Williams Selyem, Rochioli Riverblock Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Deep cloudy purple until low in the glass, then some apparent bricking. Muted floral nose of blueberries. In the mouth, much minerality, mixed berry fruit, balanced acidity, and obvious but smooth tannins. Not a whole lot of fruit left. Probably was better several years ago or more, but still quite enjoyable if you appreciate old stuff. Rated as drunk: likely would’ve been two or three points higher in its prime.

2000 vintage

A little VA, or past its prime. too bad. B&J x-mas party

2004 vintage

Well balanced. Bright fruits.

2011 vintage

Stewy and savoury palate. Lovely nose nevertheless.

1994 vintage

Opened and poured a glass. Let sit for 2 hours and then enjoyed with food. Grassl Cru stem. Riby garnet color. Good color for 13 year old wine. Nose of red berries, spice and some earth. Slight touch of forest floor. Beautiful elegant qi e qith good red fruits and spice with acidity to match and give the wine lift. Shows depth as it opens with more exposure to air. Delicious. Love the elegance presented and the depth of this …

2011 vintage

Medium red with mahogany notes. Ripe dark fruit and cola aromatics. Still fresh and enjoyable after 23+ years of age. Surprisingly so. Nevertheless it’s on the backside of its drinkability window. Still, a lot of complexity here.

2000 vintage

14.1% ABV Oh yah, in a great place right now! Red fruit.

2017 vintage

Very great PN nose with a great mouth feel and a lingering finish. Highly recommended!

2017 vintage

Lovely nose with notes of strawberries, forest, sous bois, pine needles, red cherries, and eucalyptus. Good acidity with red berries, cherries, and blood orange on the palate. Nice finish. What a beautiful CA Pinot! This has aged really well and is probably drinking at peak now. Perfectly balanced, slightly earthy and savory, but with a hint of sweet fruit.

1994 vintage

Really not my preferred style of Pinot Noir. Nonetheless, a well made and complex wine. Full bodied and concentrated, all chocolate covered black cherries. Could use more acidity. Enjoyed it but not interested in buying more.

2017 vintage

Sweet and savory, not dried out and lush in the mid

2017 vintage

Had a magnum of this for my son’s birthday year. Drank it tonight. Cloudy and looks unfiltered, but not bricking. Cherries on the nose and some sous bois. Great flavor and long finish. Cherries on the palate too. Well made wine and wonderful atm in a magnum form.

2000 vintage

The nose is slightly muted, but shows notes of tangerines and cranberries, along with a touch of nutmeg. The palate has a nice mix of fruit and baking spice, with a touch of sweetness. This wine is a bit lighter than I’m used to from this bottling. Dangerously easy to drink and hides its 14.1% ABV well. Should gain depth with another 3-5 years in bottle. Drink now with lighter fare or hold.

2017 vintage

A lovely Pinot in a beautiful spot right now. It has that Pinot herbal nose but with a 1 or 2 hour decant it shows that amazing cherry/strawberry Pinot profile. I swear I picked up a little vanilla. A wonderful wine to take to that next family gathering.

2017 vintage

Robust ruby color with nothing to indicate its age. Plush on the tongue. Rich cherry fruit and a little cola. Surprisingly, a little herbal note. Finish still a little closed until it got some air time.

2011 vintage

Powerful wine even at 10 years. Screams of strawberry cola and ends with sweet vanilla. Big and beautiful.

2011 vintage

This is drinking beautifully now. I found no asparagus notes at all, unlike a previous commenter. As the old commercial said, “good to the last drop.” Unrelated comment: I am not a fan of the point system, but now cellartracker forces you to use it. That’s disappointing.

2017 vintage

It shows more earthiness compared to the 94 Sonoma County. Palate is better than the nose.

1994 vintage

Got the "herby" pinot smell, not my fav. Opened a few hours before drinking and the tobacco, leathery flavors were there. It still took a long while for the "asparagus" smell to fade.

2017 vintage

This Rochioli bottle is aging very, very nicely. So much fruit in this one, it hardly seems to be 10 years old. It even held up exceptionally well on the second day open. Believe there are still many years ahead for this vintage, suggesting 2028 end-date.

2011 vintage

Brilliant! Makes a strong argument for holding CA Pinot Noir back as long as you can. We�ve had several wines from from this estate by Rochioli and WS and this has been the oldest & best by far. Layer upon layer of red berries & fruit flavors and a light, pleasing entry. If you have these wines cellared have no fear as this was fresh and vibrant over two hours after we opened it.

2004 vintage

Just slightly opaque sangria color. Very open knit nose of baking spice, dusty earth, dried Italian herbs, kola nut, black cherry. Full and rounded palate of ripe red cherries, cola, and orange peel. This particular bottling seems to enjoy the acid balance of the vintage. Very fine and quite delightful.

2011 vintage

Outstanding.

2017 vintage

Amazing

2017 vintage

Excellent

2017 vintage

Opened one of two. Wish I had a case. Very deep and sophisticated. Hold, but so good right now too.

2017 vintage

PnP. Medium red no signs of browning. Nose is very much secondary flavor driven with sous-bois and herbs. On the palate this has lovely smooth texture and a very savory driven taste with a finish which is quite long. I would say this is at or past its peak of maturity but quite a lovely wine, especially given the vintage.

2011 vintage

Deep, intense “stinky Pinot” aroma with notes of red fruit, cherry, pomegranate, pineapple?, earth, baking spice — very complex. Sweet, smooth, crunchy red fruit flavor with notes of cherry, cranberry, earth and orange zest? Rich cherry, earth and black tea finish. Nice texture with good ripe cherry acidity. Concentrated and dense. Interesting “stinky Pinot” undertones throughout (in the best way possible). Extremely delicious, but still “primary colors” at this point. This will absolutely reward more cellar time. Hold.

2017 vintage

Glad we waited - was well balanced

2011 vintage

Drinks perfectly now. Very balanced with bright fruit and floral bouquet on the nose. Smooth silky mouth feel with nice long lasting finish.

2011 vintage

ripe mulberry nose; smooth slightly sweet mulberry and plum with secondary notes; full mid palate; a bit of earth and spice; i don't get any heat; my fave style back then, though now i prefer more acidity; still so easy to drink, and goes great with chicken pot pie.

2011 vintage

Pale ruby color with slow legs. Really nice bouquet on the nose of orange blossom, violet and cedar. Raspberry, cinnamon and other spices on the palate. Long satin-like finish.

2017 vintage

Followed my last TN and gave this bottle a 20 minute decant. Small amount of sediment. Earth and some cola on the nose. Not quite as satisfying as our previous bottle 6 months ago. The medium bodied palate showed dark red fruits, some earth, some spice, a touch of tannin, but a fair amount of cola. The acidity is juicy, but balancing.

2011 vintage

Spectacular. Worth every penny.

2011 vintage

Love this vineyard and again it shines. After 45 minutes it started to show its potential.. Classic oily texture that comes across without much weight. Plenty of time left here. 93/94

2011 vintage

Peppery, dusky pale red with a bite on the tongue. No nose to speak of.

2017 vintage

Enjoyed a 2017 Williams Selyem Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir during a Williams Selyem virtual wine event. The terroir of the Rochioli Vineyards in the Russian River Valley produces incredible fruit. This wine although young was well balanced with delicious cherry and strawberry fruits with spice and cola integrated into the long finish. Excellent and will get even better with age.

2017 vintage

Cherry cola with a eucalyptus finish. Smooth and delicious!

2017 vintage

Another satisfying 2011 W-S pinot that requires air to provide maximum enjoyment. When PnP, the wine is thin and light. After about 20-30 minutes of slo-ox, the wine fleshes out to add color and weight. The medium to plus bodied palate shows lots of dark red fruits, some earth, spice and herb, and even a touch of tannin. The acidity is juicy, but balancing. This wine could hold for a couple of years.

2011 vintage

This was good in the beginning and then over time heat came out. Share amongst five people and enjoy right after popping.

2011 vintage

Give this an hour of air in a decanter at this point. Upon opening it's a bit light but after that hour it fills out nicely. Spicy cherry on the palate with forest floor underneath it. Shows some warm baking spice on the finish. Really has some nice layers going on here. Drink now or hold several years. Medium acidity.

2017 vintage

Sweet blackberry nose; jammy; fruit forward; sweet finish.

2011 vintage

Nothing worse than drinking wines out of the cellar because you have to clear old stock. Tonight was one of those evenings . Original purchase was based upon enthusiasm and then years later reality sets in Lots of fruit but no real soul 'nough said'

2011 vintage

PnP. Medium red. Nose of cola, cherry, some spice. On the palate this was initially a bit awkward with some oak poking out, but with some air, it smoothed out and integrated nose. Good persistence on the finish. Better fruit and balance than I would have expected for an '11 at age 8. Pleasant surprise.

2011 vintage

PnP cellar temp. Clear, deep ruby/purple color. Powerful proper nose. Wonderful Pinot on the bigger side. Resolved and integrated but will hold for years yet. Leaner on the extraction, typical of this vintage, the tannin's are resolved for the most part. Black and red fruit, slight rough edge finish. Nothing off. $83

2011 vintage

Decided to open this earlier than I said I would in my previous note. Either my last bottle was a bit off or a bit more time has done wonders. Earthy fruit, cola, and baking spice on the palate. This is why I love WS Rochioli so much. The finish is flavorful, but a bit short. A great wine from a lesser vintage.

2011 vintage

Popped and poured for a party. Enjoyed by all. Ready to drink. Better than last bottle a few years ago.

2000 vintage

Eighteen years in so I was worried. This still has life in it - fragrant bouquet on the nose - initial taste was hotter than you'd expect from a 2000 PN. Mellowed in the glass with air. Still very lovely - goes to show that drinking windows are rough science at best.

2000 vintage

Wonderful raspberry fruit. Good mouth feel. Tannin structure. Well balanced. Still has life

2011 vintage

My favorite WS pn yet. Fruit forward but round in the mouth. Great balance of dark and light. A little short on the finish. Love most Rochioli's.

2011 vintage

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Williams Selyem, Rochioli Riverblock Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

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