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!
JEB DUNNUCK 92+ POINTS - "The 2024 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is fantastic on the nose, with aromas of brambly wild berries, windswept herbs, pine needles, spice, and sous bois. Bright ruby red in color, it has gravelly definition to the tannins and is raised entirely in François Frères barrels. Drink 2026-2041."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Matured for 11 months in 43% new French oak, the 2024 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is scented of bramble fruit, lavender, saline, conifer and damp earth. Medium-bodied, it has crunchy, perfumed fruit and fine-grained tannins. It’s balanced by mouthwatering acidity and has a long, bitters-laced finish. 1,550 cases were made."
JEB DUNNUCK 92+ POINTS - "The 2024 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is fantastic on the nose, with aromas of brambly wild berries, windswept herbs, pine needles, spice, and sous bois. Bright ruby red in color, it has gravelly definition to the tannins and is raised entirely in François Frères barrels. Drink 2026-2041."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Matured for 11 months in 43% new French oak, the 2024 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is scented of bramble fruit, lavender, saline, conifer and damp earth. Medium-bodied, it has crunchy, perfumed fruit and fine-grained tannins. It’s balanced by mouthwatering acidity and has a long, bitters-laced finish. 1,550 cases were made."
