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.
The Pinot Noir for this blend was sourced from Allen Vineyard, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Bucher Vineyard, Flax Vineyard, and Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard.
Light red in color. 14.2% ABV. Amazing nose of red and black fruits, cloves, baking spices and sarsaparilla. Light to medium body with just enough acidity. Pretty and elegant. Black cherry, strawberry, cranberry, earth and minerals on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. The bright fruit I expect seems to be fading ever so slightly. Best over the next year or so.
My rating: 91 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended.
I wrote about Williams Selyem previously in Reflections on Two Days in Russian River Valley and The 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
Nice to hear the WS Neighbors is representing, I have a handful of their other bottlings from that year!
Thanks Craig. I still have a few as well including Flax, Hirsch and Coastlands.