Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with pioneer Williams Selyem – Wednesday 1st July (Non-Member)

When it comes to world-class, cool-climate California Pinot Noir, one region has, over the last half-century, led the way – the Russian River Valley.

It was there, in 1978, that friends Burt Williams and Ed Selyem launched a quiet revolution in California winemaking, armed with a salvaged dairy tank, a spartan Sonoma County garage, and an unwavering belief in single-vineyard wines.

Today, that same focus remains – as do the dairy tanks, which are used for foot-treading grapes – yielding wines of notable intensity and precision. That, and an unwavering emphasis on vineyard expression, restraint and ageability, has helped elevate Williams Selyem and the Russian River Valley to the world stage.

So much so that a couple of years ago, the historic Burgundian producer Faiveley took a majority share of the winery, which today crafts more than 50 different single-vineyard wines and appellation blends under winemaker Jeff Mangahas.

Jeff first got into wine when working as a medical research scientist in Seattle, from where he took day trips to the vineyards and tasting rooms of Washington State. A growing fascination led him to pursue a Master’s of Enology at the University of California, Davis, followed by time in Burgundy and Bordeaux, and stints at Dutton-Goldfield and Hartford before he joined Williams Selyem in 2011.

Today he continues to pursue the winery’s founding ethos: to make the best wines from the best grapes from the best growers. We are delighted to welcome him to the Club for an evening exploring those wines.

The wines we will be drinking:
2023 Unoaked Chardonnay, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2023 Drake Estate Chardonnay, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2023 Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2023 Eastside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2023 Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2023 Ferrington Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Anderson Valley, California
2023 Rochioli Riverblock Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2023 Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, California
2018 Three Sisters Chardonnay, Williams Selyem, Sonoma Coast, California
2007 Precious Mountain Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem, Sonoma Coast, California

Wednesday 1st July
St James’s Room
18:30 – Welcome reception
19:00 – Masterclass begins
20:30 – Masterclass ends

Please note, tickets are refundable for cancellations up to 5 business days before the event. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Any cancellations within 5 business days of the event are non-refundable unless 67 Pall Mall resells the ticket to another Member. This is only possible when the event is sold out and there is a waiting list.

Please note that once your order is placed, your ticket status will display as “processing” until after the event, when your member account is then charged. You will receive an email confirmation after ordering your tickets, stating that your order is being processed – please take this as full confirmation that your booking has been finalised. For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].