The 2013 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Bucher Vineyard was the winning bottle in the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was not decanted and served after dinner on a warm Summer night.
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.
John Bucher has been growing Pinot Noir for Williams Selyem since 1999. His vineyard is broken into three distinct areas: L Block, House Block and the Raspberry Block.
Crimson in color. 13.5% ABV. Pretty nose of red fruits, cloves and baking spices. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Cherry, blood orange, iron and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. The wine has a unique rustic quality that is immensely appealing. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 93 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended. The 2020 version of this wine should be released in the next few weeks and I believe will be priced at $75.
I wrote about Williams Selyem previously in Reflections on Two Days in Russian River Valley and The 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.