Winemaker Notes
The aromas of wild blackberries, black truffle, earth and minerals dominate the nose completely in this vintage. Concentrated flavors of blackberry cobbler, cinnamon, and cherry cola are complemented by the silky grape and oak tannins in the finish. This wine shows much more fruit-driven complexity than I have seen in past vintages.
The Weir Vineyard is located near Yorkville in Mendocino County. Fifteen acres are planted on a south-facing slope of a steep old sheep ranch. The altitude is just under 1,000 feet, and the climate is classic warm days and cool nights. Weir Vineyard is planted with clones Romanee-Conti, Wadenswil 2-A, and Rochioli. The vines are cane pruned with vertical shoot positioning, and plant density of 1,000 vines per acre.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Williams Selyem's best Weir ever. Shows vast richness of flavor, with a flood of wild red berry currant, cherry pie, Dr. Pepper, Asian spice and smoky oak flavors, with hints of roasted meat and mocha. Yet it displays gorgeous structure. The tannins are as refined as anything in California. Great now, and should evolve for a decade in a cool cellar.
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.”
A unique appellation placed in between the warm, Sonoma County Alexander Valley and the cooler Mendocino County's Anderson Valley, the Yorkville Highlands’ gravel soils are ideal for Bordeaux varieties and other full-bodied reds.