Silver and Oak

The hills are alive…with the continuation of my three-part Napa Valley wine series! This week, I review Silver Oak, a Cabernet Sauvignon specific winery with a unique barreling process and rich family history.


Raymond T. Duncan, small business owner and Colorado resident, first visited Napa Valley in the 1960's and was inspired by the beautiful landscape to start his own winery. Although he was wise about the potential of the fledging wine industry, he didn't have the agricultural experience to develop the unique, quality wine he had the hopes of selling on the market. 

After approaching business partner and Christian Brother's wine expert, Justin Meyers, Silver Oak Cellars began in 1972. 

You can view their history from it's humble beginnings to the present day on their daily tours.

When starting their winery, Raymond and Justin were interested in investing their energy and resources into producing a single wine instead of seven varietals like most other companies. For them, they wanted to create a new style of Cabernet Sauvignon; a rich, complex, and deliciously drinkable Cab from the day of it's release and yet worthy of cellaring for many years after. In order to achieve this, they developed a strict and specific regiment for their wining process.

Their process starts with the barreling. Instead of using French Oak barrels like most other wineries, Silver Oak opts for the American Oak barrels for a few reasons. First, American Oak barrels are less expensive. Instead of spending a whopping $1,400 per barrel, American Oaks only cost $300 per barrel. Second, because of the monetary benefits, Silver Oak is able to use fresh barrels more often, allowing for them to complete the third part of the barreling process. 

In order to get the rich taste the Silver Oak Cab is famous for, they kindle the inside of the barrels to revive the vanilla flavor that can often be lost in the oak without the right stimulation. Next,  the wines are stored in 55 degree temperature controlled rooms for 25 months. After which they are cellared for an additional 15-20 months in the bottle. 

Some additional history about the grounds. In 2006, Oakville experienced a severe flood that damaged a large portion of the land. Instead of seeing it as a setback, the Duncan family, who has owned the vineyard since the beginning, saw it as an opportunity. The rebuild included using some 550 tons of reclaimed stone from a 115-year-old dismantled mill in Coffeyville, Kansas, installed 1,464 solar panels to generate solar power for the facility, and elevated the property 4.5 feet above the flood plain and moving their iconic water tower 12 feet. The Duncan Family was able to salvage the two stained glass windows in the original winery that had been created by local artist *Diane Peterson in the theme of the Napa Valley (who, coincidentally is the sister in law of the current CEO). With the rebuild of the winery, they asked Diane Peterson to create two new stained glass windows. Together, the windows represent the four seasons.1

1. You can view more on their history by clicking HERE

During my time at Silver Oak, we tasted the 2007 and 2009 Cabernets. Although the 2009 was fine, the 2007 age was still superior. With the 2009, the vanilla flavor from the oak barrels was slightly more present which I appreciated. Overall, the older their wines, the more open and well rounded they were. One thing I found out was the blend of the 2009; it consisted of 83% Cab, 7% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdo.

My final opinion would be this, Silver Oak has now made it's way up to my top 3 Cabs. Stag's Leap and Pine Ridge are still my first and second choice.

If you have a passion for Cabs and are looking for specificity and quality, Silver Oak is a great place to visit. Their facilities are beautiful and their staff is wonderful. I look forward to visiting again!

Cheers,

K