Winery Profile: Silver Oak Cellars

Have you ever heard of the Duncan-Meyer winery? Probably not, but if you love Cabernet Sauvignon, you’ve probably heard of Silver Oak. The founders changed the name in 1975 to better reflect place, a property with an old dairy barn located half way between Oakville and the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley purchased in 1972. Today Silver Oak maintains its founders’—Ray Duncan and Christian Meyer—commitment to focus on producing age-worthy Cabernet wines aged in American oak. It’s first release had an outrageous price: $6 a bottle for the 1977 vintage. Today, it has two flagship wines: one from Napa and one from Sonoma, not far from California’s best online wine store. 

Silver Oak is a prominent winery in California's Napa Valley region that produces high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Today, Silver Oak is renowned for its premium wines, state-of-the-art winery, and commitment to sustainability. 

The Silver Oak Terroirs 

The winery has two vineyards - one in Napa Valley and the other in Sonoma County (Alexander Valley) - that provide distinct flavors and characteristics to their wines. The Napa Valley vineyard is located in the Oakville American Viticultural Area (AVA), renowned for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The vineyard is planted on well-drained, gravelly soil, which allows the vines to produce grapes with concentrated flavors and aromas. 

The Alexander Valley vineyard, located in the Sonoma County AVA, is known for its cooler climate and more diverse soil types. The vineyard is planted on a range of soils, including alluvial, volcanic, and sedimentary, which gives the wines complexity and depth. 

The winery's flagship wine is the Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which is made from grapes grown in their Oakville vineyard. The wine is aged in American oak barrels for 24 months, which imparts a vanilla and spice flavor profile to the wine. The wine is known for its rich, velvety texture, and complex aromas of blackberry, cassis, and vanilla. 

Silver Oak also produces a Cabernet Sauvignon from their Alexander Valley vineyard. The wine is aged in American oak barrels for 20 months and has a distinct flavor profile from the Napa Valley wine. The Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is known for its balance of fruit and tannins, with flavors of black cherry, plum, and cocoa. 

In addition to their Cabernet Sauvignon wines, Silver Oak also produces a Twomey label, which includes Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc wines. The Twomey Pinot Noir is sourced from vineyards in Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley and is known for its elegant and complex flavor profile. The Twomey Merlot is sourced from Napa Valley and is known for its soft tannins and flavors of black cherry and plum. The Twomey Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from their estate vineyard in Calistoga and is known for its bright citrus and tropical fruit flavors. 

Sustainable Production 

When you buy wine online, it’s important to consider a winery’s eco-friendly practices. Silver Oak is committed to sustainability and has implemented several environmentally-friendly practices in their winemaking process. The winery is certified by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and uses solar panels to generate 90% of their energy needs. They also recycle their water and have implemented several conservation programs to reduce their water usage. 

In addition to their commitment to sustainability, Silver Oak is also committed to giving back to their community. The winery has a philanthropic arm called the Silver Oak Foundation, which supports several charitable organizations, including the Napa Valley Community Foundation and the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation. 

In all, Silver Oak Winery is a renowned winery in California's Napa Valley region that produces superb, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon wines with distinct character from both Sonoma and Napa. With vineyards in both Napa Valley and Alexander Valley, the winery is able to produce wines with distinct flavors that express a sense of place, just like your favorite wine store California, Bottle Barn, “where wine country buys wine.” The winery is committed to sustainability and has implemented several environmentally-friendly practices in their winemaking process. They also give back to their community through their philanthropic arm, the Silver Oak Foundation.