2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Wine lovers have counted Silver Oak’s Napa Valley Cab as one of California’s bar-setting reds for nearly 50 years—yet none of those vintages has been better than 2016. 

A hot summer relented in August, when cool temperatures allowed Cabernet to hang longer and slowly ripen to perfection. Before the wines were even in barrel, winemakers and critics were hailing 2016 as a landmark year for Napa Valley. And when it was all said and done, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate deemed the 2016 vintage as perfect as any in Napa history, awarding it a rare 98 points. 

Incredibly rich and perfectly integrated, the 2016 is overflowing with aromas of blackberry, currant, chocolate, and crème caramel, supported by hints of earth, allspice, violets, and sweet tobacco. It’s supremely velvety, seamless, and smooth, with captivating notes of plum and blackberry supported by exotic spices, toasted coconut, and allspice.

Silver Oak has helped drive American interest in fine wine since the 1970s—a fact that can explain their ascent, but doesn’t scratch the surface of what has kept them at the top for nearly 50 years. In fact, their impeccable quality seems to be on cruise control only because of a restless desire to improve.

“We have yet to make our best bottle of wine,” Silver Oak's Matt Duncan often says. It’s the forward-looking family’s mantra at Silver Oak, and it may be true—but it’ll be pretty tough to beat the outstanding 2016.