2011 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir [WE96][CG94][W&S92]

Producer: Williams Selyem Winery  
Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California 
Varietal: Pinot Noir  
Year: 2011 

Wine Enthusiast, 96 Points 

"You can taste the California sun in every sip of this gorgeous Pinot Noir. It brims with luscious raspberries and cherries accented by brisk acidity and a hint of sweet, smoky oak. It's terrifically complex, with notes of mushroom, orange zest, cola, rosehip tea and persimmon. Dry and elegant, with a wonderful mouthfeel, it's gorgeous now, but will gain earthy complexity over the next 15 years. *Cellar Selection*" 

Connoisseurs Guide, 94 Points 

"If slightly restrained at the outset, this very well-focused young Pinot exhibits plenty of pure, red-cherry fruit and seems to gain in volume, complexity and depth as it goes, and its striking brightness and balance ensure that it will continue to do so for years ahead. It is rich and yet wonderfully light on its feet at one and the same time, and its combination of precision and fruity depth tags it as one the best wines of the very fine Williams Selyem lot. *Two Stars*" 

Wine & Spirits, 92 Points 

"The Allen Vineyard is one of the older Pinot Noir plantings in Sonoma County; most of the vines for this bottling date back to 1970, when Howard and Ann Allen first established their vineyard on a slope above the Russian River. Vine age and thinner hillside soils both contribute to the wine’s notably firm structure. This feels polished and energetic, its richness held in tension against ample natural acidity given by a cool year, the flavors suggesting dark cherries and bay leaf in their deep, savory length. It feels balanced to age." 

Alcohol: 14.1% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.