Williams Selyem Heintz Chardonnay 2016
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The vibrant yellow color is attractive and excites the senses. Hints of yellow apple and cardamom dominate the nose, with subtle notes of fresh-cut pineapple and vanilla bean layered underneath. Elements of wet stone and mango weave into the wonderful aromatics. There is excellent focus in the mouth, with flavors of pineapple, Gravenstein apple, and pear. A flavor and sensation of apple skin frames the richness of the mid-palate. The classic Goldridge dustiness captures the attention of the palate with a wonderfully broad and expansive finish. Another classic Heintz Chardonnay to enjoy now with fresh Dungeness crab.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard reveals a gorgeous nose of honey-drizzled peaches, pink grapefruit and spiced pears with touches of beeswax and clotted cream. Medium to full-bodied with a wonderfully creamy texture, it fills the palate with stone fruit, spices and savory notions, lifted by a racy line and finishing long. 288 cases produced.
-
Wine Enthusiast
High-toned citrus is wrapped in youthful oak in this integrated, textured wine that's medium in weight and ripeness. A dustiness of crushed rock and nutmeg ride along the underside of the palate, lending nuance and savory balance to the fruit before a bolt of acidity hits the fresh, focused finish.
-
Wine & Spirits
From a vineyard in Occidental at an altitude of 1,000 feet, this chardonnay is filled with crunchy green-pear flavor. The texture has glycerol richness, making the wine feel a little warm in the end. A satisfying chardonnay to serve with a roast veal chop.
Other Vintages
2018-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Wong
Wilfred -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
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.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.