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2009 Williams Selyem Forchini Vineyard South Knoll Zinfandel

Light label condition issue

Removed from a temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

92The Wine Advocate

Crushed flowers, rose petals, spices, sweet herbs and red berries round out the finish, but it is the energy and cut that elevate the South Knoll.

92Stephen Tanzer

Glass-staining purple. Wild, gamey and exotic on the nose, offering ripe boysenberry, cassis and fruitcake scents along with an exotic jolt of cocoa powder and anise. Round, expansive black and blue fruit flavors

91Wine Spectator

Rich, ripe and jammy, with spicy cherry pie aromas and layered flavors of boysenberry, underbrush and cracked pepper. The tannins are ripe but a bit rustic.

PRODUCER

Williams Selyem

Williams Selyem was founded in 1981 when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams, friends who shared winemaking as a hobby, decided to make a commercial vintage. The men were neighbors in the Russian River Valley with full time jobs that were unrelated to winemaking. Nevertheless they purchased grapes and made Zinfandel, then single-vineyard Pinot Noir. Williams Selyem Pinots quickly earned a cult following. In 1998 the founders sold the winery to John and Kathe Dyson, former customers with backgrounds in wine production and business. The winemaker is John Cabral. Though the estate is best known for Pinot Noir, it also makes Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Says Robert M. Parker Jr: “The overall style of Williams Selyem Pinots remains one of elegant, high-acid wines that can age….”

TYPE

Red Wine, Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a black-skinned grape, but 85% of the wine produced is made into a rosy “White Zinfandel.” Red Zin is far more complex and bold, while still being light-bodied. It grows in popularity as winemakers continue to experiment with new styles and blends.