Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 Horizontal Tasting

Last weekend we held a small horizontal tasting of the 1993 Silver Oak cabernets. The Napa Valley was big, rich, and still quite tannic. For most of the tasters, this was their favorite. On the nose, one got a good blast of cedar, earth, and dark fruits. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly reticient for a 10-year old California cabernet, especially for Silver Oak, which is usually quite forward. I'm worried it will dry out before it's really ready. Grade: A- In contrast, the Alexander Valley was clearly my favorite of the two. The Alex has an immense nose of lead pencil, herbs, chocolate, and spicy fruit. The Lafite-like bouquet filled the room! (Not that I have all that much experience with Lafite, to be sure, but dropping the Lafite name seems to be the first rule of wine blogging.) On the palate, the Alex shows dill, currant, and cassis, with a long finish. The wine is mature, but still has a lot left -- I'd guess at least 5 more years. Grade: A