Description
Winemakers Notes
Traditional Portuguese varieties – Touriga National, Tinta Cao and Tinta Madeira– were used to create this Port made in the traditional style. It is a multifaceted wine with aromas of plum fruit, citrus blossom, raisin, fig, fruit cake, candied fruits, chocolate, espresso and hints of Indian spices. The palate is smooth with rich, powerful tannins. Flavors of dark berry fruits, boysenberry jam, espresso, raisin, fig and chocolate-coated orange peel tantalize the palate, followed by a long, smooth and supple finish with a hint of Asian spices, Grand Marnier and licorice.
This Port was fortified from special “Port style” spirits made exclusively for Williams Selyem by the alembic stills of Hubert Germain-Robin of Alambic, Inc. in Ukiah, California, and was aged in neutral barrels. Moderately sweet on the palate, this exciting Port has a protracted finish of bittersweet chocolate. This is a very big and age-worthy Port.
Harvest Notes
The 2006 grape growing season was characterized by weather extremes. The unusually cool and wet weather of the early spring caused a late start to the 2006 Harvest. Challenged by the prolonged and excessive July heat spikes followed by more moisture, the vines required attentive care. Cool coastal weather returned in August, mitigating the effect of the hot summer and permitting a long hang time for optimal fruit maturity and a controlled pace for ideal picking. Grape clusters were unusually large, resulting in a generous crop load. Winemaking for the vintage was focused on meticulous fruit sorting and concentrating flavors, resulting in wines of fullness and length. Our Pinot noirs across growing regions have fruitiness of intensity and purity; our Russian River Zinfandels are ripe and typically powerful; our Russian River Chardonnays are particularly aromatic and finely structured.
Critical Acclaim
93 points Wine Enthusiast
Made using classic Port grape varieties, this is rich and sweet, with chocolate, coffee, orange, plum and spice flavors. Crisp acidity provides needed balance. It shows a complexity that lifts it above the ordinary. Drink now-2015.
90 points Vinous
Inky ruby. Exotically perfumed bouquet evokes cherry-cola, vanilla, singed plum and licorice, with notes of dried herbs and Indian spices adding complexity. Big, palate-coating and warm, offering syrupy dark fruit flavors and a supple, velvety texture. Finishes long and sweet, with resonating spiciness and lingering warmth. (JR)
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