Williams Selyem Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir 2022

Alcohol: 14.1%

Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Localization: Russian River Valley, California, USA

Tasting Notes: Medium ruby with a rosy edge. An elegant nose of red currant, raspberry, sarsaparilla, clove, and cola. Bursting with spice-laden cranberry and orange peel on the palate, heightened by notes of cedar, cocoa nibs, and nutmeg. Moderate tannins and a medium body show the richness of the Russian River Valley and the soft nature of perfectly ripe Pinot Noir. A wine that will continue to shine for years. Drink now–2035.

96 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "A slightly more ruby red color, the Pinot Noir Westside Road Neighbors comes from an east-facing slope that’s usually about two weeks behind both flowering and for harvest. The wine shows a more mineral-inflected profile on the nose, with notes of crushed stones, red cherries, red berries, and fresh rosemary. It offers more tension and brightness, with a more vertical feel, coiled tannins, refreshing, mouthwatering mineral undertones, and a lift of orange. It’s long and will benefit from another year or more in bottle to show its best. (6/27/24)"

The Domain: 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 tons 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 favored, 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.