2007 Williams Selyem Chardonnay Drake Estate Vineyard
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Tasting notes
From their estate vineyards, the 2007 Chardonnay Drake Estate’s light straw color possesses a greenish hue (always a good sign). The bouquet is more restrained than the Heintz’s, but it offers up hints of liquid minerality intermixed with white peaches, white currants, quince, honeyed citrus, brioche, and hazelnuts. With full-bodied flavors, great acidity, and a long, Corton-Charlemagne-like minerality and power, this 2007 is still playing it close to the vest, but it is a sensational, Burgundian-styled Chardonnay that should age effortlessly for a decade. The single vineyard Pinot Noirs are made from a wide range of California vineyards, primarily in the north, with Russian River and Sonoma Coast dominating, but there is also an Anderson Valley site (Ferrington), San Benito site (Vista Verde), and Yorkville Highlands (Weir). The Chardonnays are nearly as powerful as the Zinfandels in terms of alcohol strength, ranging from 14.5% to 14.8%. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Greenish gold. Pure, high-pitched aromas of apple, Anjou pear and tangerine. Vivacious, finely etched citrus and apple flavors display impressive clarity and pick up a salty mineral quality on the back end. This is a new bottling for Williams-Selyem, from a cool site that Cabral says provides fruit "that's extremely clean and racy."
About the producer
Williams Selyem is an iconic Russian River Valley winery best known for its Pinot Noir. Producing restrained yet classically Californian expressions of the heartbreak grape (as well as a host of other wines), the property has gone from pioneer to one of the region’s standard-bearers.