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.
Ruby red in color. 14.2% ABV. Dark fruits, mushrooms and cherry cola on the nose. Light and delicate with nice acidity. Cherry pie, strawberries, raspberries and baking spice on the palate. I’ve seen recent notes that this wine is past it’s prime. Perhaps not in your face fruit like Kosta Browne or Sojourn but still a gorgeous wine. Drink over the next year. Always a great value at about $40 from the winery.
My rating: 91 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 and The Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
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I had a 2001 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard at Steven’s bday party down in W2 in April and it was one of my favorites of the weekend!