Williams Selyem, Chardonnay Allen, Russian River Valley

Williams Selyem · California › Russian River Valley › United States of America

White · Chardonnay

Critics

91 /100

Reviews

professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

Community Reviews

Reviews

90.9

Avg Score

Highest

Very good, but on it's last legg.

2016 vintage

Has a nice buttery node but does not deliver on the palate. Flavors are not defines and the wine falls flat.

2016 vintage

This seemed just a tad past prime. Beautiful light color, almost luminescent. Modest nose at first but opened up nicely with some air and warming up. On the palate, everything was there but the fruit was just a little flat. Nicely balanced with perfect touch of acidity and a restrained use of oak. Palate tightened up a bit toward the end. Maybe just an awkward phase.

2016 vintage

The nose has scents of butterscotch and the color is pale gold. On the palate, there is butterscotch, clove, baking spice, and some pear. A very typical oaked California Chardonnay. Very nice, if you like this style.

2016 vintage

Purchased from Williams Selyem upon release, but kept a few too many years in the cellar. Still rich and tasty, but this would clearly have been much more enjoyable 5+ years ago.

2001 vintage

So on day 2, I am enjoying the remainder of this bottle which has blossomed. I guess it needed a little bit of air time. It has nice citrus fruit, some butter scotch, clove and allspice with a medium finish. The oak is there but well balanced.

2016 vintage

Delicious now with green apple and mouth-watering stone fruit. Hints of melon and a bit of creme on the end. Medium plus acidity. This one can age. Great now. Probably amazing in 3 years.

2016 vintage

Deep lemon in color with slow legs. Almond, butter and honeysuckle on the nose. Clove, pear and honeydew on the palate. Full bodied with long creamy finish. Should get better with age.

2016 vintage

Great mineral flavor slight salinity, acid and fruit. Really drinking well even at this advanced age.

2001 vintage

Like an old Bourgogne....though a bit short on the finish

1993 vintage

Well, consciously or unconsciously, we saved the "best for last" and this was a superb bottle of wine at its peak. Great underlying acidity and wonderful minerality combined to make for a perfect Chardonnay experience. Rich aromas of peaches and melons and complex flavors made this a memorable bottle.

2001 vintage

The second of three identical bottles showed much better than the first. This was a chard with strong underlying mineral and acidic qualities that tasted like a complex white Burgundy. Odors of melon, flavors of crushed stones and fruit made this an outstanding bottle. The slightly golden color at first gave us pause in fear that this was another oxidized bottle, but, instead it was just past prime.

2001 vintage

Had three of these and the first one opened was decisively sherried. Although there were some interesting underlying flavors, and we drank the bottle up, nonetheless, this wasn't as expected and couldn't be rated as anything other than "a good wine, gone slightly bad".

2001 vintage

A nice surprise! This wine is still quite alive and very enjoyable. Quite California in style with vanilla scents. Medium weight; Nice balance with fruit and acid still present on the finish. I would drink up however.

1994 vintage

Captivating aromas. Elegant.

2001 vintage

Heritage: Petrol notes; wax; trop. fruit, mellon; complex, even a hint nutty. Lot’s going on, but didn’t blow me away.

2001 vintage