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Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Our 2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a profound,fruit-driven wine from a great California vintage. It has a dark ruby color with a purple edge and an inviting nose of ripe black plum, blackberry, baking spices and soy sauce. On the palate, the wine is rich and full, reminiscent of the flavors of a berry cobbler. It has a long, fruity finish with fine grained tannins, and is a testament to exquisite ripeness at moderate alcohol. With proper cellaring, this wine should give drinking pleasure through 2031.

Vintage Description
The 2007 vintage had an unusual combination of a light crop and a cool summer which resulted in great concentration and mature flavors and tannins at moderate alcohol. The season started cool and dry with less than an inch of rain in January. The dry weather continued into spring and the dry soils induced early budbreak and bloom. Fruit set was light and berries were small: crop levels were 15% to 20% below normal. Summer weather was mild with temperatures rarely exceeding 90˚F. Continued dry weather, a warm spell in early August and a Labor Day heat wave were the catalysts for achieving perfect maturity. The small berries and long, slow ripening resulted in extraordinary wines.

Blending and Aging
Our 2007 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of wine from several different vineyards, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. We blended the vineyard lots in early 2008 and transferred the wine to 50% new and 50% once-used American oak barrels for aging. Blending prior to barreling allows us to achieve a balance of the wine’s natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine was then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 15 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.