It had been a long day of tasting wine, a statement which tends to elicit little pity from most people, yet to those who travel as I do, tasting at as many as a dozen wineries a day, it no doubt resonates. It was hot in Napa in late June this year and, far from home, what I really wanted was just to be at home and put my feet up. “Just one more winery today,” I told my traveling companion, who was equally tired and ready for dinner. Our bodies and our palates fatigued, we parked the car on a little Yountville side street and mustered up as much enthusiasm as we could before stepping inside.

It may be bias, but in that moment Silver Trident Winery filled a need. Upon entering, we were instructed to sit wherever we liked — in the living room, the dining room, even in the library. The tasting room doubles as a show room for Ralph Lauren, and as such is essentially an elegantly decorated home in which tasters can simply sit back and have a glass of wine. I’ll say more in a future review of the tasting room itself, but for now suffice it to say that to two weary travelers, it was just what we needed. We seated ourselves in the living area on a plush leather couch and began to relax.

The Silver Trident Cabernet is cleverly titled “Twenty Seven Fathoms”, a nod to the old-world/new-world style of the wine. Twenty-seven fathoms was the depth of the Panama Canal, at least until recently, which served as a gateway for ships between the old and new worlds.  2012 Silver Trident Cabernet is full in body, smooth, gentle, and approachable, yet undeniably Californian in its fruit forwardness and structure. 100% varietal, it drinks well now, though I’d be inclined to lay it down for a few more years, were I in possession of a bottle.  It paired very well with some nibbles, and would surely do well with hearty fare as well. I’m thinking steak, but then, I’m almost always thinking steak. Especially in the comfort of my own home — or Ralph Lauren’s.  89 points on my scale, and recommended.