2013 Silvestri, Barbera, Estate, Carmel Valley.
Alan Silvestri’s estate in Carmel Valley is really coming into it’s own, producing many fine offerings and especially good in this 2013 vintage is the estate Barbera which is fast becoming one of my favorite Carmel Valley wines. Alan Silvestri, the Oscar winning composer, is a Syrah lover and his two Syrah bottlings are really good too, then there is his promising Pinot Noirs, which are the best yet in 2013, along with a new Pinot Noir Rose that is showing nicely, but I just adore his Barbera, it is a lovely wine with deep fruit and bright acids making for a very pleasing and balanced effort. I love highlighting wines from my hometown, I’m very proud of the place and it is great to see a new generation of winemaking and varietals become successful, for a longtime it was only Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc with tiny amounts of Chardonnay that made any impression, but now there is much more quality stuff showing up and scores of new wineries, the main grape now showing the most promise is Pinot Noir and Carmel Valley has about a dozen producers making superb wines, Silvestri, Holman Ranch, Albatross Ridge, Figge and more are doing some of the most exciting. Syrah also is doing well and a few whites, like Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier and Galante is doing a great Sauvignon Blanc, so Carmel Valley is on a roll, and in particular Silvestri is an estate to discover, and if you are in Carmel-by-the-Sea you should sample the wines at their tasting room, between San Carlos and Dolores Streets on 7th. The 2013 Silvestri Estate Barbera starts with crushed raspberry, mixed flowers and spices with a deep garnet hue in the glass leading to a palate of tangy blackberry, bing cherry, plum and dried currant fruit along with light tannins and lifting acidity that give the wine focus. In the background there is minty herbs, chalk dust, strawberry, blueberry and basil notes as well as soft cedar and a hint of anise in this easy and medium weight Barbera, it is drinking delightful and fresh now, but should prove to be solid short to mid-term effort, best from 2016 to 2020, though I really think it is ready to go now, especially with pasta, pizza, burgers and even BBQ, this is tasty and interesting Piedmonte inspired wine.
($28 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
