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 Jeff Mangahas to carry on the passion for Pinot Noir without compromise. Other varieties bottled at Williams Selyem include Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Chenin Blanc.
Allen Vineyard is on Westside road in the heart of the Russian River Valley.
Shimmering gold in color. 14.6% ABV. Powerful nose of butterscotch, honey and pears. Medium body with just enough acidity. Honeysuckle, caramel apple and marzipan on the palate. Something is a little off here. My experience with this wine is that it ages well for at least a decade. This particular bottle appears to be slightly maderized. I’ve had this wine since it was released so poor storage is not the issue. Disappointing. Drink soon.
My rating: 86 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended.
I wrote about Williams Selyem recently in Reflections on Two Days in Russian River Valley and The 2015 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
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