Williams Selyem has access to exceptional vineyards and Jeff and his team do a great job with the fruit. While the wine is not inexpensive, I’m a big fan.
Just got on the list but I have so much pinot – recently hosted a pre-1998 Williams Selyem dinner and supplied nine bottles – that I mainly want the incredible zins. But allocation was zero on both, which is fair but unfortunate. Based on Bruce’s note above maybe I’ll add some Westside to my small order but I doubt I’ll do a 2017 WS dinner in 20 years at age 80.
FYI at that dinner two months ago the 94 95 96 Allen and the 96 but not 95 Rochioli were as good as American pinot gets for my preferences.
Just got an email from a shop in the city offering up to 6 bottles per customer. Certainly the price is higher than the release price. Made me wonder why I got 0 allocation on Unoaked Chardonnay this time…
I just hosted a dinner with 9 old Wms Selyem including a Hacienda del Rio Zin from that vineyard made somewhere between 1979 and 1983. It was tired. But I’ve had several bottles of the 1990 (names the vineyard on the bottle) to 1992 (the last year, says RRV on the bottle but it’s Martinelli), from that vineyard, and they’re outstanding, nothing like the later Martinellis Jackass Hill from that vineyard . If the 1988 is similar I’d expect a sort of quiet, creamy, lovely wine that needs 2 to 3 hours air, it will be almost silent or odd upon opening.