WILLIAMS SELYEM Vista Verde Vineyard Pinot Noir - San Benito County 2019 Bottle

Description

Williams Selyem Vista Verde Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019 is a refined, expressive single site bottling from Sonoma County, marrying varietal purity with vivid site character. Translucent ruby with a hint of garnet at the rim, it offers bright red cherry, wild strawberry and cranberry with rose petal and a sanguine edge; airing reveals forest floor, subtle gamey lift and crushed stone. Medium bodied with a supple focused texture, fine tannins frame Morello cherry and raspberry, edged by redcurrant acidity, while cedar, dried herb and a touch of mocha add complexity. Fresh acidity drives a lively savoury finish with a faint iron note. Approachable now and will evolve with short to medium term cellaring. Drink 2026 to 2032. Critic: Wine Enthusiast 94: "Suave viscosity delivering snapped sage, mulling spice and black cherry compote."

-----

ABOUT WILLIAMS SELYEM
Williams Selyem is a renowned producer in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma, celebrated for focused single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that helped define the region’s quality reputation. The winery began as a collaboration between Burt Williams and Ed Selyem in the late 1970s and grew from garage production to a highly sought after estate known for meticulous vineyard selection and small batch winemaking.

Ownership has passed through a small number of dedicated custodians who have protected the founders’ philosophy. John and Kathe Dyson acquired the estate in 1998 and maintained a steady, quality driven course for more than two decades. In 2024 the Faiveley family of Burgundy acquired a majority stake while the Dysons retained a significant minority interest; John Dyson is to remain in an executive role for the foreseeable future to ensure continuity.

The winery owns substantial vineyard holdings in the Russian River appellation and continues long standing relationships with premium growers across Sonoma County. Fruit selection is treated as the foundation of quality, with parcel by parcel decisions guiding harvest and vinification to capture site specificity and vintage nuance.

Winemaking is led by Jeff Mangahas, who serves as director of winemaking and who has maintained a restrained, fruit forward style that honours the Williams Selyem legacy. The cellar approach favours careful sorting, gentle extraction, temperature managed fermentations and considered use of oak to support structure without obscuring purity. The emphasis on single vineyard bottlings and small batch production preserves a direct connection between site and bottle.

Williams Selyem’s wines enjoy strong critical regard and enthusiastic collector demand. Tasting notes commonly cite ripe dark fruit, floral lift, textural tannins and lively acidity, with the best releases showing complexity and ageing potential. Under the new majority ownership the stated aim is to preserve the house style while benefitting from additional long term investment and Burgundian expertise.