Cellar Profile
Started in the 1970s by longtime friends Burt Williams and Ed Selyem, this was one of the first “garagistes” in Sonoma County. Using grapes sourced from small vineyards in the Russian River Valley, the original name “Hacienda del Rio” was later changed to Williams Selyem. Experimenting with new techniques and sourcing from the best vineyards in the region afforded the wines such acclaim that they were presold long before release, something that continues to this day. In the United States, there is a 6 month to 1 year wait list to be put on the mailing list to buy wines for release. In 1997, viticulturist and entrepreneur John Dyson and his wife Kathe purchased the Williams Selyem brand that had become too big for the original partners to manage. By that time, annual production was more than 10,000 cases – still small by most industry standards, but much larger than Burt and Ed had ever imagined when they bottled their first few barrels! The new owners brought famed winemaker Bob Cabral on board and the winery really began to take shape. They purchased their own vineyards, including a couple from the cool Sonoma Coast AVA, which allowed them to experiment with Burgundian varieties. They discovered that in the warmer parts of the Russian River Valley, Dijon clones of Pinot Noir ripen too quickly, so they utilize California heritage clones, with thicker skins and longer hang times, instead. Williams Selyem produces single vineyard offerings from their own vineyards as well as from the best growers in Sonoma, leveraging contracts signed over 30 years ago. The wines are still fermented in open-top dairy tanks, like they were in the 70s, using an indigenous Williams Selyem yeast clone discovered from a Zinfandel ferment in 1984. Non-interventionist techniques in the vineyard, coupled with a keen eye on phenolic ripeness, 25% whole-cluster fermentation and aging only in François Freres Burgundian oak barrels brought international acclaim to the wines, though they were (and are) almost impossible to find outside the US. In 2009, Wine Enthusiast gave the 2006 Litton Estate Pinot Noir 100 points, the first North American Pinot to be awarded a perfect score by a major international publication. Today, Jeff Managhas is Winemaker, with Chris Bowland managing the vineyards. Jeff prefers a more subtle, Old-World approach to winemaking and his first wines have been met with overwhelming critical approval.
Region
Running for approximately 280 miles (450 km) from Contra Costa County to the Santa Ynez Valley, the Central Coast AVA covers some of California’s most famous AVAs outside of Napa and Sonoma counties, including Paso Robles, Chalone, Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Maria Valley. The rugged, mountainous topography of the area has been brought about by years of tectonic shift, and the famous San Andreas Fault cuts much of the AVA off from the rest of the United States. The Santa Lucia Mountains, the Galiban Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains all run through this part of California. The region is known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production, as well as for being amongst some of the first vineyards planted in California, vineyards stretching back to the 1700s.
Vineyard
Grown in the 12 acre Vista Verde vineyard, planted with multiple clones such as: Pommard, Calera and Dijon. The vineyard boasts an irrigated, Smart Dyson and bilateral cordon trellising system with cover crops of oat and rye throughout.
Winemaking
Grapes were manually harvested and carefully transported to the winery, where they were produced with minimal intervention, including being foot trod instead of machine crushed. Fermentation takes place in oak with punch downs occurring every six hours. The wine is aged in oak (30% new, 36% 2nd use and 34% 3rd use) for 10 months.
Varieties
Pinot Noir—chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France— is grown around the world, mostly in cooler climates. The grape’s tendency to produce tightly packed clusters makes it susceptible to several viticultural hazards involving rot that require diligent canopy management. When young, wines made from Pinot Noir tend to have red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries and strawberries. As the wine ages, Pinot has the potential to develop more vegetal and earthy aromas that can contribute to the complexity of the wine. Thin skins and low levels of phenolic compounds lend Pinot to producing mostly lightly coloured, medium-bodied and low-tannin wines that can often go through phases of uneven and unpredictable aging.
Tasting Notes
This wine has a beautiful, complex nose of dark berries and smoky herbs that mix with notes of crushed oyster shell and walnut skin. Tangy flavours of citrus and berries burst from the glass. The tannins are very refined, and notes of nutmeg and toasted chestnut come through on the finish.