Williams Selyem Winery began when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams started making wine as a hobby in 1979 in Forestville, California. Their first commercial release was in 1981, and in less than two decades they 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.
The fruit for the ’05 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is primarily from the Drake Estate Vineyard in Guerneville.
Light red. Almost translucent in color. 13.9% ABV. Forest floor, black cherry and flower on the nose. Medium body and perfect acidity. Cherries, baking spice, cinnamon, clove and just a hint of cola on the palate. Slight tannins on the long, exquisite finish. This wine has aged beautifully and truly bodes well for the ’05 Russian River Valley single vineyard wines from Williams Selyem.
My rating: 92 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended. Current vintages of the Russian River Valley bottling are approximately $50 off the mailing list and at retail.
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