SILVER PALM // STAYING TRUE // A GOOD CABERNET

SILVER PALM // STAYING TRUE // A GOOD CABERNET
By Jon Rogers

This review is of Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 from the North Coast of California, USA. According to Silver Palm Wines the grapes for this varietal come only from the California North Coast, including Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.
This area is greatly influenced by cooler coastal air and ocean fog. And as a result, the climate is perfect for cultivating the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Per the tasting notes, “2010 was a very cool growing year punctuated by two notable heat spikes, which ultimately benefited many of the vineyards.” Also, the notes say that the overall quality of the fruit was very good and they called it a “European” vintage.
Silver Palm’s winemaker is Matt Smith and he became the winemaker for Silver Palm in 2010.
Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 is actually a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot.
Alcohol content of Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon is 13.9% by volume according to the bottle.
Price for Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon was $17.99.
In appearance, this wine is very dark plum in color with a slightly garnet rim. Hardly any light shines through. The wine is leggy, but the legs are slow to develop. Once they started, there were many and they took a long time to fall down the glass.
Silver Palm Cabernet is very aromatic. I noticed it immediately upon pouring and the deep cherry aroma was noticeable from well over a foot away from the glass. I sensed aromas of earth, tobacco and clove closer to the glass. There was also a slightly noticeable sting of alcohol in the nose.
To me, the Silver Palm’s taste was of pure Cabernet Sauvignon. There was little else to get in the way and I found it very enjoyable. Like many Cabernet wines it is a bit dry, but not in a bad way. I called it “nothing but grape.”
Very well balanced tannins were noticed all over the mouth. Mouthfeel of Silver Palm Cabernet was soft and cottony.
The wine’s finish was long with a slight hint of bitterness toward the end.
Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable, well structured and smooth wine to drink. It wasn’t overly complex, it just stayed true to being a good Cabernet with consistent flavor. I described as “seamless” in my notes. Recommend!

See more of Jon Rogers’ wine reviews at www.honestwinereviews.com