Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018 (75cl, 14.5%)

A Bordeaux-style red blend from Napa Valley, California, bottled at 14.5% ABV in a 750ml bottle. The 2018 vintage is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15.2% Merlot, 5.1% Cabernet Franc, 3.2% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Malbec, aged in 85% new American oak. The final blend is assembled before barrel ageing, allowing the wine's character to develop as a unified composition from the start. The nose opens with saturated dark fruit, blackberry and blueberry, layered with graphite and ultra-dark chocolate, with fresh carnation, violets and black pepper emerging as it opens. The palate is plush and fruit-forward, with candied plums, crushed cherries, cranberry and currant, then vanillin, dill, toast, bay leaf and spicebush. The finish is long and layered, with liquorice, vanilla, dried florals and a subtle graphite minerality.