History
Cecil and Luella Litton's family settled the land in the 1850s, and it passed through apple, hop and pasture eras before John and Kathe Dyson, owners of Williams Selyem since 1997, bought the 51 acre parcel from Litton descendants around 2002 after years of negotiation. Planting began that year, and the wine was first labeled Litton Estate to honor the homesteaders; the name changed to Williams Selyem Estate after 2008 by agreement with Ridge, which owns Lytton Springs. The 2007 Litton Estate Pinot Noir took 100 points from Wine Enthusiast, called the first perfect score for a California Pinot Noir from a major American publication. The gravity-flow estate winery, its roof planted in native grass, opened on the property in 2010.
The Site
Just over 30 of the 51 acres are planted across hillside and river terrace at about 180 feet, seven miles southwest of Healdsburg and half a mile from the Allen Vineyard, on Sobrante, Suther and Yolo loams.
Vines and Blocks
Pinot Noir at 1,245 vines per acre in Swan, Mt. Eden, Calera, Martini, 23, 943, the winery's own Dyson A and mass selections with touches of Pommard and Dijon, plus Chardonnay in mass selection and Rued, across five rootstocks.
The Wines
Estate bottlings, including block wines like the Block 10 mass selection, joined the storied single-vineyard range with the Middle Reach signature: red-fruited, spicy Pinot Noir of silk and restraint.