Iconic Sonoma winery Williams Selyem is best known for its Pinot Noirs, but Zinfandel was the first wine that founders Burt Williams and Ed Selyem made, back in 1979. Every year since, the Russian River Valley winery has produced small amounts of Zinfandel.
Today, Williams Selyem bottles six vineyard-designated Zins: Bacigalupi, Belloni, Carlisle, Fanucchi-Wood Road, Papera and Saitone. All six vineyards are located in the Russian River Valley AVA, and each is 100 years old or more (or soon to be). Saitone, dating to 1895, is the oldest Zin planting in the Piner-Olivet area—a place coveted for its collection of gnarled old vines.
Senior editor Tim Fish sat down with winemaker Jeff Mangahas to taste a vertical of eight Williams Selyem Saitone bottlings, spanning the 2016 through the 2023 vintages. Read on to get his notes!
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