News

Newsletter - August 2016

8/15/2016

Welcome!

We appreciate your patronage and hope to keep you up to date on the latest news from the vineyard and the tasting room, (with an occasional bite from Alan's musical efforts).

From Sandra's Desk:

July/August

I had written a piece for our July newsletter that was full of interesting little snapshots of our life in Alan's career and the beautiful Carmel Valley. It was due to be released on July 15^th. But on July 14^th our world changed and it seems that in the last month there have been so many ups and downs that it has almost been hard to breathe.

Our beloved Pop, Louis Piave Silvestri passed away on July 14^th. Many of you will know him from his 25 years of living with us here on the Monterey Peninsula and most recently from his appearance at our Silvestri Vineyards Spring Release party where we honored him with his own namesake wine, our delicious "Piave" Pinot Noir. We were lucky to have had Pop in our lives for so many wonderful years and his departure leaves a tremendous hole in our daily lives. But we know he is with his beloved wife, Betty, and that they are dancing and drinking wine wherever they are.

Pop's death was immediately followed by the terrible Soberanes fire that threatened not only our home in the Highlands but continues to impact our vineyard and our lives. We are forever grateful to the brave Firefighters, Sheriffs Dept and Highway Patrol plus all of the incredible support teams that have saved our home and our vineyard plus our friends and neighbors homes. It is a dreadful fire season and we remind all of you to take care out there.

We have survived the fire and Pop's death. We know that we will continue to live in this incredible place, facing many more challenges but it is in this community that we have truly found our home and we are grateful every day for all of your support.

God Bless the Monterey Peninsula.

Salute….

From the Winemaker:

38 degrees! 38 degrees! That was the low temp in the vineyard a couple of nights ago. Are you kidding me, that is crazy. This summer has been really weird, very cool (which is good and bad) and of course full of surprises. Cool weather is good for even ripening and long hang time, both very important attributes in contributing to world class wines. Cool weather is bad because it gives mildew a greater chance of taking a stronghold on the crop, ripening occurs later which of course pushes us to the precipice of the rainy season and a real possibility that the crop will not get to optimum ripeness, and finally it was 38 degrees the other morning, what the heck!? I haven't read the Ol Farmers Almanac for the upcoming year but my left middle tow is twitching a bit and that of course is the real sign that it's gonna be an early and cold fall and winter, send out good vibes for our usual Indian Summer. In any event, as most of you know the state is on fire and the question arises about smoke taint (smoke infecting the grapes so when the wine is made it gives off not so pleasant aromas). Although the smoke has been in the valley, it hasn't been worse than 2008 and I am happy to report the wines never showed any signs of smoke taint in 2008 so let's keep our fingers crossed that we can repeat that in 2016. Finally, we have some new releases at the tasting room and they are killer. The 2014 Bella Sandra is off the charts good, and is only going to get better and better, go buy a bottle I promise you'll love it.

Cheers Frank,,,, 38 degrees!!!!!

From The Tasting Room:

With all the extra activity on the peninsula surrounding car week, our tasting room can offer a break from all that added madness. Being located right in the heart of downtown, our guests can enjoy some wonderful wines while also admiring the amazing cars that roll past our tasting room on Seventh Street. Come enjoy the fun.

The long anticipated return of the Bella Sandra Chardonnay is here, and it has become one of our top selling wines yet again. The 2014 Bella Sandra will be poured on Saturdays and Sundays for the next several weeks, so we hope you get a chance to stop by and enjoy a splash. Also, our 2014 Piave Pinot Noir has replaced the beloved 2013 Pinot Noir on the daily menu. But no need to worry, the 2013 Pinot Noir is tasting beautifully right now and it is still available for purchase in the tasting room or online. Both of our new additions, the Bella Sandra and Piave, have been waiting patiently in the wings for their time to shine, and have been well received over the last couple of weeks. We are confident that you will love them as much as we do. See you soon!

2014 Chardonnay, Bella Sandra

Tasting Notes:
Our premium Chardonnay begins with a full aroma of pineapple and honey. French oak barrel fermentation adds a creamy texture and a hint of vanilla. This is all balanced by smooth acidity in the finish.

Case Production: 184
Price:
Retail: $45
Motif Club: $38.25
Signature Club: $36

2014 Pinot Noir, Piave

Tasting Notes:
The Piave opens with an aroma of raspberry and dark cherry. It rolls around the palate with notes of clove and vanilla coming through in the middle. Finally it is soft in the finish with moderate acidity. This young wine will continue to develop over several years.

Case Production: 250
Price:
Retail: $36
Motif Club: $30.60
Signature Club: $28.80

Now Pouring:

Tasting Flight:
• 2014 Pinot Gris, Ala, Estate
• 2014 Chardonnay, Estate
• 2014 Pinot Noir, Piave, Estate
• Eugenia red blend, Estate
• 2013 Syrah, Estate
• 2014 Chardonnay, Bella Sandra, Estate (pouring on weekends only)

Also available for sale:
• 2014 Rose, Estate
• 2014 Pinot Blanc, Il Campione, Estate
• 2014 Chardonnay, Due Bambine, Estate
• 2013 Chardonnay, Bella Sandra, Estate (magnum only)
• 2013 Pinot Noir, Rising Tide, Estate (750ml and magnum available)
• 2013 Pinot Noir, Estate
• 2014 Barbera, Estate
• 2014 Late Harvest Chardonnay, Estate (375ml bottle)

Upcoming events:

Taste of Carmel – Sept 6^th

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