The 96 Alex. is not up to Silver Oaks Standars. Will not stay long on the silver Oak band wagon at this price.

If this wine were $30 I would be writing a steller review. But it isn't. The wine was fuller bodied. It did not open up or get plump for about 1.5 hours after opening -- perhaps it should have been decanted. Lots of condensed fruit and some herb. Well structured, but nothing that blew me away -- probably because I was expecting more. I wouldn't get this again -- there are much better Cabs for the price.

1996 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley * 100% Cabernet * Purple, almost indigo hues in the color, very foreboding in that sense. The bouquet, out of the bottle, is not so much a bouquet as it is a study in wood. You smell little or no fruit, a lot of oak, smoke, and leather. The taste is equally fruitless, ti-tanic, and wound up. You get the feeling that you forgot to take the wrapper off of the fruit candy that you know is in there. - 48 hours later it opens up beautifully, the cassis, the raspberry, and the cherries, are all there, working together in the leather and smoke filled mid palate. The finish leaves the same, and it leaves it for awhile. While not a ’95, this one will need some serious lay down time before it can be approached. * In about ten years this will go great with grilled meats, richer beef based dishes, etc... * $$$$ * 3stars * Unfortunately the hype far outweighs the delivery, and I am aware of the punishment I will receive for thinking and speaking against the establishment...