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 the Lone Oak Vineyard,
the Bucher Vineyard, the Foss Vineyard, the Flax Vineyard and from the
Terra de Promissio Vineyard.
Crimson in color. 13.8% ABV. Spellbinding nose of red fruits, cloves, cherry cola and forest floor. Medium body with perfect acidity. Exceedingly elegant and graceful. Bing cherry, baking spices, black tea and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. You can’t ask for more from a WS appellation wine. Tremendous value at the $39 price. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 93 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.