Red and dark berry aromas, fruit forward with plenty of red and dark cherry, not tannic at all, decent finish but one dimensional overall. Went well with grilled porterhouse porkchops.
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Opened 3.0 for 2 hours before drinking. Wonderful nose of ripe red cherries and spices. Complex layers of bright red fruits, orange/cinamon spices, damp earth and tobacco.
Paired well with lamb dinner and for my palate was more enjoyable than 2001 WS Central Coast PN we also drank, which was less fruit forward, lighter, drier with mild spices but nicely balanced. Group of 16 guests were evenly split on which they preferred.
Maybe it was because they were properly stored in larger format bottles, but neither wine showed age or that they were nearing the end of their useful life.
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Aging exceptionally well. Beautiful garnet color. Soft red fruits, rhubarb, brown sugar, forest floor. The WS Pinot program is not missing a beat with Bob Cabral at the helm IMO.
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This is really singing now; perfectly balanced, soft pinot, with pure red color, nice cherry cola, tobacco and berry flavors; not going to get any better, but definitely not past its prime
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Ok, but nothing special at all. Pretty purple color. Not much af a nose or palate. Very, very mild all around. Not sure if this was past its prime, needed time to evolve (doubt it), or if it's just a very light, mild PN.
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Decanted for 1 hr before traveling to restaurant. On opening excellent bouquet, light color, raspberry notes. At The Palm after half an hour more air, darkened and it really sang. Vibrant bouquet, rich red berry flavors, forest notes. Seems optimal now. Unfortunately my last bottle, as Brown Derby only shipped me 2 instead of the 5 I ordered, for which they subbed Hirsch,(I ordered 2 Hirsch) which to this point is not comparable. I hope it was an innocent mistake.
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Double decanted in am. Delicious dark fruits with exotic spices and some earthiness. Remainder,drank even better the following evening. Has plenty of life left.
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Day one - lots of precise red cherry and raspberry, woody underbrush and a touch of sandalwood. Tannins are resolved, excellent balance. Seems to be at peak. Day two - wow, stunning nose of crushed berry, violets, camp fire and this incredible buttery, rich pastry. Smooooth on the palate, with silky, earthy berries. So why did I drop off the W&S mailing list?
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This is a an excellent pinot that is now hitting its "window" now. It's smooth, fleshy, and soft. Nice texture, well integrated, with red fruit flavors. No need to hang on to these - they are at their peak now. Once had 8, now 1 left, will wait for the right moment and open later this year. It's in its prime.
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Light ruby color. Fasinating nose of floral, candied red fruits, camp fire and a touch of vanilla. Round, soft and generous in the mouth with raspberry, cherry and vanilla. The finish is smooth, fully integrated, with lingering berries. I guess best over the next 1-2 years.
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A friend and I were talking once that it is difficult to find later vintage Pinot Noirs in stores and restaurants. This is even more true now due in large part to their popularity from the movie Sideways. Because they are hard to find, it is difficult to really test their ability to age. I had the opportunity to purchase a few older Williams Selyem Pinots earlier this year (thankfully not at full price. Man this guy sells some expensive pinots). These had a couple of years of bottle age and I was really looking forward to giving these a try. I will say this, Pinots are probably my fifth choice when it comes to selecting a red wine for purchase in a store or in a restaurant. They are behind Syrah, Merlot, Cabs, and Blends. Do not ask me why, its not that I have anything against them, maybe I just trying to make sure that I am not jumping on the bandwaggon. I didn't decant this wine but I did let it sit and breath for over an hour. It probably needed to go about another 30 minutes because it was about that time when this wine hit the "wow" factor. This is a damn good wine and it may be the best Pinot that I have ever tasted. The dark fruit really jumped out at you. Definetly cherry and blackbery and little jammy with a fint of raspberry. MMMMM. And the finish is long. I mean like I think it is still finishing even now. If all pinots tasted like this, it would certainly jump up my list of preference. This was a borderline epiphany. I highly recommend this wine.
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7/5/2022 - rnellans wrote: 90 Points
Dark, Rich With air started to see some oxidation Drink up.
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9/24/2017 - mmulthaup wrote:
Opened Sept 2017- still great. Acidity still present, raspberry and dark berries, fresh baked pie, long finish.
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4/15/2013 - Schwarzer Hund wrote:
Red and dark berry aromas, fruit forward with plenty of red and dark cherry, not tannic at all, decent finish but one dimensional overall. Went well with grilled porterhouse porkchops.
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7/1/2012 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
Opened 3.0 for 2 hours before drinking. Wonderful nose of ripe red cherries and spices. Complex layers of bright red fruits, orange/cinamon spices, damp earth and tobacco.
Paired well with lamb dinner and for my palate was more enjoyable than 2001 WS Central Coast PN we also drank, which was less fruit forward, lighter, drier with mild spices but nicely balanced. Group of 16 guests were evenly split on which they preferred.
Maybe it was because they were properly stored in larger format bottles, but neither wine showed age or that they were nearing the end
of their useful life.
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4/13/2012 - sababa1022 wrote: 92 Points
Drank a second bottle. Not as strong as the first but still excellent. Secondary notes on the nose.
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4/12/2012 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Aging exceptionally well. Beautiful garnet color. Soft red fruits, rhubarb, brown sugar, forest floor. The WS Pinot program is not missing a beat with Bob Cabral at the helm IMO.
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2/10/2012 - sababa1022 wrote: 95 Points
Deep black fruit, rich body. A perfect compliment to salmon with a spicy Asian sauce. Gotta love old WS pinots, perfectly stored.
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4/28/2011 - Didman wrote: 91 Points
Nice, fairly light and delicate, but with a bit of life left.
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12/2/2010 - rnellans wrote: 91 Points
Good solid WS pinot for drinking now, but will hold for a few more years.
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10/12/2010 - helicopterbob wrote: 87 Points
it was ok but not exciting
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12/28/2009 - edge wrote: 95 Points
This bottling is starting to hit its stride. Rich dark color and lots of plum and cherries.
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8/28/2009 - windypinot wrote: 92 Points
This is really singing now; perfectly balanced, soft pinot, with pure red color, nice cherry cola, tobacco and berry flavors; not going to get any better, but definitely not past its prime
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6/20/2009 - lebo9968@gmail.com wrote: 87 Points
Ok, but nothing special at all. Pretty purple color. Not much af a nose or palate. Very, very mild all around. Not sure if this was past its prime, needed time to evolve (doubt it), or if it's just a very light, mild PN.
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7/12/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hr before traveling to restaurant. On opening excellent bouquet, light color, raspberry notes. At The Palm after half an hour more air, darkened and it really sang. Vibrant bouquet, rich red berry flavors, forest notes. Seems optimal now.
Unfortunately my last bottle, as Brown Derby only shipped me 2 instead of the 5 I ordered, for which they subbed Hirsch,(I ordered 2 Hirsch) which to this point is not comparable. I hope it was an innocent mistake.
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5/21/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted in am. Delicious dark fruits with exotic spices and some earthiness. Remainder,drank even better the following evening. Has plenty of life left.
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3/24/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Day one - lots of precise red cherry and raspberry, woody underbrush and a touch of sandalwood. Tannins are resolved, excellent balance. Seems to be at peak.
Day two - wow, stunning nose of crushed berry, violets, camp fire and this incredible buttery, rich pastry. Smooooth on the palate, with silky, earthy berries. So why did I drop off the W&S mailing list?
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11/19/2006 - plitton wrote: 89 Points
Sharon's Thanksgiving with friends: No detailed notes taken. It finished a little short and acidic.
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7/29/2006 - mark40 wrote: 94 Points
This is a an excellent pinot that is now hitting its "window" now. It's smooth, fleshy, and soft. Nice texture, well integrated, with red fruit flavors. No need to hang on to these - they are at their peak now. Once had 8, now 1 left, will wait for the right moment and open later this year. It's in its prime.
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1/25/2006 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Light ruby color. Fasinating nose of floral, candied red fruits, camp fire and a touch of vanilla. Round, soft and generous in the mouth with raspberry, cherry and vanilla. The finish is smooth, fully integrated, with lingering berries. I guess best over the next 1-2 years.
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12/25/2005 - King of all vines wrote: 94 Points
A friend and I were talking once that it is difficult to find later vintage Pinot Noirs in stores and restaurants. This is even more true now due in large part to their popularity from the movie Sideways. Because they are hard to find, it is difficult to really test their ability to age. I had the opportunity to purchase a few older Williams Selyem Pinots earlier this year (thankfully not at full price. Man this guy sells some expensive pinots). These had a couple of years of bottle age and I was really looking forward to giving these a try. I will say this, Pinots are probably my fifth choice when it comes to selecting a red wine for purchase in a store or in a restaurant. They are behind Syrah, Merlot, Cabs, and Blends. Do not ask me why, its not that I have anything against them, maybe I just trying to make sure that I am not jumping on the bandwaggon. I didn't decant this wine but I did let it sit and breath for over an hour. It probably needed to go about another 30 minutes because it was about that time when this wine hit the "wow" factor. This is a damn good wine and it may be the best Pinot that I have ever tasted. The dark fruit really jumped out at you. Definetly cherry and blackbery and little jammy with a fint of raspberry. MMMMM. And the finish is long. I mean like I think it is still finishing even now. If all pinots tasted like this, it would certainly jump up my list of preference. This was a borderline epiphany. I highly recommend this wine.
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11/26/2004 - kleinahoe wrote: 95 Points
Perfectly structured with a great finish.
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