Meyer Family Spitfire Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – 94+ Points

This impressive new release features lavish quantities of sultry dark fruit and inviting notes of caramel and vanilla from two years of rich American oak maturation. Dense and exotic with flamboyant personality, this wine is so well-balanced and loaded with complex dimensions it should impress long time Silver Oak fans despite the relatively modest price. Enjoy tonight (after decanting half an hour) and age gracefully for another 3 – 5 years, peaking in 2014 in our estimate. 94+

Buy this wine at Porthos

Produced by Meyer Family Cellars

Silver Oak’s Twomey Pinot Noir 2006

Twomey Pinot Noir 2006

For the last few years, Silver Oak has been quietly crafting a boutique Pinot Noir sourced from historic vineyards near the original Williams Selyem in the prized Russian River Valley of Sonoma. Today, Porthos is finally able to offer this wine online. This is a big fleshy Pinot with exotic flavors built to age but it will drink beautifully now if decanted for an hour.  

Apart from their acclaimed Merlot, Twomey’s wines are generally only available via their mailing list or at the winery’s tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma.

BUY: Silver Oak Twomey Pinot Noir 2006

If Silver Oak’s Boutique Cabernet Neighbor (only 75 cases)…….

Blue Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 BEST BARREL

INSIDER SCOOP: If Silver Oak had a “Reserve” Bottling this would be it as only 2 barrels (70 cases) were produced! Porthos’ Friend/client Kenny Kahn makes this tremendous wine sourced from his vineyards directly adjacent to Silver Oak Alexander Valley “Estate” vineyards.

THE WINE INSIDERS “OUTSTANDING 95″ RATING: “Sophisticated and elegant this new Blue Rock “Reserve” Cabernet release features delicious notes of black currant, creme de cassis, black cherry, and subtle toasted vanilla oak on the long finish The attention to detail is obvious in the wines’ elegance and velvety texture. Ready to enjoy now (after decanting an hour), yet with the depth and structure to age and improve for the next 7 years, peaking in 2014 in our opinion. 95 points”

This wine is currently available for $79 (click here)

ALERT: Silver Oak’s “Boutique” Neighbor!

Blue Rock’s vineyards sits high in the Alexander Valley in ‘Cabernet Heaven’ directly adjacent to Silver Oak Cellars‘ Estate vineyard. However, Blue Rock is still a truly undiscovered “boutique” winery producing a fraction of the amount of wine as their world famous neighbor and selling primarily to their own private mailing list (for about $20 less)! We just sampled this “sensational” new release (see 93 point rating below) and proclaim it a guaranteed winner for any big Cabernet lover. Plus, since Blue Rock is totally under-the-radar it is still available for 1/2 price of many of their famous neighbors and comparable quality Napa Cabernet. Proprietor Kenny Kahn is a very entertaining fellow and clearly hitting his stride producing some of the finest micro-production Cabernet in California currently. Kahn and winemaker Nick Goldschmidt also produce very, very tiny lots of his “Best Barrel” program Cabernet. This is the closest thing you’ll ever find to a Silver Oak “Reserve” bottling because the totally production is only 70 cases!

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SILVER OAK ALEXANDER VALLEY = Our comments

This new release is even more age worthy than the last release. While not exactly an ‘undisovered/insider’ wine, Silver Oak continues to lay claim as the #1 collector wine and seems to even defy economic cycles.

THE WINE INSIDERS TASTING NOTES (07/08): “The new 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons reveals a seductive array of flavors deftly melded together across a seamlessly smooth texture. Starting with trademark aromas of cedar and new American oak this sensuous wine delivers spicy herb flavors and nutmeg plus restrained fruit flavors that include plum, blackberry, cassis that should blossom over the next decade. The finish reveals hints of semi sweet cocoa and cappuccino. This Cabernet is a bold experience now with ultra-plush tannins that should bode well for aging 5 – 7 years. ”

Currently this wine is available for $69 (Click Here)