Silver Oak Cellars: Life is a Cabernet

Silver Oak Cellars was started in 1972 with a simple driving philosophy - to focus production on only one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. What's more, they resolved to create a wine with a style all its own: not another hard, tannic red wine requiring years of aging to enjoy, but a wine of fully developed flavors and a velvety soft texture on the day it is released for sale.

Silver Oak Cellars produces Cabernet Sauvignon from two appellations. Their Napa Valley derives its fruit from both owned and contracted vineyards, and is produced entirely at their Oakville winery. Beginning in 1994, small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot have been included in their Napa blend to add complexity and softness.

Silver Oak also produces stellar Cabernet from their Alexander Valley vineyards. A critical reason for the success of this wine, and every wine they make, has always been that they create the final blend before aging it in American oak barrels and then bottles. Over the course of four-and-a-half years, the wine’s flavors, aromas, and textures have an opportunity to meld with one another and the wood’s delicate qualities to create the kind of graceful cohesion found only in the world's most elegant wines.

Winery Philosophies

Grapes: Carefully Selected Growers & Vineyards
Silver Oak complements winery-owned fruit with grapes from top independent growers throughout the Napa and Alexander Valley appellations, giving their winemaking team access to the highest-caliber fruit to make Cabernet of the finest quality.

American Oak Barrels: A Hallmark of Silver Oak
Since the early 1970s, they have aged their wines exclusively in American oak barrels. Today, the use of American oak continues to be a hallmark of their distinctive Cabernet Sauvignons. To ensure the long-term availability of first-rate American oak barrels, they formed a partnership with A & K Cooperage in 2000. Located in Higbee, Missouri, 40 miles north of Columbia, A & K Cooperage is a small, family-owned company that has produced premium barrels for over 30 years. It takes 80 years to grow an American white oak to maturity and another two years to properly age the wood. From there, the wood is toasted to their specifications and handcrafted into a 59-gallon barrel. All in all, the year on a bottle of Silver Oak doesn’t tell the whole story – you’ll want to add at least 82 years to get the true birth date.

According to winemaker Daniel Baron, “Silver Oak wines undergo an extensive aging process to achieve their opulent, well-rounded flavors, so the quality of our barrels is essential. The Missouri white oak barrels produced by A & K have the perfect balance of spice and vanilla flavors to enhance the black-fruit characters of our wines.”

A & K Cooperage and Silver Oak Cellars have purchased several hundred acres of American white oak timberland in Missouri. The timber will be harvested at the optimum time to maintain a constant supply of wood for many years to come.

Corks: A Commitment to Quality
No detail goes overlooked in their pursuit of excellent wine, and that includes cork quality. Associate Winemaker Christiane Schleussner pioneered the use of the “dry soak” method with a team of researchers from Cork Supply USA, and this method has given Silver Oak one of the lowest cork taint rates on large-format bottles in the wine industry: 0.53% cork taint versus the 4% industry standard.

Extended Bottle Aging Method
Bottle shock is real. It takes a full-bodied red wine 12 months to fully recover and show the full expression of fruit that it had before bottling. They give wine more time in the bottle, and the end result is a food-friendly, moderate-alcohol (13–14.1%) Cabernet that is drinkable upon release.

Twomey Cellars

The Duncan Family of Silver Oak established Twomey in 1999 to pursue the discovery of varietals in California beyond Cabernet Sauvignon.  Twomey uses the same philosophy that has guided Silver Oak since its founding in 1972: make exceptional, food-friendly wines that are deliciously drinkable upon release. At Twomey, they apply their 40 years of winemaking experience combined with a spirit of innovation to create their Single Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot, four Appellation and Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs and Estate Sauvignon Blanc. With a focus on excellence and sustainability, Twomey sources fruit from some of the best appellations and vineyard sites in California. At their wineries in Calistoga and Healdsburg, they work small to create unique, approachable wines that you will enjoy with friends and family.

The Wines

Silver Oak Cellars:

2010 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

VINTAGE DESCRIPTION
2010 was the first of two unusually cool California vintages. The spring was cool with some minor frosts and a few spring showers. By June, temperatures normalized, greatly helping bloom and set. Both July and August were unusually cool, which contributed to extraordinary phenolic and color maturity. Slightly above average temperatures in September and the first half of October brought the crop to ideal maturity. They began harvest on September 25th, three weeks later than normal, and ended on October 26th.

BLENDING AND AGING
The 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, selected from vineyards throughout the appellation, is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Silver Oak blended the vineyard lots in early 2011 and transferred the wine to 100% new American oak barrels for aging. Blending prior to barreling allows them to achieve a balance of the wine’s natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine was then aged in barrel for approximately 24 months and another 20 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.

TASTING NOTES
The 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a seamless wine that expresses bright, fresh fruit characters from an unusually cool California vintage. It has a vibrant, ruby color and a complex nose of boysenberries, blueberries, sage, licorice and roasted chicory. It has a luscious mouthfeel with notes of fresh fruit and carnation flowers on the palate. It has fine-grained tannins and a velvety texture that leads to a long, fruit-filled finish. Given proper cellaring, this wine should give drinking pleasure through 2031.

Vintage 2010
Appellation Napa Valley
Composition 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol 14.2%

2010 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

BLENDING AND AGING
The 2010 Alexander Valley, selected from several different vineyards, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak blended the vineyard lots in early 2011 and transferred the wine to 50% new and 50% once-used American oak barrels for aging. Blending prior to barreling allows them to achieve a balance of the wine’s natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine was then aged in barrel for approximately 24 months and another 15 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.

TASTING NOTES
The 2010 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a vibrant, elegant expression of this classic appellation from a cooler vintage. It has a deep garnet color and an enticing nose of cassis liqueur, blueberry coulis, tobacco, tarragon and roasting coffee. The seamless palate starts with a berry-laden attack, follows with a full-bodied mid-palate, and ends with a long, savory finish with fine-grained, well-integrated tannins. Given proper cellaring, this wine should give drinking pleasure through 2031.

Vintage 2010
Appellation Alexander Valley
Composition 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottle Sizes 750ml, 1.5 L Magnum, 3 L Double Magnum, 6 L Imperial
Alcohol 13.9%

Twomey Cellars:

2013 Sauvignon Blanc

NOTES FROM THE VINEYARD
2013 will be remembered in California as the driest year on record, and for producing a harvest for the ages. There was an early start to the season as beautiful spring conditions induced budbreak in March. Clear and sunny weather dominated the skies, and pushed canopy and fruit development along evenly. Lacey canopies provided a perfect dappled light environment for maturing clusters during the warm August afternoons. Warm, dry conditions persisted through September so that each of their four Sauvignon Blanc vineyards produced ultra-clean fruit at optimal ripeness.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc beautifully combines citrus, pear and green apple characters in a complex and balanced expression of this exciting varietal. It has a light straw color and a nose of grapefruit rind, juniper berry, star fruit, green apple, pear and elderberry flower. It has a juicy, fruit-sweet attack with notes of honey and citrus on the palate. The wine has a long, lingering, fresh fruit finish. Each of their Sauvignon Blanc vineyards is estate owned and sustainably farmed.
 
Vintage 2013
Appellation 62% Napa County 38% Sonoma County
Harvest Dates Calistoga Estate Vineyard August 16 - 23, 2013
Oakville Estate Vineyard August 19 - 22, 2013
Westside Road Estate Vineyard August 27 - September 5, 2013
Marino Estate Vineyard September 17 - 20, 2013
Alcohol 13.9%

2012 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
The 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a rich, multi-faceted wine with great fruit and spice expression. It has a dark, cherry-red color and a complex nose of potpourri, ripe strawberries, cardamom, nutmeg and peat. It has a fruit-sweet attack, a fleshy mid-palate and notes of blond tobacco and coffee bean on the long and slightly tannic finish. With proper cellaring, this wine will give drinking pleasure through 2024.

NOTES FROM THE VINEYARD
The 2012 season was an ideal vintage: consistent moderate temperatures ripened a bountiful crop. February and March precipitation filled soil profiles and excellent spring conditions led to a normal and even budbreak by March 15th. The lack of significant summer fog reduced the pressure of mildew and botrytis outbreaks, while the mild afternoon temperatures created optimal conditions for Pinot Noir berry and cluster development. Favorable September weather provided an extended berry maturation process and enhanced phenolic development, while maintaining freshness.

Vintage 2012
Vineyards West Pin Vineyard Estate Vineyard, Sustainably Farmed
Crinella Vineyard Sustainably Farmed
Bailey Vineyard Sustainably Farmed
Harvest Dates September 10 - October 3, 2012
Barrels French Burgundy Barrels, 39% new
Barrel Aging 12 months sur lies
Alcohol 13.9%

2012 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
 
NOTES FROM THE VINEYARD
The 2012 season was an ideal vintage: consistent moderate temperatures ripened a bountiful crop. Mid-spring precipitation filled soil profiles and ideal spring conditions led to a normal and even budbreak in early April. Early morning breezes and cloud cover kept temperatures mild in April and May, avoiding any widespread frost events. Coastal fog burned off and gave way to sunny clear days with mild temperatures for most of the growing season. The lack of the prolonged summer fog that is typical of the Anderson Valley reduced the pressure of mildew and botrytis outbreaks, while the mid-afternoon temperatures created optimal conditions for berry and cluster development. Due to a warm period that lasted throughout September, they were able to wrap the harvest season up by early October.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
The 2012 Twomey Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is a complex wine that combines the bright acidity of western Anderson Valley with the riper fruit characteristics of Boonville. This wine has a dark cherry-red color and a nose of rose petals, very ripe strawberries, cut hay, and toffee. It has a juicy entry followed by a creamy texture and a hint of minerality on the finish. With proper cellaring, this wine will give drinking pleasure through 2023.

Vintage 2012
Vineyards Monument Tree Vineyard, Estate Owned, Sustainably Farmed
Ferrington Vineyard, Sustainably Farmed
Harvest Dates September 21 - October 3, 2012
Barrels French Burgundy, 45% new
Barrel Aging 12 months sur lies
Alcohol 14.1%

The Offer

2010 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon - $95
2010 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $60
2013 Twomey Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - $22
2012 Twomey Cellars Russian River Pinot Noir - $48
2012 Twomey Cellars Anderson Valley Pinot Noir - $48

Ordering

For all questions and orders, contact Wine Director, Jeff McCarthy. Let us know if you would like your wine shipped or placed in your wine locker. Sales tax and appropriate shipping will be added to all orders. Allow 2-3 weeks for account processing and shipping. During extreme weather, wine orders may be held until it is safe to ship.

Jeff McCarthy, Wine Director 
[email protected]
707.569.2906