Williams Selyem Winery began with Ed Selyem and Burt Williams making wine as a hobby in 1979 in a garage in Forestville, California, releasing their first commercial vintage in 1981. In less than two decades, Burt and Ed created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Setting a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking, they put Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the forefront of the best Pinot Noir regions in the world. Today John and Kathe Dyson, who purchased the winery from Burt and Ed in 1998, work with winemaker Bob Cabral to carry on the passion for Pinot Noir without compromise.
Vista Verde Vineyard is located a couple miles southeast of Hollister, California near the small town of Tres Pinos in San Benito County. This heavy limestone vineyard is separated into blocks that include clones such as Calera, Canada and Pommard.
Ruby red in color and almost clear on the edges. Cherries, cranberry and pomegranate on the nose. Black cherry, salted caramels, forest floor and a hint of cola on the palate. The finish tails off ever so slightly. A lovely example of a 10 year old California Pinot Noir, though it lacks the vibrancy of the 2001 bottling we opened a few months ago.
My rating: 90 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended. The current vintage of this wine is about $60 off the mailing list.
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