Wayfarer 2021 Fort Ross Sea P Noir

Details

Wayfarer vineyard is extraordinary and unforgiving: undulating slopes hidden among winding mountain roads and redwoods, swathing a ridge on the northwestern reach of the Sonoma Coast. This remote landscape is the provenance of wildly beautiful wines born of risk, rigor and mastery small-lot Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific’s most dramatic appellation. Wayfarer was founded as a secluded farmstead more than 40 years ago, before its locale was defined as the now coveted Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. In 1998, Jayson Pahlmeyers winemaker, Helen Turley, discovered the site for sale down the road from her Marcassin vineyard. She introduced it to Pahlmeyer, declaring it destined to become the La Tache of California. Standing on the sandy Goldridge soils, inhaling the cool sea air, bathing in the generous sunshine, he, too, was captivated by the possibilities of this rustic, luminous place far from everything. Renowned vineyard developer David Abreu designed the vineyard as 30 one-acre blocks, each dedicated to an individual clone. The vineyard is farmed meticulously block-by-block, with each vine tended 12 times from pruning to harvest. Ten years after the vineyard was planted, Cleo Pahlmeyer, Jaysons daughter, introduced the first Wayfarer Vineyard wines in 2012. In tandem with winemaker Todd Kohn, Cleo Pahlmeyer drives to make intricate wines of transcendence, answering to a powerful, ever-unpredictable climate that rewards only the most observant and meticulous. It is an endeavor of true passion, an experiment that pushes the exactitude of winegrowing and winemaking to the farthest limits. We invite you to discover Wayfarer, the culmination of a far-reaching journey. The largest production cuve based on a mix of clones, the 2019 Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard was mostly de-stemmed and spent 15 months in 50-60% new French oak. It reveals a bright ruby-tinged color and offers a feminine style in its notes of raspberries, flowers, rose hips, and spice. Its fine, incredibly elegant, has fine tannins, and just glides over the palate. 95 Points. THE WINE ADVOCATE

Alcohol percentage: 14.5

Tasting Notes

Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, spiced cherry pie and stone fruit mingle with delicate floral notes of rose petal and violet, grounded by hints of forest floor and accented by flinty mineral notes. Bright raspberry characters on the palate are balanced by crisp acidity and delicate tannins. Notes of dark chocolate, tamarind, and powdery earth linger on the finish. This elegant wine will continue to develop complexity in the bottle over the next 10 years.