Williams Selyem Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2014

W-S winery began as a simple dream of two friends, Ed Selyem and Burt Williams, who pursued weekend winemaking as a hobby in 1979 in a garage in Forestville, California. The two would go on to make their first official commercial vintage in 1981. The two would say, “it was okay.” But, less than two decades later, Burt and Ed created a cult-status winery of international acclaim.

Together they set a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking in the United States, aligning Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley in the firmament of the best winegrowing regions of the world.

But this isn’t one of their classic RRV offerings, but rather a trip a little further southwest to the Coast. Aided by the sea breeze, this one is distinctly different than the Russian River Valley bottlings.

Their 2014 Sonoma Coast bottling is a gem in its own right and definitely not one to be overlooked. A 94-point Sonoma Coast classic from the famous winery in an excellent year (the third straight drought year in California) that proves their excellence in more than just their own backyard. This one is drinking particularly well right now.