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.
Bacigalupi Vineyard is situated on Westside Road, a few miles south of the town of Healdsburg. The Zinfandel vines date back to the 1950’s.
Dark red in color. 14.5% ABV. Sublime nose of black fruits, licorice and white pepper. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Lush, rich and well balanced. Black cherry, blackberry, raspberry liqueur and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish although the fruits seems to be fading ever so slightly. Really good Zinfandel from a less than ideal vintage. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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.