The 2005 Williams Selyem Chardonnay Allen Vineyard was the winning bottle in the April installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The intent of this installment was to test the ageability of some favorite Russian River Valley Chardonnays.
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 wine has a great golden color and checks in at 14.8% ABV. Exquisite aromas of tropical fruits, lemon oil, minerals and vanilla. Rich and concentrated with a burst of acidity. The palate shows pineapple, lemon, apple, pear, slate and minerals. The finish is exceptionally long. Great showing. The Chardonnay program at Williams Selyem should not be overlooked. Drink over the next year or so.
My rating: 94 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended.
In other news it was announced recently that Bob Cabral will be leaving Williams Selyem after the 2014 vintage is harvested. This is a huge blow to Williams Selyem and one that needs to be closely monitored by fans of the winery.
I wrote about Williams Selyem recently in Reflections on Two Days in Russian River Valley.
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to Zinfandel Chronicles updates by email.