Williams Selyem – Pinot Noir – Vintage 2023
Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸
Overview
An exquisitely balanced Pinot Noir that bridges sophistication and accessibility with effortless grace. This Sonoma Coast expression from Williams Selyem encapsulates the winery’s hallmark finesse, purity of fruit, silky texture, and a sense of place that feels both coastal and timeless.
Aromas & Flavors
A radiant medley of red berries; strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry, accented by rose petals, wet stone, and a touch of baking spice. The fruit feels pure and translucent, lifted by cool coastal energy.
Mouthfeel
Silky and impeccably polished, with a seamless mid-palate glide. The interplay of fruit, acidity, and texture is so harmonious it makes you pause between sips , a masterclass in balance.
Food Pairings
Ideal with cedar-plank salmon, duck breast with cherry glaze, or wild mushroom risotto. Its versatility shines across both elegant and rustic cuisine.
Verdict
A Pinot that pleases both the collector and the casual drinker, sophisticated yet inviting. It resonates with critics and enthusiasts alike, a true reflection of Williams Selyem’s craftsmanship on the Sonoma Coast.
Did You Know?
The Sonoma Coast AVA, cooled by Pacific fog and ocean breezes, produces some of California’s most refined and age-worthy Pinot Noirs. This 2023 vintage captures that maritime freshness beautifully.
🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
A wine of quiet brilliance, where restraint meets depth. Each sip feels intentional, reminding you how elegant California Pinot can truly be. — 18 days ago
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2020 Classico pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Morello cherry, pomegranate, red flowers, old wood, and dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. My first time trying the 2020 vintage of Produttori’s Classico and it’s another really lovely, benchmark example of Barbaresco. Drink now through 2040. — 3 months ago

From makers of Sassicaia, Deep Ruby color with aromas of fresh red & black fruits and earthy floral notes, 55% Cab Sauv, 27% Merlot & 18% Cab Franc. On the palate flavors of cherry, plum & blackberry with floral, licorice, cacao and earthy notes, well integrated. Fine tannins, a wine with a solid structure, elegant and smooth, long finish, great mouth feel ending with fruit and oak. Will age well over next 5+ years. Nice! — 16 days ago
Bright medium ruby , quite thin violet rim . Quite discreet and fine, reserved on the nose . Red cherry , cassis , mineral tinged blackberry, after a while pomegranate. On the palate this is very detailed and precise , great freshness and with more red fruit, cherry , red plum , blackberry , wet slate , saline oyster shell with very fine tannins . Long mineral finish . Very young obviously but incredibly elegant and fresh . Will need time , this closed up quite a lot after time in the decanter . Better in 10 -15 years , will last well a further 10-15 . Incredibly promising . — 2 months ago

Lovely wine. It’s wild that recent releases go for $200+ per bottle. Bought for $40 from vinchicago many years ago, after having at Terete in Haro, Rioja on our honeymoon.
Paired with grilled leg of lamb marinated with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and orange. Opened 4 hours ahead and decanted an hour. Not quite as deep as the last bottle (2+ years ago) but still very delicious. Wonderful example of what well made top quality Rioja can be. Incredible depth on the palate and finish. Medium perfect acid. Just delicious. — 3 months ago
Medium ruby garnet terracotta rim, slightly wider than the Lynch. This is cooler and slightly sterner in character than the Lynch. More mineral , with ash , cedar and grafite in character , cassis , blackberry , dark cherry fruits. On the palate this is denser with more tannin , and balanced acidity . Grafite , cassis , herbal cedar , menthol touch . Long fresh but densely fruited, grafite finish . This is younger and more serious than the Lynch, more austere . Probably deserves a little time in decanter, though this is probably in the middle of its drinking window . Certainly no rush here , can go on well for the next 10 if not more years . This shows a really good mix of St Estephe austerity , seriousness and the ripeness and generosity of 1990. A great bottle , showing very well. — 19 days ago
Medium deep garnet core , medium wide garnet rim . This shows very well still with some sous bois , dried herbal hints and cherry . On the palate this shows good freshness , red cherry again, freshly cut herbs , touch of tobacco and black tea . Balanced acidity and lightly dusty but resolved tannins . Good length and presence on the palate , with enough fruit still , good balance and a black tea stained finish. This is at peak , and will probably stay here for a few more years , so no immediate rush, but is unlikely to improve further . — 2 months ago
Anthony Cammarata Jr.
This wine is a well-balanced Napa Valley red showing both power and elegance. It offers aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco, with flavors of black cherry, cocoa, and spice on a silky, structured palate. Love it. — 9 days ago