2008 Williams Selyem Chardonnay Allen Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Chardonnay Allen Vineyard has a beautiful nose of nectarine, white peach, subtle honey, brioche, and orange rind. Full-bodied, with good acidity, beautifully pure fruit, a sumptuous texture and very good minerality, this wine should drink well for 3-4 years. With thirteen separate Pinot Noirs, Williams-Selyem has something for just about everybody. Eight of these Pinot Noirs hail from relatively well-known sites in the Russian River and three come from the Sonoma Coast, while the two outliers are the Weir Vineyard from Yorkville Highlands and the Ferrington Vineyard from the Anderson Valley. Three well-regarded vineyards of the Sonoma Coast comprise part of this impressive Pinot Noir portfolio from Williams-Selyem. With eight Russian River bottlings, the two with the largest availability are the Eastside Road Neighbors and Westside Road Neighbors, which are blends from different fruit sources. The most underrated wines in the entire portfolio are the Zinfandels that come from winemaker Bob Cabrol. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Greenish gold. Fresh pineapple, nectarine and medicinal herbs on the musky nose. Broad and tactile, with very good volume and energizing acidity to the nectarine and mineral flavors. Dense but lively, with strong finishing minerality and lingering smokiness.
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.