1995 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1×1.5L

Robert Parker 95

A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa has turned out even better than the 1994. It possesses a more saturated ruby/purple color, as well as a more flamboyant and exotic bouquet. Moreoever, it seems less evolved. Full-bodied and pure, with layer upon layer of concentrated black fruits, smoke, cedar, and toast, it should drink well for 16-17 years. The Napa offerings from Silver Oak tend to be less herbaceous and more oriented toward Cabernet Sauvignon’s black fruit spectrum than the Alexander Valley cuvees. They are every bit as exotic and ostentatious as the Alexander Valley cuvees, but more classic, tannic, perhaps longer-lived, and slightly less approachable. Silver Oak wines are supple, explosively fruity, and deliver copious quantities of glycerin, extract, and richness wrapped in generous quantities of American oak. Critics have argued that the wine does not age particularly well, but that has largely been proven a myth. I doubt it will last as long as Chateau Montelena, Dunn, or other Napa Cabernets with a 30-40 year aging potential, but these wines have a broad window of drinkability, being delicious at release, and able to sustain their fruit and character for 15 or more years. Release date 2/00. Tel. (707) 857-3562; Fax (707) 857-3135 [23/12/1998]

Anticipated maturity: 1998-2015

Vinous 89

(13.3% alcohol): Healthy dark red. Plum, coffee and chicory on the nose. Savory redcurrant fruit is complemented by well-integrated oak notes of coffee and chocolate. With good salinity and energy, there’s nothing heavy about this Cabernet. Finishes with firm, fine-grained tannins that avoid dryness. No easy sweetness but nicely ripe and persistent. À point right now. [Stephen Tanzer, 06/01/2016]

Anticipated maturity: 2016-2020