Slightly darker ruby in color, the 2008 Pinot Noir Flax Vineyard exhibits sweet cherry cola and loamy soil notes. This straightforward but enjoyable, medium-bodied wine has good roundness, fruit and spice. It is not complex, but it is well-made and should drink nicely for another 4-5 years. With thirteen separate Pinot Noirs, Williams-Selyem has something for just about everybody. Eight of these Pinot Noirs hail from relatively well-known sites in the Russian River and three come from the Sonoma Coast, while the two outliers are the Weir Vineyard from Yorkville Highlands and the Ferrington Vineyard from the Anderson Valley. Three well-regarded vineyards of the Sonoma Coast comprise part of this impressive Pinot Noir portfolio from Williams-Selyem. With eight Russian River bottlings, the two with the largest availability are the Eastside Road Neighbors and Westside Road Neighbors, which are blends from different fruit sources. The most underrated wines in the entire portfolio are the Zinfandels that come from winemaker Bob Cabrol. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546

This complicated, soft Pinot Noir is very rich in cherry, red currant, cola, licorice and spice flavors, but it’s a little heavy. It shows the Williams-Selyem fingerprint of impeccable growing and winemaking technique, but it’s hard to tell where it’s going.——S.H.(2/1/2011)—— 88