1973 Silver Oak North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

In 1972 Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer founded Silver Oak Cellars with the idea of making only one varietal – Cabernet Sauvignon. Meyer was a winemaker for Christian Brothers and Duncan brought his business background to the enterprise, and the winery has over the years proved to be one of the most successful in the state. Critics and connoisseurs admire Silver Oak’s polished style, and more than 35 years after its founding the winery still makes only Cabernet Sauvignon, sometimes blended with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The winery owns 200 acres of vineyards in Alexander Valley and 15 in Napa Valley. About 50,000 cases are produced each year. Justin Meyer sold his shares of the winery to the Duncan family in 2001, and a second generation of Duncans is fully involved with winery operations.

North Coast AVA includes California’s most prestigious sub-appellations and vineyards. The three million acre area includes vineyards in six counties north of San Francisco and nearly 50 sub-appellations. The Napa Valley and Sonoma County AVAs are just two of the renowned sub-appellations included in the North Coast designation, which also includes the AVAs Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Stag’s Leap and Rutherford, which are all among the most acclaimed wine producing districts in California. The North Coast AVA designation is generally used for wines made by blending grapes grown in several counties or AVAs. The appellation includes part of the counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Marin, Solano and Lake.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.