1994 Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
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Tasting notes
(13.6% alcohol; tasted from a magnum): Healthy deep red-ruby. Truffle, graphite, mocha, dark cherry, earthy underbrush and a hint of peppery herbs on the nose. Supple in texture, showing a distinctly herbaceous component but also good remaining spicy fruit. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins. A fine-grained if slightly green Cabernet with very good length and firm tannic clout. Full of life but then this is a magnum.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1994 and 1995 Cabernet Sauvignons possess tart acidic profiles similar to the 1994 and 1995 Merlots, but they also exhibit more fruit, intensity, and character. They reveal aromas of nicely smoked, toasty barrels, ripe cherry and redcurrant fruit, and medium-bodied, moderately tannic personalities. The 1995 contains sweeter fruit than the more streamlined, compressed 1994. Both wines should age well for 10-15 years. I realize its wines are commercially successful, but to my mind, this winery still practices the lamentable technique of adding too much acidity to their wines, particularly the reds. The wines too often possess a compact, compressed, tart character, simply because the added acidity lowers the wine's PH, obstructing and shielding the wine's texture, expansiveness, and flavors behind an abrasive wall of acid. Tel. (707) 257-1770; Fax (707) 257-1538