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. In 2024 Domaine Faiveley a historic family-owned wine producer from Burgundy led by Erwan Faiveley, acquired the controlling stake following a minority investment in 2020
The 2019 Williams Selyem Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a blend sourced from several high-quality vineyards within the Sonoma Coast appellation. Key vineyard sources for this specific bottling include Drake Estate, Starkey, Putnam, Falstaff and Terra de Promissio
Ruby red in color. 13.9% ABV. Beautiful nose of red fruits, cloves, baking spices and rose petals. Medium body with perfect acidity. Smooth and supple with lush, earthy fruits. Cherry, cranberry, pomegranate and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Really delicious Appellation Pinot Noir that you can enjoy while the single vineyard wines age just a little bit longer. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 94 points.
Williams Selyem can periodically be found at retail, but the mailing list is highly recommended. The 2024 version of this wine should be released this Fall. If you are a member of the Williams Selyem mailing list you would be well advised to buy any Zinfandel they offer on their next mailer including the Bacigalupi.