Bottle Notes, Pinot Noir

2010 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County – Bottle Notes

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 wine was sourced from Bucher Vineyard, Drake Estate Vineyard, Foss Vineyard, Lone Oak Vineyard and the Williams Selyem Estate Vineyard.

Ruby red in color. 13.9% ABV. Pretty nose of red fruits, cloves, sarsaparilla and forest floor. Medium body with medium acidity. Silky and elegant. Cranberry, pomegranate, cherry cola and minerals on the palate. Medium length on the finish. The Sonoma County Appellation wine is not meant to be aged this long but this Pinot has help up beautifully. Best over the next year or so.

My rating: 90 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.

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