2022 Williams Selyem Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, North Coast California

The wine will arrive by early July 2024, all going to plan

11 months maturation in 50% new, 50% one year old barrels.

The inaugural offering of the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir showcases one of the outstanding regions of the North Coast. Sourced from multiple vineyards, this inaugural offering is prototypical with blue fruits, black cherry and fresh herbs. The long growing season allowed for a refinement to the tannin structure while maintaining a sense of levity due to the acid freshness. The finish is lovely and compelling with a sensation of cherry stone.

Like most good stories, the history of Williams Selyem owes much to serendipity. If a grower with an abundance of fruit hadn’t given Burt Williams a few tonnes of free grapes in the 1970s, Burt might never have discovered his love and flair for winemaking. And if Burt and his partner Ed Selyem had been able to afford the French Burgundies they both favoured, they might never have tried making their own pinot noir.

The two friends didn’t set out to produce wines for anyone but themselves. And they surely never imagined that their humble experiment in home winemaking would spawn a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Together, Burt and Ed set a new standard for American-made pinot noir, and elevated Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley to among the best wine growing regions in the world.

Now considered Russian River Valley royalty, Williams Selyem are responsible for some of the most sought-after handcrafted expressions of pinot noir across both the New World and Old.