2002 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Wonderful fragrant aromas of flowers and ripe cherry and wild berry, which transfer over to a smooth, rich, polished style that caresses the palate, turning silky and delicate. Finishes with vivid black cherry and blackberry fruit and touches of vanilla and spice. *Top 100 Wines of 2004* (JL)

(14% alcohol; 78% new oak): Black cherry and a whiff of maderization on the nose. Highly concentrated and a touch exotic, with flavors of olive tapenade and cherries macerated in alcohol. Shows more volume and sneaky length than the 2001 version but also comes across as slightly disjointed. The warm finish hints at cilantro and olive tapenade. (My sample of the 2003 was liqueur-like, even a bit oxidative, on the nose, offering scents of cherry candy and resin. Thick, high-toned and liqueur-like on the palate, it's evolving very quickly and appears to be past its peak. The 2003 growing season featured a mostly cool summer requiring a late harvest, but Allen was picked on September 15 after a strong heat spike. The wine finishes with noticeable alcoholic heat.) (ST)