2019 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard

The 2019 Pinot Noir Williams Selyem Estate Vineyard is a touch more introspective at first glance and warrants time in the glass to unfurl, when it gives way to sun-ripened cherry, sassafras, and violets. The palate has gripping structure with fresh acidity to match and reveals notes of cranberry cocktail, rocky earth, and fresh herbs. Give it a year or so to harmonize in bottle and drink it over the next 10 years.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard comes from Pommard, Swan and Mt Eden clone vines. Medium ruby, it has a well of aromas, segueing from cranberry, pomegranate and rhubarb, to tones of orange peel, forest floor, wild mint and iron. Medium-bodied, it offers intense, sweet berry fruits on a slender, powdery frame, with bursts of fresh acidity and a very long finish with a flourish of spicy accents. It has potential to develop in the cellar over the next decade, but it's hard to resist all that upfront, youthful fruit.

A gorgeous floral bouquet of rose and lavender leads the way to a core of crisp pomegranate, crushed rock and black tea in this fresh, energetic wine. There's a distinct depth and sophistication to the texture and body, and a memorable citrus-like brightness that persists on the palate. — Virginie Boone