose out on some great wine!
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12/15/2013 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
- Ruby color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry, black currant and strawberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - This was outstanding wine. Perfectly balanced. Ready to drink now
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11/28/2013 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, strawberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Really wonderful structure to this wine. Always good. The Napa is so much more refined than the Alex Valley.
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10/18/2013 - sajc wrote: 86 Points
I didn't intend to hold this bottle for so long, but it was actually better than expected. A bit too oaky, but otherwise enjoyable. My only other critique, which didn't factor into my rating, was the price. In hindsight, $100 is insane for Silver Oak. There are plenty of better California cabs that can be had for a fraction of the price. I expect a lot more for wine priced at this level. I much prefer their Alexander Valley cab, but even at $60, I don't see myself buying any more Silver Oak.
10/23 edit: I just drank a bottle of 2009 Graton Ridge Russian River Pinot Noir ($30), and it struck me how two completely different wineries with otherwise excellent grapes produce wine. (I would score the Graton Ridge about an 86 as well.) Graton Ridge is a small shop and has it's ups and downs year to year. Being a home wine and beer maker myself, I appreciate the transition Graton Ridge has made from apples to grapes and wine. They do a good job producing above average wine for the level they operate at. Silver Oak is a completely different type of winery. It has the resources to make outstanding wine consistently year after year. It should not be producing unbalanced, over-oaked wine, especially at $100/bottle. To be honest, thinking back to the last bottle of wine I made at home, a merlot with Central Valley grapes, in which I added oak chips to the fermentor, I would consider that on par with this bottle of Silver Oak. (Ironically, it was a 1996 bottle of Silver Oak that really got me hooked on collecting wine!)
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8/9/2013 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Please read my 05/13/2013 notes.
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5/20/2013 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs and aromas of blackberry and raspberry. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - Always a wonderful bottle of Cab. The Napa has so much more of a backbone than does the Alex Valley.
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2/16/2013 - pols Likes this wine: 90 Points
I had hoped for a better wine , not as good as other 99s weve had
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12/31/2012 - Tom39 wrote:
Open for new years great taste, oak color (dark) but fruit taste,
Opened at the right time. Smooth going down, decantored for 2 hours
Before drinking.
Don't wait to drink
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12/9/2012 - shiel wrote: 88 Points
Drank with 2000 Napa Silver Oak and this bottle was disappointing. Herbal and tannic compared to the 2000 which had an uncommon sweetness
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10/7/2012 - Vsansone wrote: 91 Points
Held up fine, was worried. Still good finish, typical silver oak nose.
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8/25/2012 - SalCal wrote: 92 Points
Powerful California cabernet
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7/6/2012 - gbbwino wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine, but past its prime. Very subtle fruit & secondary characteristics. Oak nicely integrated & no offensive alcohol. Bought at Costco almost 5 years ago for $90 & cellared since. Decanted for 45 minutes before tasting. A good Napa deal for $50-$60, but not for their tyipcall $100 asking price.
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6/15/2012 - vintagedds wrote: 91 Points
Great with our steak. No tannins, smooth and velvety, slight blackberry and oak on the nose, did not decant, began to open after about 30 minutes.
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5/17/2012 - East of Napa wrote: 86 Points
drank after silver oak tasting. a real letdown. musty with no fruit. past its time.
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1/2/2012 - shiel wrote: 90 Points
see 1996 notes
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12/25/2011 - pete.palladino wrote: 93 Points
Always amazing.
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11/8/2011 - pete.palladino wrote: 98 Points
Wine was close to perfect. I let breathe for about 45 minutes. Great vanilla.
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5/28/2011 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Very nice....last bottle.
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12/31/2010 - jcstip wrote: 89 Points
At peak, No tannins, dry cork. Smooth texture not much body left. Good with Prime Rib and Chocolate
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11/21/2010 - rben_mvp wrote: 90 Points
Worked great with the Prime Rib.
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10/31/2010 - shiel wrote: 83 Points
Last tasting February 2010. No improvement. Weak fruit with overpowering dill and cedar. Just a poor experience from an epoch vineyard.
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10/29/2010 - ed-d wrote: 87 Points
Coconut with rich blackberry on the nose. Coconut dominates the blackberry flavors on the palate & rides them hard to the finish. Way too much American oak for my taste, however there are fans of this winery that love the style.
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10/8/2010 - miller3324 wrote: 92 Points
Having not had one of these in a while, was unsure what to expect...drinking beautifully right now as tannins have smoothed out yet the fruit is still there. Classic dill you expect from SO but a great aged napa cab. Everything works well together. Wish I had more.
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9/19/2010 - Marc S wrote: 93 Points
Typical Silver oak. Loaded with oak. Loads of fruit. I used to like the Alex much better, but this is an outstanding bottle of wine. Dark purple in color and slightly tannic. Might want to wait another year or so, but enjoyable now.
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8/21/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 89 Points
Started out a little mucty and I thought we lost the wine. We let it decant for about an hour and it opened up to a real nicenose and soft fruit. I would not wait to drink this wine, its time is now or last year. Drink up.
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7/17/2010 - Hollowleg wrote: 89 Points
Didn't impress like the previous bottles. Paired with organic bone in rib eyes, which were off the hook.
Again, real good, but not great.
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7/6/2010 - drgrape wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 2 hours. Very smooth and dark full bodied fruit. I would have thought even more of it if it had a little less oak.
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6/19/2010 - mmurry wrote: 92 Points
Wines Rated 90 Points or Better (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had powered chocolate, coffee, and licorice. It ended with a little black currant.The palate was very smooth, with black currant and coffee, some licorice, and a vanilla finish.
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4/2/2010 - bsw1972 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stunning particularly when accompanied with char grilled steak
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3/16/2010 - MJTed wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured from the mag with Fred's steak. Dusty, tannic and a bit tart. Dominated by secondary notes of oak, herbs, tobacco and some olive. Fruit opened a bit toward the back half of the bottle but pretty austere overall for a Napa cab this vintage.
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3/12/2010 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Great wine!
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3/7/2010 - brigcampbell wrote: 91 Points
Silver Oak Vertical by Traci (Traci's House): Lots of musk, barnyark, and earth. licorice and tobacco mouth and fiinish. Most old world of the vertical for sure. Still age wothy at this point unlike the others.
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2/5/2010 - Hollowleg wrote:
A lot less oak on day two, almost a different wine, although I enjoyed both versions equally. This wine has long legs and can be enjoyed for many years to come.
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2/4/2010 - shiel wrote: 88 Points
strong oak presence. never dropped off. fruit never showed up. still a typical so
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1/10/2010 - kgh wrote: 89 Points
Good, with soft tannins and nice mouthfeel, but nothing very rich or complex going on. A little disappointing, as I expected more from this wine.
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1/1/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 92 Points
Drank new years eve with donna, kathleen and her friend sarah
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10/22/2009 - acintheoc wrote: 90 Points
Smoky, dusty flavor with long finish. After 2 hours however it started to develop a vegetal flavor that was less desirable.
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7/19/2009 - Marc S wrote: 90 Points
Great bottle of wine. Dark red ruby color. Great finish to this wine.
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3/30/2009 - James B wrote: 93 Points
This keeps getting better and better. Two hours in the decanter worked well this time. Perfectly balanced, less oak than previous bottles, and elegantly softened tannins. Decent finish as well.
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2/14/2009 - amorris50 wrote: 94 Points
Pulled from my cellar(about 58 deg.) Popped and poured. Had to try a few sips: a bit tight and obviously too cold. As Sprity said, it needs to be at room temp. & decanted. Patience will be well rewarded. Absolutely spot-on after 1 hr, even better after 2 ! Drinking beuatifully now and could easily go another 4-5 yrs. Wish I had 1 more to test that theory.
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1/3/2009 - EyeDoc wrote: 92 Points
Big wine with lots of fresh fruits - black currants, blackberrries. Not much oak and don't pick up any dill or vanilla. WOTF in a double blind tasting of four wines total.
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1/1/2009 - smahk wrote: 93 Points
**
Color: Dark Garnet
Aroma: Almost like a perfume of vanilla and oak
Taste: Very smooth with vanilla, oak, plum and chocolate on the finish. This was a very balance wine with a nive smooth finish. Very typical Older Silver Oak.
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12/6/2008 - dionysis wrote: 88 Points
Wasn't sold on this like others. To me it was just a lot of oak, little fruit and is largely fading. Maybe it was this particular bottle? Would not have been bad as a $20 wine, but considering the price, this is one of the worst values I have had.
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11/27/2008 - BrewWench wrote: 95 Points
Opened about an hour before dinner. Very smooth and balanced, with enough tannins to match the steak.
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9/17/2008 - Sprity wrote:
This wine needs to be room temp. and decanted for at least 45 minutes. Upon anxiously sipping way too soon I went to check the cork for failure. It was skunky and a bit sour. My partner was persistant, while I opened another bottle to be sure. Now we are enjoying both bottles lavishly. Let this one decant for a wonderful oaky, smooth delight! Lessoned learned, don't judge too soon. Like a sail on a stiff breeze, open her up and let her breathe.
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9/12/2008 - oostexan wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed with Don at Mastro's in Costa Mesa. Delicious. Could smell the aromatics when the wine was poured. Well balanced, terrific fruit, very well integrated. Drinking terrific right now. I have had this in proper storage since purchasing at the winery in 01. Tannins are integrated but still present. Wonderful wine, and not overoaked.
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6/2/2008 - Marc S wrote: 85 Points
Not my favorite bottle of Silver Oak. I tend to like the Alex Valley much better. Dark ruby red in color. Probably could use more time in the bottle. Still somewhat tannic. I do not think that this wine has peaker at all.
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5/19/2008 - Hollowleg wrote:
Paired well with BBQ'd shoulder steaks wrapped in bacon. Didn't get the toasty notes as per usual, but the wine was a bit cooler than when previously tasted.
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4/15/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Kim for steak dinner and finished off with Bill and Deb playing pool. Very nicely matured quintessential CA cab, highly recommend for cab lovers and this is worth the money. Opened up extremely nicely after about 3 hours of aeration in the bottle. Smooth, silky yet very full bodied and sophisticated. Nose somewhat muted with cloves, smoke, cassis and black pepper and flavors centered around cassis, some terroir notes, allspice, more white then black pepper and smoke came through on long aftertaste. Our only bottle at this point, highly recommend this but it is pricey. In comparison with the Alex Valley this one is clearly better, much better integrated and more smooth and complex but not nearly as fruit forward as the Alex Valley.
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4/6/2008 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
Wine is very well balanced wine that tates fantastic. I have had a lot of Silver Oak and this is 1 of the best. Almost a prfume type of taste.
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1/6/2008 - TinMan wrote: 92 Points
A typically superb Silver Oak. This bottle can stay in your cellar for another decade and be well.
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12/31/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 93 Points
WOTN. With tough competition form an '03 Decoy and a '94 Napa Silver oak, this wine had everything going for it. Well integrated nose of oak & black fruit, silky smooth mouthfeel & a long delicious finish.
It was a very happy new year ;)
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12/4/2007 - hcampana wrote: 90 Points
Had at Huizache Grill in New Braunfels with Chuck.
Aromatics were great. Very Bordeaux like earth, leather and blackberry. In the mouth, though, the wine dissapoints. Rather thin and with a very short finish. 92 for the nose, 87 for the palate.
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10/8/2007 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding as usual. It took a bit of time to open up, but not too much. It's right at its peak.
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6/14/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 88 Points
WIML88,WA87,WS91
Tasted June 14, 2007. Opened and briefly decanted before serving. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Trademark nose of heavy dill notes masking the underlying mix of dark fruits. That pretty much carried through to the palate. Light to medium acidity, medium tannins and medium body. Drink or hold. 13.9% alcohol.
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5/24/2007 - TinMan wrote: 93 Points
Classic Silver Oak...how can one not enjoy this wine?! Smooth but subtly complex...great on the nose and the palate. Great with or without food.
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5/4/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 90 Points
Had along side an '02 Walter Clore Private Reserve & an '01 Cakebread Benchland Select, pretty tough competition but the Silver Oak held up fairly well. After a three hour plus decant I picked up lots of oak on the nose, it lessened in the mouth and the fruit was coming through on the finish. Though as it evolved in the glass I did pick up a jammy scent. I'm not certain if time will help the fruit flavors come through or if the oak will take over even more than it has.
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2/21/2007 - Kellious wrote: 93 Points
yummy,great nose, full body, lots of currant, casis, chocolate, leather, espresso. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce at the finish, very silky and integrated tannins.
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1/30/2007 - Marc S wrote: 93 Points
Great bottle of Silver Oak. This is the first Napa I have tried from Silver Oak. I usually have the Alexander Valley. I prefer the Alexander Valley to the Napa. The Napa is more complex and opened up nicely after an hour or so. Still tannic in my opinion. Has a long finish. Very deep red ruby in color. I personally think it could use a few more years.
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12/3/2006 - grossie wrote: 91 Points
Brought to dinner by Scott. Decanted for less than an hour. Deep dark wine with a very rich expressive nose. This is very full-bodied, a big bold well-made wine but it came over as a little simple. I think with more time in the bottle this could flesh out a couple of points more.
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10/25/2006 - thepeng1 wrote: 91 Points
Good first night, better second.
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10/7/2006 - James B wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, as usual. This bottle seemed a bit more tannic than many others I have enjoyed from the same vintage, but it was nevertheless very good. I think it would softened a bit if we had given it more time in the decanter.
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9/17/2006 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was opened vs. a 94 Montelena, both were fantastic. The Silver Oak clearyl won out on the nose and fruit. Nice night with these two great wines!
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8/10/2006 - gr8r84u wrote: 95 Points
Excellent! Medium bodied, loads of dark fruits, sweet tannins, well balanced, no hard edges. A few years in the bottle did this one justice. This was in all aspects an OUTSTANDING bottle of wine that is without question ready to drink. It left all of us wishing we had more. No hesitations here... if you got 'em, drink up!
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7/30/2006 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Lots of oak, of course. But very big and well balanced. Light on tannins. This wine is firmly in its drinkability window. If you consider heavy oak a flaw, this wine may not be for you, but if you like the characteristics that make up the Silver Oak signature , this is exactly what you want.
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6/2/2006 - quacken wrote: 92 Points
Nose was a little weaker than I would have expected from a wine of this pedigree. Damn good cab; but not at all exceptional for the price.
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5/2/2006 - Jere wrote: 94 Points
Always Delivers
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4/8/2006 - TinMan wrote: 94 Points
Met my very high expectations for the '99 vintage AND Silver Oak AND Napa Valley designation. Smooth and sophisticated from beginning to the finish line.
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4/2/2006 - OpuMayaQuem wrote: 88 Points
Seems like it's past its prime. Fruit is too subtle for the tannins.
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3/25/2006 - jhh001 wrote: 93 Points
This wine is ready to drink right now. Great balance and long finish. Notes of coffee and well balance of oak. Wonderful balance of tannins. One of the better wines I've had this year. The full bodied earthy tatse reamins long after the glass is empty.
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2/13/2005 - Davisjl wrote: 96 Points
This wine is ready to drink right now. Great balance and long finish. Notes of coffee and well balance of oak. Wonderful balance of tannins. One of the better wines I've had this year. Well worth the 80 dollars I paid for it. Compairs well to the Rudd 1999 Jericho Canyon.
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1/20/2005 - i musicisti di boston wrote:
A student gave me this as a Christmas gift (last year I got an '82 Beychevelle...what happened?) Served it blind to Jeff and Tanya with some nice dry-aged steaks next to a mid-priced '01 BV Cab for comparison's sake. They both picked the Silver Oak. Interesting juice: not as dark as I expected, nice brambly fruit on the nose-blackberry/cassis, ripe tannic structure, some oak but not as intrusive as I'd expected given reports I've read. I found this to be a very good but ultimately uninteresting California Cab...certainly not worth the 120 bucks I've seen it retailing for around Boston. Does this evolve into something more interesting? I didn't pick up on it over the course of the evening. Maybe I'm asking too much-it was quite tasty, just not my style.
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