Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Williams Selyem – Pinot Noir “Westside Road Neighbors” – Vintage 2023
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
An expressive and terroir-driven Pinot Noir from the revered Westside Road corridor of the Russian River Valley, a stretch synonymous with depth, precision, and complexity. This 2023 release from Williams Selyem showcases the hallmark elegance of the estate but with a more structured, site-focused personality.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe cherry, red currant, and plum compote intertwined with notes of black tea, baking spice, and subtle earthy undertones. Hints of cola and dried rose petals emerge as the wine opens, adding nuance to its aromatic range.

Mouthfeel
Texturally denser than the core RRV bottling, with a refined backbone of tannin and a sense of gravitas on the palate. Medium-plus body with impressive balance, equal parts finesse and muscle. The finish is long, savory, and mineral-tinged, reflecting the complexity of its vineyard sources.

Food Pairings
Perfect for roast duck with cherry glaze, wild mushroom tart, or seared salmon with soy-ginger glaze. The structure also pairs beautifully with richer poultry or pork dishes.

Verdict
A Pinot Noir of precision and presence, more grounded and terroir-driven than its softer sibling. “Westside Road Neighbors” is the connoisseur’s pick: powerful yet graceful, and built for cellaring.

Did You Know?
The “Westside Road Neighbors” cuvée blends fruit from several prestigious vineyards located along one of Sonoma’s most famous Pinot corridors, where fog and afternoon sun create the perfect microclimate for depth and elegance.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This Pinot stands out for its balance of structure and soul. A wine that feels both intellectual and emotional, it invites reflection while still being effortlessly enjoyable. — 7 days ago

Paul J

9.3

Happy Father’s Day! PnP’d. Very similar to previous notes. Very enjoyable but restrained on the nose and palate. Lovely texture and depth. Amarone characteristics. — 3 years ago

with Brooke

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Sette Ponti or "seven bridges," refers to 7 bridges crossing the Arno River on the road from Arezzo to Florence. Blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cab Sauv & 10% Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in new French oak. Very dark Ruby with pronounced aromas of dark fruits, cigar box & earthy notes, touch of floral citrus. Flavors of black cherry & blackberry with tobacco & spice. Fine tight tannins, long finish ending with cacao, tobacco & mineral spice as the finish builds. Decant now! Will continue to age! — 4 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Quite light garnet wide terracotta , garnet rim. Quite a lot of dry spice , nutmeg , star anis , red cherry, raspberry , red currant , earthy hints . After a while a bit more leafy , smoky on the nose. On the palate this is quite light and direct in style , raspberry , red cherry and those earthy , granite touches . This has fresh acidity and fine , light tannins . Reasonable earthy , spiced finish . Certainly ready and on this showing will probably last ok another 5 or so years. Not the most complex , overall I found it a little pedestrian, but still showing ok , but no need to wait any longer , I don’t see this improving . — 7 days ago

Seth Masterson

9.2

Balletto Pinot showdown no. 1
Best in the mouth.
Light ruby-garnet. Visually appears to have age beyond it's 4 years to me.
Not a great nose- overripe fruit, some blue notes, oaky spice- maybe has seen new American oak?
Mouth: wow, great full++ mouth feel, a really nice roundness here, unexpected.
This wine is ready to drink right now! — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.4

This 2017 is less opulent, more compact, and tightly coiled compared to the 2016. Because of that, I followed this wine over two days.

On day one, this was tart and tangy…almost steely and too powerful. Day two saw this blossom and expand on the palate. The tart/tangy vibe is still there but it’s accompanied by a deep richness. Everything about this Chardonnay is lemon driven…lemon oil, lemon scone, powdered lemon tart bar, especially on the nose. There is a nervy vein of acidity at the core carrying notes of pineapple and white peach, but never pushed too far to the ripe side. One of those wines that retains freshness with the richness. If popping now, decant 1-2hrs or hold another few years, and enjoy the 2016 before opening this 2017! — 4 years ago

Ming L

9.0

I don’t remember I’ve ever drank a wine that’s less than a year old. I’m surprised how much I like it. The aromatic profile is quite similar to the 2021 I tasted before with lime, yellow apple, pear, underripe banana, and light chalk, but rather expressive. Medium body and round flesh acidity. Finish with a saline touch. Don’t quite understand why the winery would grow Pinot Grigio on a prime Oakville vineyard. I meant they make outstanding Cab and Merlot from the site that can fetch far more money.
— 8 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

See several previous Delectable notes on this wine and vintage. A pale crimson colour with tawny garnet shades. Aromatics of red fruits (strawberry) and Sous Bois on the nose. It may be pale in colour but carries a Medium plus palate intensity of good length. A very good 2nd wine from Bell Hill from the Canterbury district (just to the north of Christchurch) which deserves more recognition as a source of high quality Pinot Noir. Also referred to as the Waipara District. — a year ago

Tom Lyons

8.9

Nice!!! Good subtle flavors, great to drink — 4 years ago

Jerae Knutson

DuMOL Member Services

9.6

If you snagged a few bottles of this wine in your allocation you can feel comfortable opening a bottle soon - let the wine evolve in your glass. If you’re patient, you’ll be greatly rewarded by tucking a few bottles in your cellar for 5+ (and up to 11) years. 77% of the fruit comes from DuMOL’s O’Connell Estate Vineyard and 23% from Occidental Road Vineyard. Finn is always layered with a velvety finish, and always a Member favorite. — 5 years ago