Home > Reviews March 2005 House & Garden Magazine "Uncorked" pp 59-60. Jay McInerney 2001 Silver Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir Richest: dark black cherry fruit. A medium- to full-bodied wine with a wonderful mouth-coating texture and a heavy dose of the Julia's Vineyard smoke. Complete. Powerful, rich, and long lasting in the mouth. $45 January 2005 L'Italo-Americano "Sleeping Beauties" by Rachel Berlin Santa Barbara News Press (April 2004) Dennis Schaefer * 2002 Silver Viognier, Vogelzang ($22): Completely typical viognier nose of apricot, peach and minerals; it has those esters that make it seem like it could pass for a fine perfume. It has a big impact on the palate, with lovely flavors of melon, peach, apricot and other stone fruits that finish soft on the back of the palate. Classic viognier that's a great partner with food. * 2000 Silver Pinot Noir, Lake Marie ($40): Plenty of bright red and black fruits here to chew on, with a Burgundian earthiness to keep things interesting. The spice rack is in evidence here as well as a pleasant touch of decaying leaves and forest floor. But the lasting impression is that of concentrated fruit that shows good finesse. * 2000 Silver Pinot Noir, Julia's ($45): Crushed berry nose, intense with flavor, but also very elegant and stylish. Its rich and dark flavors are still very much evident and, while it is soft and supple at this point, it still has room to develop. Almost syrah like in its raciness and depth. * 2001 Silver Syrah-Mourvedre, Larner ($22): This first effort from the Larner Vineyard comes off very much like a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Tar, fresh asphalt and dark fruits on the nose, with dark fruits, including dark cherries, on the palate. Black pepper, spice, saddle leather and dried cherries also insinuate themselves into this heady, full-bodied mixture that really coats the mouth. Great to serve with grilled meats. Look for the following wines to be released over the next 12 months: * 2001 Silver Nebbiolo ($22): It's hard to reduce this wine to its components because it's already showing a myriad flavor facets, as well as complexity and depth. There is the nice ripe fruit, informed with a bit of saddle leather and aged meat, but what really makes the wine work is its scintillating acidity and great finesse. * 2001 Silver Sangiovese ($28): Bright red fruits up front here, with plenty of cherry and strawberry, as well as spice, with a pinch of clove and cigar box. The fresh and ripe fruit flavors make this one so easy to drink right now, plus it's a great match-up for Italian cuisine. * 2001 Silver Cabernet Sauvignon ($30): Dark currants and red/black berry fruits are the obvious aromatics. Round, rich and full-bodied in the mouth, with the berry side of the flavors coming through, permeated by hints of chocolate. It lets up a bit on the finish but the initial wave of flavors resonate on the palate, leaving an impression of sweet fruit and suppleness. * 2001 Silver I Tre Figli (The Three Sons) ($35): A very special wine, this blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and cabernet franc is a great amalgam of berries, spice and wood, but also shows a nice floral component, too. The sangiovese contributes the fruit forward strawberry flavors, but also a sense of velvet plushness. The cabernet gives the wine depth as well as the backbone and structure for aging. And the cab franc adds dark violet and spice flavors and supple tannins to the framework. A lovely and compelling wine that will only get better with bottle age. Wine Enthusiast Magazine Wine writer: Jeff Morgan 2000 Silver Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Barbara County "Starts off with toasty cedar and spice aromas. The wine then fans out to show off cassis, blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, coffee and herb flavors. Tannins are supple, and the finish is moderate in length." 88 2000 Silver Nebbiolo, Santa Barbara County "Pretty and elegant. Winemaker Benjamin Silver has tamed Nebbiolo’s notoriously bright acidity and coarse tannins in the smooth-textured wine. It’s redolent of cherry, plum, spice, earth, cedar and toast flavors, finishing with moderate length and a tangy edge." 88 2000 Silver Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard "This is a full-bodied Pinot, packed with ripe cherry and strawberry flavors and framed in spicy nuance." 87 2000 Silver Sangiovese “Quite bold and fruity. The wine is delicious with ripe cherry and plum flavors backed by pretty chocolate and spice notes. Finishes long, with a subtle vanilla touch.” 89 2001 Silver Viognier Vogelzang Vineyard “Pretty peach, apricot, melon and spice notes frame a core of refreshing, lemon-like acidity. The finish shows a hint of vanilla and more spice.” 89 2001 Syrah-Mourvedre Larner Vineyard "Full bodied and richly textured, the wine serves up cassis, blackberry, toast, herb and licorice flavors. Tannins are fairly ripe, highlighted by bright acidity." 89 2001 Mourvedre Larner Vineyard "An inky wine that sports a core of black cherry, cassis, blackberry, spice, herbs, tar, and licorice flavors. Tannins are quite firm yet supple enough. A well made wine from an unusual variety that should age quite nicely." 90 Editor's Choice. 2001 Silver Pinot Noir Lake Marie Vineyard (Santa Barbara County) "A smooth, complex wine brimming with pretty cherry, anise, spice and herb flavors. A hint of sage and thyme adds finesse to the long finish. Well balanced and finely crafted." 90 2002 Silver Vogelzang Vineyard Viognier, Santa Barbara County "Smooth and nutty up front, with good acidity holding it together. The wine also shows pretty hints of peach, almond, pear and apple, finishing with a touch of spice." 88 Tasting Notes by Anthony Dias Blue Host Guide: 99 Bottles of Wine: The Holiday Host / Robb Report Magazine 11/03/2003 Benjamin Silver Wines 2000 Pinot Noir, Julia’s Vineyard, Santa Barbara “Another brilliant Santa Barbara Pinot with silky, deep cherry and berry flavors; complex and delicious.” American Way Magazine (2/1/2004) - Wine List All these wines are limited-release items that are definitely worth a search. Benjamin Silver Viognier Vogelzang Vineyard Santa Barbara 2001 ($24) Dark and concentrated with honey, minerals, and an excellent acid structure. Recommended Cal-Italian Wines from Epicurious.com: Benjamin Silver Sangiovese 2000: "Bursting with rich blackberry fruit and lovely juiciness." Cabernet Franc "The smoky Silver Cabernet Franc 2000, Santa Barbara has dusky tones of chocolate and plum. Eric Anderson’s www.Grape-Nutz.com Winery Visit Barrel Tasting: November 2003 Check out at: http://www.grape-nutz.com/visits/cc/03_11/journal.html#silver Wine Spectator: 2000 Silver Cabernet Franc Blueberry and blackberry flavors are concentrated and firm, with leather notes and plenty of smoky oak and firm tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2009. Santa Barbara Food & Home (Spring 2003) Wine Country, Top Cellars Editor's picks: 1998 Nebbiolo and 2000 Sangiovese These two Italian varietals could not be more different. Sangiovese, the grape that makes Chianti, wears its heart on its sleeve, so to speak: friendly, juicy, great with a grilled steak or wood-fired pizza, and ready to drink almost from the day it is bottled. Nebbiolo, from the Italian word for fog, is more mysterious, austere and tannic when young-undrinkable really, until age has softened it and revealed the grand wine it is. Barolo, arguably Italy's greatest red, is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Young winemaker Benjamin Silver has tackled both extremes here, and succeeded impressively. The Nebbiolo is barely old enough to drink now-make sure to decant it, but buy it soon because it is almost gone. At $26/bottle, it is actually a bargain for a wine worth aging. No need to wait before opening the Sangiovese. The bouquet is fully open, and it will delight your dinner guests. $28/bottle. San Francisco International Wine Competition 2003 Results Benjamin Silver Wines 2000 Santa Barbara $30 Cabernet Sauvignon GOLD 2000 Santa Barbara $25 Cabernet Franc SILVER 2000 Santa Barbara $28 Sangiovese SILVER 2000 Julia's Vineyard Santa Barbara $45 Pinot Noir SILVER 2000 Santa Barbara $22 Nebbiolo BRONZE 2004 Results 2001 Syrah-Mourvedre Larner Vineyard - Silver 2001 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard - Silver 2001 Pinot Noir Lake Marie Vineyard - Bronze 2001 Sangiovese Tepusquet Vineyard - Bronze www.sfwinecomp.com LA County Wine Fair Competition - Limited Production 2004 Results 2001 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard - Gold 2001 Pinot Noir Lake Marie Vineyard - Bronze 2001 Nebbiolo - Bronze 2001 Sangiovese Tepusquet Vineyard - Bronze 2003 Orange County Wine Competition Benjamin Silver Wines 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon - SILVER 2000 Pinot Noir Lake Marie Vineyard – BRONZE