It was late in the evening on New Years Eve.
My parents and friends had gathered at Giorgios to say
good riddance to the miserable nightmare year that was 2013.
We had just enjoyed an incredible white wine and buffet of scrumptious food.
Next would be a red wine that I had never tried, never even heard of
and, after one sip, would never forget.
It was a 2008 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.
Eight months later, I would be fortunate enough to not only taste it again, but to try other vintages, thanks to my happy place holding a special tasting event with Silver Oak Cellars.
Silver Oak Cellars is "single-minded in the pursuit of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon"
and for 40 years has produced distinctive Cabernets from its Napa and Alexander Valley wineries.
In those 40 years, there have only been two winemakers which is impressive in its own right.
Silver Oak Cellars believes in "extended aging" and using American Oak barrels.
In fact, they have their own barrel facility in Missouri!
Before I start to brag any more on these fabulous Silver Oak Cabs,
I need to mention Twomey (pronounced Tew-mee) Cellars.
The Silver Oak Family established Twomey Cellars to "pursue the discovery of varietals in California beyond Cabernet Sauvignon" and uses the same philosophy which guided Silver Oak since 1972 -
"to make exceptional, food-friendly, wines that are deliciously drinkable upon release".
As a rule of thumb, any wine the Silver Oak Family makes that isn't a Cab is called Twomey. (Twomey wines are also done in French Oak, not American.)
2013 Twomey Sauvignon Blanc
Napa/Sonoma Valley
Not being a Sauvignon Blanc fan, but giving every wine a fair chance, I took my first sip of this
Sav Blanc and immediately thought, "Ugh. Yep. Grapefruit. Typical Sav Blanc".
It smelled like grapefruit, it tasted like grapefruit and was very crisp and tart. However, I gave it another chance and realized with food, it may have hope.
Just the right cheese would probably change my mind about this one.
I don't think I'll ever be a "Sav Blanc lover" but it surely didn't get poured out!
2012 Twomey Pinot Noir
Sonoma
Realizing this is a California Pinot Noir, I still tried to keep an open mind. It definitely smelled "dirtier" than most California Pinots which was a plus for me. I like dirty, earthy, barnyard smelling wine. But it also had a tad hint of an aroma of vaseline. That's where it lost me.
A very light garnet color gave way to a smooth tasting wine with a dominant cherry flavor. That dominant cherry flavor is the reason why I do not like California Pinot Noirs. I was instantly reminded of a warm homemade cherry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Most of you probably think that is delicious. Unfortunately, I do not.
I like dark cherry flavors; not bing or maraschino. Bleh.
That being said, this wine was not horrible at all and I could be forced to drink it with chocolate.
But why force myself at almost $60 a bottle when there are plenty of other wines that I like much better and that are not as expensive! Still, I was probably the only person in the room of 40 who was not overwhelmed with happiness at a sip of this Pinot. To each his own!
You like what you like. No reason to explain!
I also think while everyone was enamoured with this wine, I was the only one who caught the football analogy given about pinot noir grapes needing "good hang time" to grow properly. All I could think of was a football after it was released from the punter's foot and sailing upward and onward. Must be football season. Go Skins! But I digress....
2008 Twomey Merlot
Napa Valley
This Merlot was the dark horse of the night for me.
(Insert Katy Perry song by the same name here: Are you ready for the perfect storm? 'Cause once you're mine there's no going back!)
I have become pretty partial to Washington State Merlots with an exception here or there. I don't feel as strongly about Washington Merlots as I do Oregon Pinots but it tends to be pretty obvious to me that Washington State has won the prize in outstanding Merlots.
This Merlot was much darker and prettier in color compared to the previous Pinot which wasn't a surprise. One reason I tend to like Merlot is it's easy to drink and tends to be pretty smooth from the onset. The Twomey Merlot smelled of dirty feet crushing berries on a wet farm. I love when vivid images instantly pop into my head like that one!! I was excited about the smell and was anticipating the flavor as a result. However, this Merlot was very peppery and had a spicy flavor to it which threw me off. Had I not been told this was a Merlot, I would never have guessed it. Then it all made sense. This Merlot had a tad bit of Cabernet Franc blended in. Yep, there ya go! That's why it wasn't as smooth and it had that spicy peppery taste! Very bizarre. Not bad, just shocked my brain and my taste buds. I immediately thought the intensity would probably lessen with food - North Carolina slow cooked BBQ perhaps!
The reason I refer to this wine as the dark horse of the night is because at first impression I wasn't convinced but once the event was over and I tried it again, it started to grow on me. It wasn't until I was encouraged to taste it with the Maytag Blue Cheese provided on our buffet that I not only enjoyed it but my taste buds then instantly fell in love. So much in love that I grabbed the remaining block of cheese to share with my fellow winos and a bottle to take home with me!
A special thank you goes out to my wine buddy, Steve, (below) who suggested the cheese pairing!
Ok, kids, now comes the good stuff! The moment we've all been waiting for!!
Silver Oak Cabs!!!!
2009 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley
It was truly incredible how the aromas with this wine improved dramatically over the previous wines we had tried. It was very "jammy" which is such a complement coming from me and the Evil Red Genius! If we refer to a wine as "jammy" then it is a superb wine! My taste buds were jumping up and down with joy at the taste of this Cab. While I always say we all have different tastes and likes, it's pretty phenomenal to me to see everyone agree when they try a particular wine. This one was one of those. My dad, who is just learning to appreciate "big reds", took one sip of this Cab and said,k with a big smile on his face, "ooooh!"
"Yes, Daddy! That's right! It's that damn good, isn't it?"
(Proud Daughter)
With scents of sweet baking spices, floral accents, black cherry and similar tastes with licorice overtones, this full-bodied red has a long lingering finish that you just don't want to ever end. The best part is, while there aren't many made, it can be properly stored for 20 years!!
The events typically have no more than 30/40 people; sometimes only 15 to 25. This evening's event, was packed solid, though. Tells ya what the Silver Oak name does, eh?
On top of the "regulars" at my wine bar, my friends, my family being in attendance, and meeting a few new friends, at this point in the evening is when I realized the one person who would enjoy this and definitely should be here but wasn't, in fact, actually was here... in spirit.
As I savored the last sip of this 2009 Cab, I instantly saw him in my mind and an overwhelming and quick aroma of the dip (which he was just about famous for making in his time) came over me. It was then that I smiled, with a slight tear in my eye and said, "Of course you're here with me, Granddad!"
Next, we would do a side-by-side comparison of the remaining (and best) two cabs of the evening. Try swirling two glasses of wine at the same time - one with your right hand, one with your left.
Not as easy or elegant as it sounds.
2008 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
The wine's beautiful dark garnet color bursts with fruit from the first pour. It has a deep floral nose with flavors of dark fruit, herbs and a hint of tobacco combined with a satin texture making this wine incredibly elegant.
2009 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
While the 2009 vintage is still elegant, it is bolder and more subtle than the 2008. It has a more intense nose with flavors of mocha, nutmeg, jam and undertones of licorice. It is not as floral as the 2008 vintage but still has that glorious satin finish.
A sort of subtle elegance, perhaps.
While the 2008 Napa Cab is what introduced me to Silver Oak,
the 2009 Napa Cab will keep me coming back for many years to come!
While the 2008 Napa Cab is what introduced me to Silver Oak,
the 2009 Napa Cab will keep me coming back for many years to come!
Life truly is a Cabernet, my friends!
Cheers to you, Silver Oak!
Cheers to you, Silver Oak!
"The road to wine knowledge is littered with empty bottles."
I am proud to be traveling down that road!
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