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B-21 Top Recommendation
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From an exceptional 2021 vintage described as producing “stunning, compelling wines” by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, Jason Pahlmeyer’s Wayfarer Vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview has produced two top scoring, vineyard-driven gems, the opulent 98 pt. 2021 Wayfarer Estate Chardonnay and the impressive 96 pt. Wayfarer Estate Pinot Noir, each showing layered complexity and exceptional finesse and both offered at best on the market pricing.
Legendary for producing top notch Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay in Napa for over four decades, Jason Pahlmeyer turned his eye to producing Burgundian style wines in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA in the 1990's, purchasing Wayfarer on the advice of winemaker Helen Turley who believed it was destined to be "the La Tache of California.” Named by its former off the grid owners who dreamed of travelling the world, the Wayfarer property is located high on the remote King Ridge of the Sonoma Coast at around 1,100 feet above sea level, bordered by a thick forest of redwoods to the east and fog-covered bluffs to the west and cooled by Pacific Ocean breezes. Now managed by Jayson’s daughter Cleo, the organically farmed 30 acre Wayfarer vineyard is planted in Fort Ross-Seaview’s unique Goldridge soil, a sandy loam over a deep layer of sandstone ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, and divided into 30 meticulously tended blocks, each planted with a carefully selected clone according to the aspect, elevation and slope of the parcel. From “unquestionably a special vintage for Chardonnay” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, the rich and luxurious 98 pt. 2021 Wayfarer Estate Chardonnay was aged by winemaker Todd Kohn in 64% new French oak for 15 months, revealing richly aromatic layered fruit with fresh, impeccably balanced acidity on “an epically long finish” according to the Wine Advocate’s Erin Brooks and built to evolve for another decade. After maturing for 15 months in 55% new French oak barrels, the vibrant 2021 Wayfarer Estate Pinot Noir reveals lush, site expressive fruit with “a decidedly sparkly energy throughout and a vivid, mineral-driven finish” according to the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth, its seamlessly woven tannins promising a pleasurable evolution for another 15 years or more.
Released in limited amounts that she calls "well worth the hunt," the Wine Independent's Lisa Perrotti-Brown describes the elegant 98 pt. 2021 Wayfarer Estate Chardonnay Fort Ross-Seaview and the plush 96 pt. 2021 Wayfarer Estate Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview as revealing “amazing grace without sacrificing structure and layers," reflecting the decades’ long Pahlmeyer legacy of quality and well priced to deliver outstanding value. |
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The 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate is a blend of all the clones. Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, it prances out of the glass with fragrant notes of Bing cherries, fresh raspberries, and wild blueberries plus hints of red roses, cinnamon toast, and black tea. The medium to full-bodied palate has electric tension and impressive purity with very fine-grained tannins and a long vibrant finish.
96 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Jul 2023)
The 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate (previously labeled "Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard") has inviting aromas of cranberry sauce, mushroom, allspice and bitters. The palate's concentrated, nuanced fruit is structured by focused acidity and generous, powdery tannins, and it finishes with a flourish of spicy accents. It's drinking beautifully now and will develop savory complexity in bottle over the next decade.
95 points, Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate (Jun 2023)
A deep ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate is ripe and layered with an attractive perfume of cardamom, pure wild raspberry, and fresh sage. Medium-bodied, it expands with good length and concentration, its pure fruit is seamless throughout, and it has a fresh spine of acidity. Offering a lovely balance of fruit and freshness, with ripe tannins and a rocky texture, it should be drunk 2024-2034.
94 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Jul 2023)
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