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Silver Oak - 50 years of Napa’s finest
California Cabernet Sauvignon Aged Exclusively in American Oak
At Cordis Wines & Spirits, we are proud to offer exclusively for Greece the full selection of Silver Oak wines to our customers. Silver Oak is a renowned family-owned winery located in the heart of California’s Napa Valley. Founded in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer, Silver Oak is dedicated to producing only the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
At Silver Oak, traditional winemaking techniques are embraced, and wines are aged in American oak barrels sourced from forests in Missouri and Minnesota. This commitment to quality and craftsmanship is evident in every bottle of Silver Oak wine.
In addition to its focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Silver Oak is known for its sustainability efforts. The winery has a certified sustainable and salmon-safe vineyard and has partnered with American Forests to plant over 6,500 trees in California forests.
From Alexander Valley to Napa Valley, these wines are a testament to the dedication and passion of the Silver Oak team. Explore our collection and discover these exceptional wines’ unique flavors and characteristics.
50 Years of Silver Oak A Golden Anniversary
“For decades Silver Oak has been doing something unusual in California: making two parallel high-end Cabernets, one from Sonoma, one from Napa, under the same brand.”
-Decanter magazine
California Cabernet Magic
The allure of California’s premier wine region proving irresistible, Silver Oak Napa Valley was first produced in 1979. Upon visiting, one needn’t be an expert to perceive Napa Valley’s power as a wine place. The tight, linear valley is framed by tree-covered mountains on two sides, focusing the panorama’s inherent energy and intensity in a way that produces wines of similar attributes. A sprawling river of vines flows broadly across the valley floor before swelling up the rocky benchlands. Up on the mountainsides, vineyards become more sparse, little specs of brightness amidst the darker forest green. There’s undeniable grace here but also palpable magnitude. Sourcing from vineyards across these diverse locales, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon both harnesses and reflects the region.
Composition: 80.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.6% Merlot, 2.9% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 0.7% Malbec
Nose
Fruit
Body
Tannin
Acidity
The 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with notes of blackberry, blueberry, roasted coffee beans, coriander, and a hint of nutmeg. Smooth upon entry, this wine is broad and plush on the mid-palate. It has an elegant density throughout and a long, generous finish. Given proper cellaring conditions, this wine will show beautifully through 2041.
Vintage
Country
Region
Sub-region
Soil
Farming
2017
United States
California / Napa
Soda Canyon Ranch
Volcanic soil formations
Organic
Alcohol
Oak
Service Temp
Glassware
Drink
Decanting
14,5%
American Oak
12-14 °C
Cabernet
Now – 2041
Recommended for 30’
Bottle sizes: 750ml / 1,5L / Magnum / 3L Double Magnum / 6L Imperial
Critics
This is a big upgrade in finesse and clarity to such a popular, premium cabernet from Napa. It shows lots of blackberry, tar, cedar and oak-tree aromas that follow through to a full yet toned palate of fine, integrated tannins and a vivid finish. Owner David Duncan explained that the American oak they use in the wine for aging now comes 100% from their own barrel-making facilities, which tones down the vanilla character in the wine. Really impressive and delicious. It’s a joy to drink now, but can age. Drink or hold.
96 Points
James Suckling
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
California’s Best Kept Secret
Meandering the country roads of Alexander Valley feels a little bit like stepping back to an older, simpler California. Time itself seems to pass a little slower here, as an old farmhouse stands by bucolic benchland vineyards that climb hillsides to mingle with groves of ancient oak. The Cabernets too often reflect this gentle, polished rusticity, suffused with the languorous grace and hints of summery bramble you feel when you pass on through.
Composition: 94,8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4,2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Nose
Fruit
Body
Tannin
Acidity
Ruby in color, the 2018 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of cassis, caramel, juniper, and pomegranate. Lifted and vibrant on the nose, this wine is fresh on the palate with a juicy, fruit-forward core. Its silky mouthfeel will provide drinking pleasure through 2044 given proper cellaring.
Vintage
Country
Region
Sub-region
Soil
Farming
2018
United States
California,
Alexander Valey
Colluvial and alluvial soil
Organic
Alcohol
Oak
Service Temp
Glassware
Drink
Decanting
14,4%
American Oak
12-14 °C
Cabernet
Now – 2044
Recommended for 30’
Bottle sizes: 750ml / 1,5L / Magnum / 3L Double Magnum / 6L Imperial
Critics
Fragrant with sweet spice, vanilla and toast, plus blackcurrant, brambly blackberries, florals, resiny herbs and cedar unfolding in the glass. Full-bodied with a fine but firm tannin structure that speaks of longevity, the palate offers up pleasing tart cherry fruit spiced with anise. Silver Oak remains committed to its use of American oak barrels and owns its own cooperage to control the process and improve quality. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified and Living Building Challenge certified from the International Living Future Institute. (SS) (8/2022)
92 Points
Decanter
The story of Silver Oak
“It All Started With a Handshake”
“It All Started With a Handshake”
Silver Oak began over a handshake between two friends with a bold vision: focus on one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon, aged exclusively in American oak and worthy of cellaring for decades to come.
Ray Twomey Duncan, a Colorado entrepreneur who began investing in California vineyards in the late 1960s, and Justin Meyer, a Christian Brothers-trained winemaker, co-founded Silver Oak out of a Napa Valley dairy barn in 1972, producing only 1,000 cases of their inaugural vintage.
Over the next two decades, Silver Oak grew in popularity. Our Napa Valley and Alexander Valley Cabernets sold quickly upon their release from the winery and became a highly sought-after staple on restaurant wine lists nationwide.
In 2006, a fire destroyed our historic Oakville winery. While rebuilding was a difficult and emotional event; the opportunity to design a new, state-of-the-art winery from the ground up has resulted in better Napa Valley Cabernets and minimized our eco footprint.
Ten years after the fire, Silver Oak Napa Valley was designated the world’s first LEED Platinum winery for existing buildings, operations and maintenance (EBOM) by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The terroir
Owning and farming vineyards keeps with our philosophy of maintaining control over every step of the winegrowing process.
Over nearly 50 years, Silver Oak has selectively acquired estate vineyards in Napa Valley and Alexander Valley—properties that have the terrain, climate and soils most suitable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Each site is planted and farmed on a block-by-block, row-by-row basis according to its unique geography and soils. Drawing on our own experience and the latest available science and technology, our approach is surgical. This attention to detail is what produces spectacular, uniformly ripe fruit vintage after vintage.
Silver Oak makes viticultural decisions with the final wine in mind. You’ll often hear them say, “balanced vines make balanced wines” to get across the notion that small decisions in the vineyard can impact the final wine greatly. Each vintage, nature offers subtle changes and unique propositions that demand close observation and a considered response by the farming team, which sees every choice as an experiment, something to learn from. The mantra, “we have yet to make our best bottle of wine,” drives work in the vineyard as they constantly hone the way they irrigate, prune, and plant. When it comes to improvement, nothing is out of the question; it is the force that drives them.
Family of Silver Oak
Duncan Family of Silver Oak - 1 family 4 wine brands
Nearly 50 years since a handshake between two friends established Silver Oak, the culture remains true to Ray and Justin’s founding values of integrity, quality, and originality.
Since then, the Duncan Family have developed new brands that push the understanding of American wines through a thriving culture of innovation and sustainability. Their focus on culture is only matched by an obsession with customer service and continued improvement at every level, from the vineyard to your glass.
Duncan Family exclusive importer for Greece - Cordis Wines & Spirits
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Cordis - From Proto-Italic *kord, and Ancient Greek καρδίᾱ (kardíā) - meaning: from the heart
Cordis stands for “of the heart” in Latin. For us, it signifies the heart of the distillation, the best part of the distillate that we keep when throwing everything else away.
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