Williams Selyem
7227 Westside Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Website: http://www.williamsselyem.com/
Williams Selyem has become a favorite stop for my husband and me over the past few years. As a fan of Pinot Noir, I think their wines are outstanding! This winery, however, is not officially opened to the public. They provide tastings and tours for mailing list members only. What first drew me to this winery is all of the accolades I read over and over again in Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator magazine. Since I visit Sonoma every year, I went online to find out more about the winery and learned that you need to be on a mailing list to get their wines. There is no cost or obligation to be on the list, so I put my name on the waiting list. Not too long later I was notified that I was added to the list. Being a mailing list member entitles me to a select allocation of their acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay twice a year and the opportunity to visit the winery with up to 6 guests. There is no obligation to buy, but I heard that the more purchases I make the better allocation I get over time. I might have lucked out on the timing of getting onto the waiting list. It seemed almost too easy, and it was well worth the short wait.
The name Williams Selyem is a combination of the two friends Ed Selyem and Burt Williams who came together to start making wine out of their garage on weekends as a hobby in the 1970s. They officially started the winery in 1981 and named it Hacienda del Rio. The first wine released with the Williams Selyem label was in 1984. Soon after that with the 1985 vintage from the Rochioli vineyard, Williams Selyem started winning awards for the top rated Pinot Noir and quickly became known worldwide. In 1998, Burt and Ed sold the winery to the current owner John Dyson and his wife Kathe. They also own Millbrook Winery in Hudson Valley, NY. John’s mantra since he took over ownership has been to continue with the hand-crafted approach of the original owners. He has maintained partnerships with some of the best grape growers in the region like Rochioli, Precious Mountain, and Bacigalupi. In 2007, Williams Selyem received the highest acclaim for the Litton Estate Pinot Noir from Wine Enthusiast rating the wine 100 points, making it the first Pinot Noir in North America to receive the highest score from a major wine publication. Between 2006 and 2010 the Dyson’s built the new state-of-the art winery. Then in 2011, their winemaker Bob Cabral was named winemaker of the year. He has now turned over the reins to winemaker Jeff Mangahas who continues to carry on the style the winery is known for.
Williams Selyem Tasting Room
This winery is now on my must stop in list each time I visit Sonoma. The winery is located on Westside Road amongst other well-known Pinot Noir pioneers like Gary Farrell and J. Rochioli. My favorite part of visiting the winery is the private tasting experience that includes some of their library wines. The first time I visited I sampled a 1999 Chardonnay that was such a surprise. Considering most California Chardonnays are meant to be drunk within a year or two, it was amazing to try this Chardonnay that was still very drinkable. It demonstrated nutty, popcorn characteristics that are expected in an aged white. The Pinot Noirs are also meant to be aged, even though they are quite drinkable young. They will only get better with time. They also have great, deeply fruity Zinfandel. On each occasion that I visited, a staff member greeted us at the door and brought us to a designated table set up just for my husband and me. Our guides have been incredibly knowledgeable about the wines and were able to tailor our tasting to the type of wine we are interested in. Then they took us through a short tour of the bottling area and vineyard. The experience is pretty low key but so memorable at the same time because the staff does such a good job of expressing all of the heart and soul that goes into the wines.
I definitely recommend seeking out these wines if you are a Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or Chardonnay fan. Don’t be afraid to go onto the website and sign up for the mailing list. I think you’ll be glad you joined!
The vineyards at Williams Selyem