James Naphen

9.2

**Wine Review: 2008 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Opened November 2024)**

The 2008 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, opened today, showcases an impressive balance and complexity, affirming its status as a finely aged wine. Its deep ruby hue remains vibrant, with exceptional clarity that invites exploration.

On the nose, ripe aromas of blackberry syrup and dark fruits are prominent, complemented by elegant notes of dried ginger and a subtle floral undertone. These aromas suggest both maturity and freshness, creating a captivating bouquet.

The palate offers a bold, full-bodied experience, featuring flavors of graphite and pencil lead that add intrigue and depth. The oak is beautifully integrated, enhancing the wine's harmony without overshadowing the fruit. The tannins, while still present, are soft and smooth, allowing the wine’s fruity core to take center stage.

Despite its 16 years of aging, this wine retains a youthful vibrancy, with its primary fruit flavors shining through. The finish is balanced and moderate in intensity, leaving a lasting impression of refinement.

Enjoyed today, this wine is a testament to the careful craftsmanship of Silver Oak. While it has clearly benefited from its time in the cellar, it remains dynamic and will continue to develop nuances for years to come. — 5 months ago

with Melissa

Ron Siegel

9.4

This was surprisingly open & expressive with rich dark fruits, sweet on the palate, savory spice, meat, pepper mineral & violet — 5 months ago

Sarah Nally

10

Absolutely loved this wine! Perfect for fall. Full, balanced, and bold. Warms your pallet from the first sip. Simply divine! — 7 months ago

ZC

9.0

Selfridges - old oak barrel no flavor from barrel allow microoxidation empower it to biscuity broiche like / rich flavor / chardonay + pinot noir. Soak not long enough for color to come thru but get flavor / secondary fermentation with cock / 7 years fermantation for vintage / not too dry / oaky / pair well with sth greasy eg fish and chips, nuggets — 8 months ago

Peter Isacksen

8.9

Had it outside last night with Indian food and a sunset. Super smooth and rich but not overpowering. Just goes down easy...
I was very happy with this wine, hit every note. — 5 years ago

Keith Lite

9.5

A big bold plumy purple bomb As dense and luscious as a wine can get in a glass. Decanted for 2 hrs and its still a baby with blackberry, dark chocolate licorice and pepper on the nose and on the palate. A long long finish and loads of tannins to sum it all up — 6 years ago

with Bruce

Andrea Watt

9.1

Smooth, rich cherry and smoke. — 7 years ago

Nicole Schilling

9.0

Smooth but bold and fruity. — 7 years ago

Mick Foy

10

As good as it gets for my taste. Big dark full bodied red with rich flavor and smooth finish. — 9 years ago

Ben Rainey

9.5

Really good stuff. Got better and better. 2 hours in we were done but wish we had another bottle to see how it tasted in another hour or more. Smooth. Rich. Held up extremely well. — 10 years ago

with Ed

"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Pale lemon in color.

Light nose of citrus fruits, minerals and light yeast.

Medium-bodied with high acidity.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, green apples, brioche, earth, light yeast, minerals, spices and herbs.

Long finish with limes and herbs.

This is a very tasty Champagne, albeit still young. Elegant and rich with nice complexity. Crisp and refreshing.

Didn't love it right out of the bottle, and needed 45 minutes of airtime to open up properly, so be patient.

I've had a few different vintages of this Champagne, and always enjoyed it.

Needs 5 years to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

A blend of 51% Chardonnay and 49% Pinot Noir. Aged for 8 years on its lees.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$275. — 5 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Rich with citrus, apple & brioche — 5 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

An older Krug Cuvee purchased in 14 showing a rich apple, pear with a toasty, honeyed, brioche, pastry dough & mineral — 6 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The 2020 Clio is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Zingla Vineyard, which was planted in 1936 in Jumilla. Aged for 22 months in French and American oak barrels, this garnet wine unfolds in the glass with ripe black fruit and dried fruit notes, layered with herbal and oaky nuances and a prominent vanilla tone. Indulgent and bold, the rich palate features a velvety, overwhelming mouthfeel. This is a ripe, concentrated red born under the Mediterranean sun. (Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous, September 2024)
— 7 months ago

George Moore

9.9

Very complex and bold with notes of cherries and caramel. Great for a special occasion — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks

I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.

The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.

The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.

The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.

Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 5 years ago

Nick Stinnett

9.1

Smooth and rich with a great finish. — 9 years ago

Michael Regan

9.0

Great Syrah . Dark rich flavor of blackberry , smooth , and low acidity — 9 years ago

M P

9.0

Bold and big. After 1985, together with 1997 and 2004 one of the greatest vintage ever.
Definitely ready to go. Magnum as its best. — 10 years ago

Mark

8.9

Rich jammy flavor. Good finish. I really enjoyed this wine. Very good value for the price. — 5 months ago

Ming L

9.0

Dismissed by many as too jammy or too ripe, I’ve always thought this is the fun bottling. This ‘21 is no exception. Beneath the slightly over extracted ripe dark fruits lies quite complex aromas and flavors of figs, sweet spices, dark chocolate, smoke meat, and hint of balsamic. Rich palate but not overbearing. In a good vintage like ‘21, this can benefit for 5-8 years of bottle age.
My guilty pleasure. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Medium lemon colour . Lovely lemon, buttered pastry nose , still so fresh and lively . Mineral with a honeysuckle note , touch of blanched almond . On the palate quite rich and complex , with high acidity and mineral , honied , brioche notes , still quite fresh though with lots of creamy lemon hints. Long mineral tinged finish . Lovely now and over the next 5-10 years . — 5 months ago

Ericsson

9.0

Revisiting this disruptive wine as I often do. This time 24 years after it’s initial release, and much has changed since since it’s inception. The wine is still exciting, maybe for the wrong reasons, maybe for the right reasons but exciting nonetheless. It’s still a big and bold beast of a wine, no matter the vintage. — 7 months ago

K. Syrah

9.5

2007: Wow. Phenomenal Chateauneuf with tons of character. Viscous, very rich, nicely concentrated with plenty of minerals and funk to balance the still-persistent purple fruit. Can’t imagine this getting any better with more age but plenty left. — 10 months ago

Greg Gosselin

9.1

2017 is fab. Great QPR. Intense with backbone. Give it a few more years. it doesn’t get much better at this price-point. — 5 years ago

Marco Rodriguez

9.0

Bold wine. Earthy, tabbaco, smoke and spice. Good tannins and light acidity at end. — 6 years ago

Mono Head

9.1

2015 far niete. Oakville- dark and rich with a decent amount of fruit. Very easy to drink. I like it a lot. Not very complex. 9.1 $136. Not the bottle in the pic. — 7 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.0

A fantastic 2002, this lovely wine shows once more that today there aren't really bad years in Bordeaux, this Pontet Canet was well structured rich and tempting. Deep red, tempting rich multi layered nose ripe cherries, black current, coffee, cigar box, and tea leaves, full rich body, dry tannins, full of black fruit, high acidity and a long chewy finish. Was worth the wait, my score 90. Drink to 2022 — 9 years ago

Pierre Arneaux

9.2

Wow. More flavor, much better than their regular cab. Silky, velvet, smooth. Chocolate. Rich fruit. Big, full flavor, lots of flavor. Not old world style for sure, not subtle. It's a big bomb. We would pay up to $75 for this so a bit overpriced to us.
— 9 years ago

Nadine M

9.9

Rich berry fruit with layers of Christmas spices and tobacco. Pretty damn close to perfection! — 12 years ago