2012 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Bright ruby. Pungent, smoke-tinged aromas of dried cherry, blackberry and musky herbs, with a potpourri nuance building in the glass. Juicy, concentrated and expansive, offering cherry-cola and licorice pastille flavors and a hint of rose. Building tannins shape the clinging, smoky finish, which leaves a bitter cherry note behind. Bob Cabral told me he thinks this vineyard is producing more masculine wines than it did in the past.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2012 Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard offers lovely immediacy and plenty of early appeal. Crushed flowers, mint, sweet red berries and subtle earthy notes all take shape in the glass. The 2012 has an attractive sense of poise and centeredness, although it remains a bit chunky and rough around the edges.
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.