Winemaker Notes
This wine has a beautiful nose that is complexed with dark berries and smoky herbs that mix with notes of crushed oyster shell and walnut skin. Tangy flavors of citrus and berries burst from the glass. The tannins are very refined, and notes of nutmeg and toasted chestnut come through on the finish. This is a very elegant offering that should be enjoyed with lighter fare.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of black raspberry sorbet, tarragon and peppercorn combine on the fresh nose of this bottling. The palate snaps with flavors of raspberry and dark pomegranate that ride zesty acidity and a chalky texture, with wild mint lingering in the background.
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Wine & Spirits
When John Dyson purchased Williams Selyem in 1998, he already owned vineyards in San Benito County. Today, the team at Williams Selyem seems to be getting the most out of those vines, growing a pinot noir that has an electric-purple color and a bright, juicy, crushed-berry richness of fruit, with subtle violet scents. It’s a simple, sleek, balanced and satisfying wine for roast duck breast.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Taking advantage of the cool Pacific breezes that arrive via gaps between the Gabilan Range and the Santa Lucia Mountains, San Benito AVA is a great Central coast source for cool climate whites and Pinot noir.