Silver Oak Napaernet Sauvignon

This Cabernet Sauvignon from Silver Oak is a US red. The label reads "Napaernet Sauvignon", a spelling variant of the grape name, so check the bottle for the vintage and exact bottling. Cabernet Sauvignon at this level usually shows blackcurrant, black cherry and cedar, with dried herbs, graphite or tobacco leaf coming through as it opens. Expect a full-bodied wine with firm tannins and moderate to fairly high acidity. Silver Oak's Cabernet style is generally associated with American oak, which tends to add vanilla, coconut and sweet spice. Treat those oak notes as the likely house character, not a measured profile of this particular bottle. Because the tannins in a wine like this are grippy, it does best with fat and salt. Grilled ribeye, lamb chops with rosemary, short ribs and burgers with sharp cheddar all soften the structure and bring out the fruit. Aged hard cheeses such as Gouda or Manchego work well too, and so do mushroom-heavy dishes where roasting adds savory depth. Skip delicate fish and anything with heavy chili heat, since both clash with the tannin and oak. Serve it at about 16 to 18°C, which is cellar temperature and a few degrees below a warm room. Served too warm, the alcohol and oak can come across as heavy. If the bottle is young, decant it for 45 to 60 minutes, or pour it into a large vessel and let it breathe. This softens the tannins and opens up the aromatics. A large Bordeaux-style glass with a tall bowl gives the wine room to open and directs the aromas toward the nose. Cabernet Sauvignon with this structure can be opened now with food and a decant. It can also be cellared for several years, since the tannin and acidity give it staying power. Lay the bottle on its side in a cool, dark place at a steady temperature. If you plan to hold it, look up the vintage on the label so you can judge where it sits in its drinking window.