Updated History of Williams Selyem 1979-1997/ 1998 to the present Part Four

History of Williams Selyem 1979-1997 Part Four

To support the 2014 Central Coast Wine Classic and my friend, Archie McLaren who was the founder and director of this marvellous 31 year charity oriented event, I wanted to put together a live auction lot for a once in a lifetime dinner featuring many of Williams Selyem`s wines made by Burt Williams prior to the sale in early 1998.

To sweeten the pot, I asked Burt to do something he was unaccustomed to doing, appear in public and in this case, at this special dinner without any other obligation as I intended to supply all of the wines and coordinate the venue and menu. Burt graciously agreed and insisted on bringing some of his gems to add to the mix and everything else required to pull this off fell into place beautifully.

I wrote up the auction lot for the catalogue as follows:

“A Fabulous Four Course Dinner for Six very fortunate People in the Private Dining Room of the charming Old Adobe of the world class San Ysidro Ranch featuring wines of Burt Williams of Williams Selyem fame with the iconic Burt in attendance. The wines will include:

2008 Williams Selyem Blanc de Noir Drake Estate Vineyard [2 bottles]
1995 Williams Selyem Allen Chardonnay (magnum)
1985 Williams Selyem Rochioli Pinot Noir
1988 Williams Selyem Allen Pinot Noir
1991 Williams Selyem Rochioli Pinot Noir
1992 Williams Selyem Ferrington Pinot Noir
1994 Williams Selyem Ferrington Pinot Noir
1995 Williams Selyem Allen Pinot Noir
1996 Williams Selyem Precious Mountain Pinot Noir
1997 Williams Selyem Ferrington Pinot Noir
1991 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Zinfandel


Williams Selyem Winery began as a simple dream of two friends, Ed Selyem and Burt Williams, who started weekend winemaking as a hobby in 1979 in a garage in Forestville, California. It took less than two decades from their first commercial vintage in 1981 for Burt and Ed to create a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Together, they set a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking in the United States, raising
Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley to among the best wine growing regions in the world.

They just wanted to make good Pinot Noir they could drink at home. They never set out to make a splash or become rich. Burt admits, “I had no big plan. I wanted to buy grapes and turn them into good wine. We weren’t trying to conquer the world or make millions of dollars. We were trying to make the best wine we could and enjoy it ourselves. If enough was left over, we could sell it. We never imagined that we would become a cult winery capable of selling everything we made.” Burt practiced a low-tech, natural and intuitive style of winemaking, working with the finicky, thin-skinned red grape from Burgundy that had scant history in the Golden State.

They were bonded in 1981, the first vintage was from 1982 under the label of Hacienda del Rio, a reference to Burt`s home on the Russian River, with Burt designing the label. The first commercial release was in 1983. In 1984, the label, which Burt also designed, was changed to Wiliams Selyem. Known for designating vineyards to capture the essence of the locale, their first Pinot Noir vineyard designate was Rochioli released in 1985.

It was the partner’s limited capital that led to their good fortune. Burt and Ed were forced to perform all the work in the winery themselves. As it turned out, and North American winemakers eventually came to realise this, Pinot Noir was the one grape that demanded careful handling, constant attention and benefited the most from a hands-on approach. As Burt has noted, “We employed old, traditional methods of winemaking, which turned out to be the best ways. We kept it basic and simple: no pumps, no filtering and did nothing that we didn’t have to.”

Although delicious upon release, the wines would age better than many California Pinot Noirs of the time. People were want to say, “These wines are so good when young, they can’t possibly age.” Their age ability was in part due to their moderate alcohols and well-honed acidity, as well as their impeccable balance. Balance was important to Williams as he has explained, “Wine needs to be transparent and to be transparent, it must be balanced. Over ripe, over blown wines do not reflect the site.”

Their winery was sold in 1998 to the current owners. The last vintage Burt finished was 1997.

Burt Williams’ career will show that winemaking, like any craft, is a God-given talent, enhanced by education and experience, but a craft for which some people are more blessed. The following are among the important legacies of Burt Williams, his partner Ed Selyem, and Williams Selyem winery.

1. One of California’s ultimate cult wineries and the first for Pinot Noir.
2. California’s first $100 Pinot Noir.
3. First California Pinot Noir to be exported to Burgundy and offered on restaurant lists in Burgundy.
4. First winery to bring consumer’s attention to a sense of place reflected by specific vineyards such as Rochioli, Allen, Olivet Lane, and Summa.
5. First vineyard designates from Allen Vineyard, Summa Vineyard, Precious Mountain Vineyard, Cohn Vineyard and Olivet Lane Vineyard.
6. Emphasised that vineyard designated Pinot Noir should only be offered when the vineyard warrants it.
7. Turned the consumer’s attention to growers and their vital importance in fine wine production. Also set the stage for vintners and growers to work together.
8. Fostered the winemaking approach now widely followed by Pinot Noir producers including hand sorting of grapes, punch downs, and no pumping in the winery.
9. Brought to consumer’s attention the importance of choosing carefully the type of French oak used for ageing Pinot Noir
10. Developed a proprietary yeast that is now in wide use in Pinot Noir winemaking.
11. Brought worldwide recognition to the Russian River Valley and its wines, particularly Pinot Noir.
12. Originated the mailing list (and waiting list) model for selling wine directly to consumers.
13. Among the first California Pinot Noir producers to offer wines in magnum format for most bottlings.
14. Demonstrated that intuition through experience is invaluable in crafting Pinot Noir.
15. Most importantly, Williams Selyem showed that great wine, and in particular Pinot Noir, can be produced without artifice. Technological methods such as saignée, alcohol adjustment, addition of Rubired extract, or other products to change colour, flavour, acid, tannin and mouth feel, are simply not required nor desired. Technology and expensive equipment can be useful winemaking adjuncts but are not requirements for fine wine production.”

The auction lot went for $16,000 with spirited bidding. The event was over the top. The venue was changed from the Adobe Room to the Wine Cellar Dining Room in the San Isidro Ranch main dining building and was just perfect, the food was beautifully paired with the menu, the wines all showed magnificently and all of the guests were more than delighted to the extent many are still talking about it today as one of the most treasured wine experiences in their lives.

Cheers,
Blake

Thanks Blake!

very fine, Blake—I’m sure you yourself paid in a very generous amount to get this auction item to the table. Glad to hear there were so many interested parties.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I really did not have any idea as to what the lot would go for and was just hoping it would be decent and some money could be made for charity. The auctioneer started out at $2,000 and went up in increments of $500. There were paddles after paddles thrusted up and the whole room was a buzz. When it got to $10,000, I had a smile on my face. Then it got really competitive with about 4 bidders going against each other and when one raised their own bid from $15,000 to $!6,000, the deal was sealed.

It was the smile on Burt`s face that made my day. He never goes to auctions so this was another first. We drank well at our table with many WS treasured oldies, high tier champagne and a total of about 20 wines with 8 people. We shared the bliss with many others as was the norm for this event. It was a great day.

Thanks for this great series of threads and thanks for your support of this charity.

Much appreciated Sean.

Thanks for these threads. Nices to read about the history.
I was late to the game, with my first purchases of Williams Selyem with the 2004 vintage.
I will add the following data point as to the Burt Williams’ Morning Dew Ranch.

I recently opened the 2010 WS Morning Dew Ranch pinot. I believe this was the first vintage for WS to use fruit from this vineyard.
The wine is wonderful. Beautiful nose and shows such great depth with a zippy spine of acidity. It is nice to have tasted this wine, given the history of such an iconic brand and the impact Burt Williams had on California Pinot Noir.

Another great read. Thanks, Blake.

FWIIW, Burt bought a 40 acre property located at a relatively high elevation at 600 feet and therefore cooler climate in Anderson Valley. He planted the 13 acre vineyard to be named Morning Dew Ranch in 1998 after selling. He used clones from Rochioli, DRC suitcase clones 5BB, 140R, 110R, 3309C, clone 23 and Dijon clones 115, 777 and 828. The first to vilify fruit from the vineyard were his daughter Margi [Brogan Cellars], Miura, Drew, Whitcraft, Woodenhead and Williams Selyem. Burt made 2 vintages, 08 and 09 before finally retiring for good.

The 08 was smoked by the local fires and is mellowing out enough just enough to drink with foods other than those that have been smoked. The 09 was and still is a big, robust, dark fruit laden beauty, very atypical of the Pinots he made through 97`.

I have a lot of both vintages and am happy to share with any interested.

Blake - when did the 1st WS pinot hit the $100 mark? I know the Marcassin Estate has been there for a while. I also came across a Paul Hobbs reserve pinot some years back (I want to say 5+) that was a whopping $125.

And another question: I look at most of your posts on tastings but don’t recall even seeing a Summa opened. This seems the ultimate CA unicorn - A Williams Selyem Summa. I assume you have had some. How many vintages did they produce? Do you still have any?

John, it was in 1991 that they hit $100 for the first time for the Rochioli.

As for Summa, I can only remember posting one note and it was on a 91 in magnum that Burt took to a party in Healdsburg a few years ago along with a magnum of 97 Rochioli, both serious treasures. Ive had a few others some time ago and always love them. Summa was made in 88, 91 and 95.

Heres my tasting notes on the 91: 1991 WILLIAMS SELYEM SUMMA VINEYARD PINOT NOIR- 1.5L; from 4 acres of the vineyard producing a total of 1 ton, this is really good; the inviting spicy serious nose led to the concentration and complexity this gem had to offer; there was a bit of sweetness, but not to a fault and Burt commented it could be on the edge of mercaptans; I did not get any unpleasantness or sulfur compounds.

Currently, I have about 80 bottles of Burt`s wines and sadly, no Summa.

Thanks, Blake. I wonder what happened to the Summa fruit in '89, '90, and '92-'94.

It’s interesting that the Rochioli bottle prices actually decreased. As recently as the late '00s I recall the WS Rochioli being in the $80s.

Burt just today told me he blended Summa into the Sonoma Coast and Sonoma County Pinots. In fact, it made up a large percentage of each in those off years.

I can’t say why Rochioli prices went lower, but I have an idea the blocks sourced may have been different and there may have been a difference in vineyard management from Burts desires. Ill see if I can get more info.

Also, I`m assuming you are not confusing it with Rochioli Riverblock which was always a great wine, but not to the extent of the pure Rochioli.

I checked my notes and found the 99 Rochioli RB was $60, the 00 was $64 and the 02` was $69. I do not find any pure Rochioli offered in those years.

Blake - Actually I am confusing it with Riverblock. When you say “pure Rochioli” I believe you’re referring to the West Block. Although I don’t think WS ever labeled it as such. I recall a story of how when Rochioli decided to make their own vineyard designates they kept increasing amounts of the West Block for themselves until finally they kept it all. Of course they were clued in to the concept of designating parcels of their vineyard when Williams Selyem did it.

That’s great info on the “missing Summa” years. Thanks for relaying that.

The Williams-Selyem Rochioli Vineyard (which I always thought was their best wine) was made from West Block fruit, as I understand it, but was always labeled as Rochioli Vineyard. The last vintage was 1997, and my understanding was that when Burt and Ed sold the winery the Rochioli’s decided to keep the fruit for themselves…their handshake deal to sell the fruit to Burt and Ed came to an end.

to add, Riverblock was labelled as “Riverblock” until 1997. From 1998 it is “Rochioli Riverblock”.

Blake - nice series on perhaps my favorite California producer. It looks like you;re going to stop at 1997, but it would be great to hear more on the Cabral years, feels like there’s less inside info on that period.

John, Rochioli made by Burt was all West Block. He also got East Block and blended that in to the RRV. You are correct, the end of WS Rochioli was when Burt sold= 97` the last vintage which BTW, is a GREAT wine.

Robert, you are correct about the Rochioli and the termination date. Rochioli Riverblock was planted in 89 using their own clone. Its located 50 yards away from West Block.

I am remembering sometime in the early 90’s some jerk stole a tractor and plowed down a row or two Rochioli vines that W&S were receiving and and cut production. “Why didn’t they take out the French Colombard” I believe Tom (?) lamented. This also happened at the same time W&S stopped giving a 10% discount on cases.

Clayton, I did the first of the 2 periods of WS because I have some history with purchasing their wines from the mid 80s on and saved their old newsletters which have numerous pearls plus having Burt as a good friend for much of this time to the present.

I do not have all that much to contribute from 98` on. If someone else does, I would also welcome that addition to this series.