Burt Williams and Ed Selyem burst onto the wine scene in the early 1980’s as California’s first cult producer of Pinot Noir, but all along the way Zinfandel was always an important part of the game plan. In fact the first wine they made together was a Zinfandel from the Martinelli family’s famed Jackass Hill.
The Russian River Valley winery has today come a long way under the ownership of their devoted customer, John Dyson, and in addition to the winery’s line of estate-grown and vineyard designated Pinot noirs and Chardonnays is a who’s who of Russian River Zinfandels: Papera. Bacigalupi. Saitone. Fanucchi Wood Road. Today the winemaking baton has been handed from longtime master Bob Cabral to Jeff Mangahas who hasn’t missed a beat and continues Williams Selyem’s reputation for rich, expressive, limited production gems that are sold primarily on the winery’s mailing list.
To purchase, taste or visit the Williams Selyem facility in Healdsburg which is available to members only, you must first request to join the winery’s mailing list and wait to be included in their twice per year allocations that are snatched up quickly by eager Williams Selyem fans. Worth the wait.
