Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon

TASTING NOTES:  Silver Oaks

Our 2015 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is maroon in color with a garnet hue. It has an enticing nose of maraschino cherries, blackberry bramble, and brisket with notes of clove and star anise. Mouthwatering with a juicy entry, this wine has a fruity mid-palate of currant with toasted vanilla and roasted brown sugar character from American oak barrels. Structured tannins provide an elegant character with a long and expressive finish. Given proper cellaring, this wine will provide drinking through 2041.

Blending and Aging

Our 2015 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 95.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.7% Merlot, 0.4% Petit Verdot, 0.3% Malbec, and 0.3% Cabernet Franc. Blended in early 2016, the wine was then aged for 24 months in 50% new and 50% once-used American oak barrels from our Missouri cooperage, The Oak. Early blending assures a balanced core and allows the components to achieve a seamless harmony during barrel aging. After bottling in the spring of 2018, each bottle was aged an additional 15 months before being released in August of 2019.

VINTAGE 2015
APPELLATION Alexander Valley
COMPOSITION 95.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.7% Merlot, 0.4% Petit Verdot, 0.3% Malbec, 0.3% Cabernet Franc
BOTTLE SIZES 750ml, 1.5L Magnum, 3L Double Magnum, 6L Imperial
ALCOHOL 14.3%
RELEASE DAY 8/3/2019

Vintage Description

The 2015 vintage was marked by continued drought conditions in California for the fourth consecutive season and taught us how to maximize what nature provides. First, a cool spell followed an earlier than normal budbreak. Warmer weather is favored for good fruit set, and these imperfect conditions foreshadowed that the 2015 harvest was not going to be copious. Vintages like these emphasize the importance of our vineyard team’s efforts for precision viticulture and careful management of irrigation and vineyard activities. Picking in Alexander Valley started early on September 1 after a short heat spell in mid-August and a warm start to September, and harvest turned out to be one of the most compacted in our history. The smaller crop size was a blessing in disguise, as we had ample tank space to macerate our wines for the ideal tannin structure. Furthermore, smaller than average berry size contributed to the deep color and high aromatic concentration. 2015 brought flavor density and elegant structure to our Cabernet. We only wish we could have made more.