The 2009 Zinfandel North Flats Forchini Vineyard bursts from the glass with an exiting melange of dark cherries, wild herbs and flowers, all supported by a vein of underlying acidity. The wine’s density and sheer richness emerge with time in the glass. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. I tasted a dizzying array of Pinot Noirs from Williams Selyem and winemaker Bob Cabral. Yields were down in 2009 because of bunch-stem necrosis, a condition that can occur because of weather/humidity extremes or mineral imbalances. Otherwise, it was a pretty regular vintage with an even set and a harvest that took place beginning in early September.Tel. (707) 433-6425

Quite a good Zinfandel, although it does show some of the weaknesses that strike this vineyard in a cool year. You’ll find a smooth, full-bodied wine, with ample tannins and fine berry-cherry fruit and spices. Yet it’s curiously ambiguous in the mouth, and the concentration falls apart midpalate. ——S.H.(2/1/2012)—— 87

Dense ruby/purple, full-bodied, rich and impressively endowed, the 2008 Zinfandel Forchini Vineyard again has been heavily acidified, but it seems to work better thanks to the wine’s concentration and fruit. It should again be drunk in its exuberant youthfulness, before the baby fat tails off. 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