Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2022 Red Wine

Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2022 

This Russian River Pinot Noir is a GORGEOUS representation of the region. It boasts all the beautiful characteristics that define Pinot Noirs from California's famous Russian River Valley. - Wine Factor

FROM THE WINERY

Sourced from a multitude of sites scattered throughout the appellation, this expressive wine brings together unique and individual flavor profiles to provide a balanced and 360 degree perspective on the Russian River Valley.

Red fruits, red and purple flowers, hints of English Breakfast tea wrap up with the woodsy, earthy side of Pinot Noir. Highlights of fennel and fresh herbs add an additional layer of interest and intrigue to the aromatics. Firmer in texture and tannin, the palate is saturated with red fruits and citrus flavors.

The interplay of the acidity and tannin helps to stretch the palate out to give length. Allow this wine to develop a few years to reach its full potential.

THE VINEYARDS

The Pinot Noir for this blend was sourced from the following vineyards: Bucher, Hallberg, Laguna, Lewis MacGregor Estate, Martaella, and Saitone Estate.

HARVEST 2022

The 2022 growing season experienced epic drought conditions, with the first half of the calendar year being one of the driest on record. Most of the rainfall came in November and December, saturating the soil, and setting the stage for the early part of the year. With a full soil moisture profile and moderate temperatures in the early spring, bud break started around historical average.

Many frost nights ensued, which impacted early season growth and slowed down shoot elongation, creating some unevenness. The cool period in and around flowering further prolonged the flowering cycle and created a wide degree of variability. The unsettled weather in general ranged from cool temperatures to occasional rain showers to a freak hailstorm in early May. The remainder of the season was thankfully moderate, and harvest started on historical average in early August.

The key to success in 2022 was the selective thinning of shoots and fruit to reduce the variation, tightening the window of ripening. Due to the complexities of the growing season, the wines show excellent structure and verve, with typical site specificity, and all in all a terrific vintage with aging potential.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Barrel Description: 40% new, 60% 1yr.

Barrel Aged: 11 months

pH: 3.51

TA: 0.58g/100mL

Alc: 13.4%

Released 2024