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.
Forchini Vineyard is located near Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley and was planted a little over 100 years ago.
Light red in color and just a little cloudy. 15.6% ABV. Fragrant aromas of red fruits, spice and licorice. Perfectly balanced with bright acidity. Rich, ripe and jammy. Raspberry compote, cherries and white pepper on the palate. Zinfandel at 10 years of age does not get much better. Drink over the next year.
My rating: 94 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended. The Zinfandel program at Williams Selyem should not be overlooked. The current release Zins cost right around $50.
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.
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