Williams Selyem, Pinot Noir Vista Verde, San Benito County

As a Burgundy drinker, this is probably my favorite Williams Selyem vineyard. Dark fruit, earthy, balanced, none of that Russian river cherry cola nonsense. They need 10 years to come into their own, but when they do, they sing like this one.

2015 vintage

Yum

2015 vintage

Refined, well balanced, and velvety Selyem Pinot flavors of red cherry and raspberry. Soft and smooth tannins and a medium length finish. It is close to the end of its drinking window but still vibrant.

2015 vintage

I didn't expect this San Benito County sourced wine to be as good as the Sonoma product, but it was excellent.

2015 vintage

Quick note from an impeccable cellar; also from a 1.5l format. I haven't tried this vintage since their October 2017 pickup weekend, so it is nice to reconnect. Two things: (1) the Vista Verde Vineyard, in San Benito, should not be overlooked; and, (2) this Pinot Noir ages and needs time. There is a significant amount of limestone in the soils from San Benito vs. the Russian River, or California, more generally; this minerality translates nicely into the glass for …

2015 vintage

Firing on all cylinders. No need to wait. One of my favorite WS an easy goto. Dark rich, spicy with a little tannic grip and acid to keep it all together, fruit still there but leaning more spicy with some age on it

2015 vintage

Even with a bit of age this was brimming with bright rec cherry, baking spice, and blood orange. These attributes along with the mineral characteristics paired with medium rare duck breast.

2015 vintage

Had with duck with a miso glaze. Spot on

2015 vintage

Elegant and well balanced Pinot with abundant cherry/raspberry/blackberry fruit flavors upfront. Soft integrated tannin structure with ample acidity yielding a savory medium length finish. Well paired with lamb marinated in a mustard cream sauce.

2015 vintage

Earthiness and black fruits - maybe needs two more years to be at its best

2015 vintage

Williams Selyem wines at their best taste like this - elegant, complex, dark fruits, fruit forward but balanced. I don’t drink a lot of California Pinot vs burgs but when I do this is what I look for. This one is fine now but needs 2-3 more years to really shine

2015 vintage

Too far gone. Not sour, but devoid of fruit and structure; sort of water-like. My wife thought it was OK, but she'll drink anything.

2005 vintage

W blackbean jalapino tacos. Good wine but probably lost a bit of its luster. Good fruit and finish.

2005 vintage

Overrated. Nothing wrong with this fruit forward, spice laden pinot but awfully hard to justify this kind of price tag.

2015 vintage

Drinking nice.

2015 vintage

Very good but nothing that just blows you away considering price

2015 vintage

Chocolate overtones on the nose and palate (which is something I'm not used to experiencing with Pinot Noir), but in this case, it's a good thing. Sour cherries with a mix of red and blue fruits with a solid supporting structure and somewhat high acidity, and nice finish. This needs a bit more time in the cellar to smooth out, or a good decant.

2015 vintage

Delicious. Drink now.

2015 vintage

drank and really enjoyed it as part of a vertical tasting of vista verde (a vista verde vertical!). decanted for an hour and it opened up really nicely. warm and balanced, rounded out with with great flavors. hints of vanilla, wood, lots of fruit - cherry, grape, berry to list a few. the winner of the group we drank from 2013 - 2016

2015 vintage

Very nice smooth deink

2015 vintage

Opened up after a few hours (no decant). Full bodied. Developed earthy flavors with time.

2015 vintage

Deep dark color that is not typical for Pinot Noir. The wine shows lots of fruit and chocolate undertones. This is a well balanced complex wine that will get better over time

2015 vintage

Tasted at the winery. Coffee, mulling spices. Will stand up for years.

2015 vintage

Grym kraftig pinot som skulle slå många franska pinot på fingrarna.

2015 vintage

Opened up nicely over a couple hours. Strong nose of cherry and spices with floral notes of orange blossom after an hour decant. Raspberry cola and cinnamon on the palate. Long silky finish.

2015 vintage

So much going on here. Very big for a Williams Selyem, but nicely balanced. Pop & pour, but enjoyed over several hours. The flavor profile developed significantly over that time. Started with menthol on the nose and palate, along with a bit of a (too) strong cherry palate. But as it opened those elements moved to the background an Ethernet acid and earth became more prominent. Very nice.

2015 vintage

Dark red fruit and asian spice, anise with citrus zest punctuating the finish of nutmeg and spice.

2015 vintage

Dirinking beautifully

2005 vintage

Paired well with turkey and had hints of fruit and spice

2005 vintage

Lots of ripe berry on nose and palate with some Asian five spice and an intriguing hint of pomegranate. All good until close to finish, which comes across as slightly muddled. Best when first opened.

2005 vintage

Rich, ripe raspberry, strawberry flavors. Drinking beautifully now. Long finish.

2005 vintage

good balance. Nice floral notes with some light fruits and a hint of acid. certainly wish i had more in the cellar

2005 vintage

maroon, orange hues, in the color. raspberry, mineral, berry, floral, on the nose. cherry, berry, cocoa, smoke, earth, on the palate. medium acid on the finish.

2005 vintage

Early ?reduction aroma quickly blows off; slightly candied cherry and red currant with enough acidity to keep it bright, and it still feels 'young'; baking spices and a bit of earth; great fruit density and persistence.

2005 vintage

Very perfumed, resinous, aromatic nose with a hint of earth. On the palate, nicely balanced in a somewhat hedonistic way. Lack of acidity might turn some off, but for me, this is drinking extremely well now.

2005 vintage

Fantastic Pinot. Shared a magnum with friends and everyone loved it. Perfect balance of fruit, tobacco, acidity, tannins, and mouth coating goodness. Wish I had more.

2005 vintage

Opulent and sweet cherry-blackberry nose; earthy and well balanced on the palate with smooth sweet creamy candied apple, raspberry and mocha; paired beautifully with ahi tuna; outstanding.

2005 vintage

Rubber blackberry nose; flowered, soft yet opulent; smooth cola, strawberry and blackberry; lingers.

2005 vintage

Complex and layered nose that provides so many nunaces ranging from flowered earth to tea and coffee and strawberry-cherry; elegant and complex on the palate with notes of cherry, blackberry and some licorice; long sweet finish; no signs of maturity, still vibrant.

2005 vintage

CHERRIES, RASPBERRIES AND EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.

2005 vintage

Very enjoyable Pinot from Williams Selyem. Bright cherry but not really over-the-top with the fruit. I think subdued and well balanced. Good acid, long finish. Hint of vanilla.

2005 vintage

Tasted with Booth the Burgundy Hound at Barrel Thief. He smiled due to subtle yet stylistic hints of a great red Burgundy from France but also showing the wonderful bright fruit we expect from a new world Pinot Noir.

2005 vintage

From my cellar. Good cork. Very pretty ruby red color. Nicely deliniated bouquet of cherry, black fruit, and a bit of cedar for structure. But tannins well resolved when tasted. Quite a nice bottle, everyone liked it quite a bit.

2005 vintage

Pretty translucent ruby with no signs of aging. Gobs of cherries, leaning a bit toward old-world sourness. The flavors don't quite come together in the mid-palate which is a little disjointed, but it's held togther with W-S silkiness. Not a bad effort but not up to the level of other single-vinyards I've enjoyed from this producer.

2005 vintage

Still showing cherry cola and some refreshing vibrancy but seemed slighty tainted with some muting of nose and palate. Still good but could have been better.

2005 vintage

Light bodied style. Plenty of cherry fruit and nicely integrated tannins. Very good, but lacking depth.

2005 vintage

Wonderful WS pinot. I think the 05's have drunk really, really well (sadly all I have left is one from the Rochioli vineyard).

2005 vintage

This was great, excellent, one of the best WS Pinots I have had. Drinking very well right now.

2005 vintage

Bowl of cherries drinking very well rigtht now.

2005 vintage

Balanced, muted fruit

2005 vintage

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Williams Selyem, Pinot Noir Vista Verde, San Benito County

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