If you've driven on Silverado Trail in Napa, you've likely come across Silverado Vineyards and noticed its famous neighbors like Stag's Leap Winery, Odette, Pine Ridge and Chimney Rock.
We have tasted many different Silverado wines over the years, and they consistently deliver quality at price points that are often times lower than the big names that surround them.
Most recently before this wine, we tasted the 2013 Silverado Mt George Merlot from the recently designated Napa region of Coombsville and it was outstanding for $30.
Costco's price on this Cabernet is just a bit more at $32.99, which seems like a bargain considering retail is around $50, and Wine.com is selling for $42.
This wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot and it is assembled from three different vineyards in Stag’s Leap, Mt. George and Oakville Station.
Overall, we found this to be classic Napa Cabernet at a fair price, something not easily found nowadays. It's a clear step up from the inconsistent, and often overpriced bottles you find under $20. Plus I love the '13 vintage in Napa.
This wine has big dark fruit all over the nose and in the mouth. Tons of blueberry with some mineral and wet stone; balanced oak adds to the finish; Still a little tight, so I'd recommend a decant for sure.
From a price to quality perspective, this wine delivers. It's not your everyday table wine at this price, but when you want a nice Napa Cab that you can enjoy and find interesting at every taste, this is a solid choice at a fair price.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points
Costco item number: 78465
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 14.6%
Mark MacIntyre says
Andrew: how does this Wine rank on the “Oak-o-Meter”? For me, too many Napa (and California!) wines are ruined by massive barrel flavors. They are introduced, presumably, to garner big scores from the Wine Dictator, Parker & his acolytes, etc. Not for me!
As my winemaker friend Matt says: “in many cases, strong oak flavors are introduced to mask winemaking flaws or errors. Wine’s about fruit, NOT wood! Most modern, industrially-produced wine should be re-labeled as ‘Chateau Home Depot’!”
Editor says
Hi Mark, I agree with everything you say and am not a fan of the over oaked wines either. On this one the oak is present but i thought it was subtle enough that it didn’t turn me off from the wine at all.
Harry Scarborough says
Thank you for the review. Please correct your review with the correct spelling of the AVA: Coombsville
Editor says
Noted, and change has been made.
Joe Roberts says
I remember visiting the winery on Silverado Trail in the early 90’s. I enjoyed the wine then but haven’t followed it much in recent years. A couple things I remeber from the visits: one is that the initial money for the winery came from Walt Disney’s immediate heirs—- have no idea if they are still involved. Also due to a phylloxera epidemic in Napa this winery was one of the worst hit and looking out on the fields at the estate grounds most of the vines were in the process of being removed, then to be replanted.