2008 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley. (August 4th Release)
The most fruit driven and forward this wine has been since the nineties with pretty ripe blackberry, cherry and red currants up front with creamy smooth tannins, cedar notes and toasty oak add to the pleasure while tangy dil, vanilla and tobacco leaf add complexity. This is a very solid vintage from Silver Oak’s Alexander Valley Cabernet and it should drink well for a decade. After the last few vintages, which were lean and rather, frankly, unpleasant Silver Oak needed to really raise there game, both here in Alexander Valley, and in Napa, and it looks like they have, which I think is a good thing for the wine business in general, and it is nice to see a great label make a worthy wine again. There are lots of wines in this price class, or lower that are better, but this is a very good Cabernet that will make a lot of people very happy.
($70 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive
Avail August 4th, 2012
www.sfwtc.com (Pre Sale $59.95)