The Wines of Silver Oak and Twomey

We had an opportunity to take a deeper look at the wines of Silver Oak and Twomey in Oakville today. Below are notes on two of my favorites.

Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 The nose speaks of Cassis, vanilla, lots of caramel – a strong sense of sweetness, as in a berry and currant pie newly drawn from the oven. As the wine sits in the glass, the fruit becomes even more profound.

In the mouth, the wine is totally approachable right now, sporting the oaky essense and the black fruit with a rich viscosity, a thickness that adds depth to the experience.

I had the opportunity to taste this wine with a very rare filet, prepared in the rather rich, classic style of oscar, with crabmeat and bernaise sauce. The wine danced gingerly with this dish in a way that a rigoursously tannic Cabernet could not.

The wine is aged in 50% new and 50% used American oak barrels and the wine was released in August of 2010. 13.3% $70 at the winery Silver Oak

The winemaker at Silver Oak is Daniel Baron who has great longevity in winemaking, with 40 vintages under his belt. When doing his master’s thesis he analyzed the distinct climates of the Napa Valley and brings the perspective of the grape and the vineyard to what he ultimately creates in the bottle. He also has a sense of the world of wine, with his first three vintages at Navarro in the Anderson Valley and two vintages at seven different chateaux in Bordeaux.

The President and CEO of the Silver Oak and Twomey is David Duncan. He said that Twomey was created in 1989 as an opportunity to explore other grapes and wines beyond Cabernet Sauvignon and that Twomey is his grandmother’s maiden name.

David carries on and has built upon the work begun by the founders of Silver Oak, his father Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer.

Twomey, Santa Maria Valley, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2009 The nose is amazing, featuring fresh raspberries and a liqueur-like, concentrated essence; which fruit I can’t pin down but boy is the smell vibrant. In the mouth the fruit continues, the texture is velvety and the acidity provides a food-friendly frame – very nice.

The wine was aged in French oak for 15 months and 35% of the oak was new. 13.9% $50 at the winery Twomey Cellars