2018 Wayfarer Pinot Noir
Paige's Ridge

2018 Paige’s Ridge bursts from the glass with robust notes of black cherry, blackberry and lavender. The palate is concentrated, like a blackberry reduction, with velvety tannin. Notes of fine dark chocolate round out the experience.

We hand-picked each block and delivered firm, cool clusters to the winery before sunrise. We then hand-sorted and destemmed the fruit before transferring to tank, where seven days of cold maceration preceded more than two weeks of 100% native yeast fermentation. The free run wine was transferred to 100% new French oak for 15 months of aging.

2018 was marked by a long and temperate growing season that allowed for an ideal harvest. The Pinot Noir vines began to emerge on March 31st. Annual rainfall was only 37.5 inches, 35% below average, however a large portion of this rain came in April. With spring rain filling the soil profile, the vines were able to thrive in the early growing season and continued to revel in moderate weather through May. Bloom occurred during the first days of June, and an idyllic summer allowed for a long ripening period. With high temperatures between 79 and 82 degrees throughout August, and a moderately cool September, we were able to pick precisely as the fruit reached phenolic ripeness, leading to wonderful tannin texture and exceptional aromatics.