Williams Selyem Sonoma County Pinot Noir
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The Pinot Noir for this blend was sourced from the following vineyards: Drake, Klopp, MacGregor, Putnam, Olivet Lane, and Starkey.
- Sourced from many parts of the Russian River Valley and the Coast, this wine offers a broad brushstroke of the beauty of our diverse fruit sources.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: Barrel aged 11 months, 38% new, 36% 1 yr., 26% 2 yr-old barrels.
Tasting Notes: Layered and complex, the Sonoma County Pinot Noir offers strawberry and cherry fruit notes with hints of oolong tea. Clove and wood spices add further depth and intrigue. Red fruits on the palate with citrus peel undertones overlay onto the supple tannin structure that is refined and elegant.
PRESS
2021 – 95 James Suckling | 94 Wine Spectator | 93 Wine Advocate
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Willams Selyem Winery was founded almost by accident. In the 1970s, a grower gave a few tons of free grapes to Burt Williams. He and his friend, Ed Selyem, decided to make their own wine – a Pinot Noir.
The partners only wanted to make wine for themselves but, as fate would have it, they were very good at it. Soon, their wine developed a cult-like following among those they shared it with. Ultimately, their experiment elevated Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley to among the best wine-growing regions in the world.
Once Burt and Ed decided to start a serious winery, they vowed to make handcrafted wines that would set the standard for excellence. Burt, a veteran newspaper pressman, made the first labels using an old letterpress and hand-mixed inks. Today, the philosophy at Williams Selyem is to respect the grapes. Their wine has been served at the White House and their 2007 Estate Pinot Noir was the first to score a perfect 100 in a major wine publication.