TASTING NOTES
Our 2009 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a ripe, rich, layered, yet elegant
wine. It has a dark, ruby color and a complex nose of cassis jam, mocha, violets and
nutmeg. On the palate, the wine has a delectable berry-laden entry and a rich, mouthcoating
mid-palate. The tannins are beautifully integrated and the wine has a long, satiny
finish. Given proper cellaring, this wine should give drinking pleasure through 2032.
BLENDING AND AGING
The 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, selected from vineyards throughout the
appellation, is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit
Verdot. We blended the vineyard lots in early 2010 and transferred the wine to 100%
new American oak barrels for aging. Blending prior to barreling allows us to achieve
a balance of the wine’s primary 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.
VINTAGE DESCRIPTION
The 2009 vintage was saved by significant rainfall in May that made up for a dry winter.
Moderate late season ripening conditions brought the fruit to perfect maturity. Bloom
conditions were excellent and the crop was even and of average yield. The summer was
mild with a few heat spikes. Foggy mornings in August and September prolonged the
ripening period. Harvest began on September 9th and concluded on October 12th. Due
to the use of a new Berry Sensory Assessment protocol adapted from the French Institut
Cooperatif du Vin and our longstanding philosophy of producing wines of moderate
alcohol, we were able to harvest fruit at peak flavor and skin maturity and finish picking
before Typhoon Melor struck on October 13th and drenched the vineyards with 6 inches
of rain. Our 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon displays the ripeness and balance of
fruit picked under ideal conditions.
Vintage 2009
Appellation Napa Valley
Composition 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot
Alcohol 13.9%