2007 Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
(13.8% alcohol, with a low pH of 3.37): Moderately saturated medium red. Initially a bit reduced on the nose but quickly showed lovely perfumed lift to the aromas of raspberry, flowers, coffee and mocha. Sappy, fine-grained and intense, with surprising acidity giving verve and definition to the wine's dry, juicy red fruit and floral flavors. Nicely firm Pinot with surprisingly sweet, easygoing tannins. This can be enjoyed now or held. Winemaker Jeff Mangahas described 2007 as "a great season with no heat spikes, no threat of desiccation. We could pick whenever we wanted." The season was early from budbreak through harvest, and thus total hang time was roughly normal.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The medium dark ruby-hued 2007 Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard exhibits an attractive forest floor/flora character interwoven with sweet black cherry fruit aromas, hints of pomegranates and raspberries, tart acids, and medium to full body. This attractive, still youthful Pinot will be even better in 2-3 years, and should last for a decade or more. The single vineyard Pinot Noirs are made from a wide range of California vineyards, primarily in the north, with Russian River and Sonoma Coast dominating, but there is also an Anderson Valley site (Ferrington), San Benito site (Vista Verde), and Yorkville Highlands (Weir). The Chardonnays are nearly as powerful as the Zinfandels in terms of alcohol strength, ranging from 14.5% to 14.8%. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546
Medium red. Intensely perfumed bouquet of raspberry, potpourri, Asian spices and sassafras. Impressively pure red fruit flavors are underscored by zesty mineral and sweet floral pastille nuances, with fine-grained tannins adding grip. The floral note gains volume with air and carries through a long, seductively sweet finish. This is complex enough to enjoy now, but I'd hold onto mine for at least another five or six years.
About the producer
Williams Selyem is an iconic Russian River Valley winery best known for its Pinot Noir. Producing restrained yet classically Californian expressions of the heartbreak grape (as well as a host of other wines), the property has gone from pioneer to one of the region’s standard-bearers.