Over the years, I've found that the wines from Napa I'm most fond of (Cabs at least), tend to come from Oakville. Harlan, Mondavi Oakville, Oakville Estate (one of my first "wow" wines), and, most recently, Rudd - just to name a few.

Can anyone describe the nuances (weather conditions, level of sunshine, warmth, etc...) of Oakville that make it unique to Napa? Admittedly, I'm none too familiar with the layout of the valley and if I was dropped there, wouldn't know Howell Mtn from Alexander Valley.

great question. i too love oakville wines as well cabs from the sld area.

mdriver: Here is a website with some decent information about the region.

Napa Valley Region Info

And another one...

Oakville Winegrowers

More simply, the region is an alluvial fan.