One of the most expensive cuvees in the Williams-Selyem portfolio comes from their Sonoma Coast vineyard called Precious Mountain, which is planted with mixed clones at about 1,700 feet elevation. About 250 cases are produced. The 2001 Pinot Noir Precious Mountain reveals extraordinarily complex notes of minerals, earth, leather, red and black fruits, and dried herbs, a sweet entry on the palate, good underlying acidity, medium to full body, and impressive purity as well as intensity. It needs 1-3 years of cellaring, and should age for a decade. All things considered, 2001 and 2002 are the finest back-to-back vintages I have tasted from Williams-Selyem. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546

Fruitier than the winery’s Hirsch bottling, with a blast of raspberry, loganberry, mulberry and other wild berries, and crushed Asian brown spices. Completely satisfying and complex, a wine that changes with every sip but is delicate and charming despite its size. ——S.H.(5/1/2004)—— 93