Williams Selyem Calegari Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
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Tasting Panel
Bright and juicy nose from a vineyard that exemplifies true Russian River Valley style; sleek, velvety, and elegant with ripe raspberry and cherry fruit; fresh and tangy; an ethereal example for anyone wanting to make wine from this exalted variety.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Well-ripened and fairly bright at one and the same time with vigorous, young, distinctly cherry-like fruit in control at every stop, this nicely composed effort shows great continuity and crafting and is, in the manner of fine Pinot, both tantalizingly rich and wonderfully light on its feet. It should prove to be a wine that ages with real grace owing to its exceptional energy and balance, but it is so easy to like now that waiting will not come easy.
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Connoisseurs'
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Williams Selyem Winery began as a simple dream of two friends, Ed Selyem and Burt Williams, who pursued weekend winemaking as a hobby in 1979 in a garage in Forestville, California, and made their first commercial vintage in 1981. In less than two decades, Burt and Ed created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Together they set a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking in the United States, aligning Sonoma County's Russian River Valley in the firmament of the best winegrowing regions of the world. Today John and Kathe Dyson, who purchased the winery from Burt and Ed in 1998, carry on the passion for Pinot Noir winemaking without compromise. As for the wines... they just keep getting better and better.
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.