We make viticultural decisions with the final wine in mind. You’ll often hear us say, “balanced vines make balanced wines” to get across the notion that small decisions in the vineyard can impact the final wine greatly. Each vintage, nature offers subtle changes and unique propositions that demand close observation and considered response by our farming team, which sees every choice as an experiment, something to learn from. Our mantra, “we have yet to make our best bottle of wine,” drives work in the vineyard as we constantly hone the way we irrigate, prune, and plant. When it comes to improvement, nothing is out of the question; it is the force that drives us.

Thanks to differences in site, our Napa Valley and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons each convey their own unique and classic expression, consistently observable across vintages and decades. Density and complexity mark the Napa Valley wine, with a tight, intricate weave of lush fruits and warm, earthy spice. By comparison, the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon’s material is more silken and lithe, flowingly structured with brighter berry fruit and high-toned spice.

Without our incredible and passionate vineyard and cellar teams, grapegrowing would not be possible. The work of many hands goes into each bottle of Silver Oak, with each contributor bringing unique perspective to the process. To that end, we look for a diverse team, comprising people of different talents, backgrounds, and experience. This wealth of knowledge encourages new ideas, new processes, and better results.

Something between an art and a science, one of our most crucial annual decisions is when to pick the grapes. We employ Berry Sensory Analysis, a scientific method developed by the French Institut Coopératif du Vin to measure not only sugar, acid, pH and flavor, but also the condition of the grapes’ pulp, seeds, skin and texture. In addition, our teams have made detailed logs going back decades to provide a historical record of every vineyard and block.

The rigorous analysis combined with historical perspective and on-the-ground sensory evaluation help us make that subtle, but critical determination of optimal ripeness.