Founded in 1972 by Raymond T. Duncan, Silver Oak began with a vision of forever raising the standards of California wine. Duncan and Justin Meyer, a viticulturist Ray met through mutual friends, dedicated their winery to producing only Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, the winery has locations in Napa Valley and Alexander Valley, each producing its own Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak acquired vineyard land in both areas, and cultivated relationships with longtime growers.

“Our wines are blends, made from grapes grown in both wineries’ estate vineyards as well as growers’ vineyards in both regions. The two wines have always been separate and distinct, consistently representing the very best of their respective appellations,” said David Duncan, Ray’s son and Silver Oak’s President and CEO. “Having options allows us to blend only the best fruit and achieve just the right balance in our Cabernet Sauvignons.” The grapes may be harvested from multiple vineyards, but they are always grown with a dedication to sustainable farming. “Our move toward sustainability is partly a personal belief I have about being a good steward of the Earth,” said David.

“When Dad and Justin started working together, Justin had been working with many different varietals, including some not grown in California today. From his experience, he saw Cabernet as the best fruit to grow here in Napa,” said David. “At the time, we were maybe the second winery in California to commit to Cabernet. We believed that focusing on one thing would be a great thing to do.” Silver Oak has been creating great wine with the Cabernet grapes since the beginning — with no plans to stop. “We are always trying to improve quality and build on our 40 years of experience. Like Dad and Justin have always said, ‘we have yet to make our best bottle of wine,'” said David.

Wine critics and casual aficionados alike have adored Silver Oak for years — and for good reason. The 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was included in Wine & Spirits Magazine’s “Year’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon” article, with author Joshua Greene saying, “Like a savory claret pumped up on performance-enhancing California climate, this is nuanced and relatively austere for all its bold, plumy fruit. The supple richness of tannins lends it textural finesse, the quality of Silver Oak that may be most responsible for its legend. The alcohol is finely integrated so as to be imperceptible. Still youthfully floral, this will age with grace.”

Forbes’s Larry Olmsted named Silver Oak as part of “several superstar labels that have collectively been called the Class of ’72 … for the most part this amazing collection remains the crème de la crème of American winemaking … perhaps best known for consistency of excellence.” Olmsted listed Silver Oak as a personal favorite, adding that he isn’t alone: “Silver Oak is famous not just for high-quality aged reds, but for the food friendly approach it takes, which is why these are beloved by sommeliers and on just about every great wine list.”

David lists Silver Oak’s 1985 Alexander Valley as his personal ‘epiphany wine.’ “For whatever reason, that was the first wine that I tasted and had an ‘ah-ha!’ moment,” he said. “I was in my early 20s when I first tasted that wine. Even today when I have the opportunity to taste it, I still love it. It’s just a special wine to me, though it’s vastly different today than when I first tasted it.”

Part of Silver Oak’s appeal is its dedication to aging wines before their release. “By aging our wine in the bottle prior to release, we’re able to achieve a full-bodied flavor with moderate alcohol. Ultimately, our approach creates Cabernet Sauvignons that are deliciously drinkable upon release, and perfect for pairing with food,” said David. “There’s no hurrying up growing the vine or growing the grapes. There’s no pushing the fermentation. It takes us five years to make our product, and I can’t think of doing it any other way.”

While the wines are ready for consumption from their release, cellaring is encouraged. Silver Oak keeps a selection of past vintages in its wine library, and sells them for an unheard-of bargain: current price, plus $5 for each year that has passed. David said, “While our wines are already aged extensively before release, one of our founding philosophies is to hold back limited quantities of each vintage to show their ageability. There seem to be two approaches when people buy our library wines – looking for the vintages that stand out among California wines, or seeking out the vintages that commemorate important personal life events such as anniversaries, graduations or the birth of a child. I recommend buying one of each.”

David, the CEO of Silver Oak since 2002, has a humble philosophy when it comes to wine. “Wine should be consumed with food and friends at a table,” he said. “That’s really what we have focused on from the beginning – not making wines to win points, but for people to enjoy. ‘Life is a Cabernet’ is our slogan, and certainly for Silver Oak, that’s what we do. We work incredibly hard to follow our path to excellence. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, we try to make an excellent product that’s world class, and we realize that wine is really about fun and friends and family.”

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