If you want to talk about the upper echelon, creme de la creme Pinot Noir producers from California, you simply cannot leave Williams Selyem out of the conversation. From the very first time Burt Williams and Ed Selyem made wine as a hobby, people flocked to the guys for a chance to buy their wines. The winery focuses on only the highest quality vineyards, and take the utmost care of the grapes upon arrival. Current winemaker Jeff Mangahas (who was formerly winemaker at Hartford), continues to focus on these exceptional vineyards, and had the know-how to bring out the best from each parcel. The Williams Selyem wines drink beautifully upon release, and we have opened up bottlings that were close to 20 years old that were magical! For years, we have received very small quantities of the Williams Selyem wines (often as little as 1 bottle of certain vineyard designations) but after a trip to NorCal at the start of the pandemic, our buyer was able to finally secure enough to offer these gems to a select few!
WINEMAKER COMMENTS: "Exotic and brooding upon first nosing, this wine transports you to a different place. The Sonoma Coast, with its rugged landscape and long growing season, produces wine tending towards savory notes with excellent structure. Black and blue fruits are counterpointed with hints of tarragon and dried thyme. Dark fruits and citrus the tannins build on the palate with a wonderful mineral driven conclusion."
WINEMAKER COMMENTS: "Exotic and brooding upon first nosing, this wine transports you to a different place. The Sonoma Coast, with its rugged landscape and long growing season, produces wine tending towards savory notes with excellent structure. Black and blue fruits are counterpointed with hints of tarragon and dried thyme. Dark fruits and citrus the tannins build on the palate with a wonderful mineral driven conclusion."