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 situated on Westside Road in the Russian River Valley and was planted in 1970.
Gold in color. 14.4% ABV. Sublime nose of honey, tropical fruits and vanilla creme brulee. Full bodied with ample acidity. Big, rich and oily but lacking the freshness I would hope for. Peach, vanilla, honey and apple on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Delicious Chardonnay that is definitely ready to drink. 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. The 2018 version of this wine was released earlier this Spring.
I wrote about Williams Selyem previously in Reflections on Two Days in Russian River Valley and The 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.