Cleo Pahlmeyer set to launch Wayfarer

“It’s not like that,” she responded with a smile.

I had just asked Cleo Pahlmeyer how she managed to steal the Wayfarer Vineyard fruit from her dad. Jayson Pahlmeyer, producer of the iconic Napa Valley Pahlmeyer wine, has owned the Wayfarer Vineyard on the Sonoma coast for close to two decades. On a site visit before the purchase, then-Pahlmeyer winemaker Helen Turley had called the property the destined “La Tache of California,” referring to the blessed grand cru in Burgundy.

Cleo Pahlmeyer has her own thoughts on wine style, and held a pre-launch tasting of the Wayfarer chardonnay and pinot noirs this month at Lucy Restaurant in the Bardessono. She said the idea for a stand-alone brand for the Wayfarer fruit was born in 2012.

The chardonnay, she said, should have complimentary oak flavor and not overpower the wine’s taste profile. Indeed, the 2012 Wayfarer Vineyard Chardonnay ($80) has well-integrated oak nuances, with toastiness on the nose that expresses itself more as a complex, rich mouth feel on the palate. Pahlmeyer explained that the medium toast of the barrels used is key to maintaining balanced flavor; a heavier toast is not desired. The 2012 Wayfarer chardonnay ages in 65 percent new French oak.

Consulting winemaker and grapegrower Bibiana González Rave is the other half of the Wayfarer tour-de-force. She heads both the winemaking and vineyard operations for Wayfarer. Rave is instantly charming and eager to discuss the Wayfarer wines.

From Colombia, she headed off to France to study wine. In her native land, one can study the intricacies of coffee beans, but not wine, Rave said, because it is just not a part of the culture. She brought her hometown some fame when she was written up numerous times as the winemaker of high-scoring Lynmar Estate wines.

“The first time I saw the Wayfarer Vineyard, I knew it was exceptional,” said Rave. “The wines have a beautiful aromatic profile along with a laser-focused minerality because of the coastal influence. But there’s also restraint with generosity, and elegance with power,” she added.

Wayfarer produced five pinot noir wines in 2012, with the emphasis on the handful of clones used in the vineyard. The 2012 Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir ($90) is a blend of all 12 clones, while the remaining wines are single or two-clone blends. The Wayfarer “Golden Mean” Pinot Noir, a union of the Pommard and Swan clones, is $115.

The 2012 Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir has aromas of sweet cinnamon crumble and red cherries, and leads to an elegant, medium-bodied sip of juicy, ripe red cherries with a touch of spice.

While there are no salacious stories of stolen fruit and family rivalry here, there is a beautiful story of a young vintner team using fruit from a special vineyard site to produce their own style of wine.

The wines will be available in select markets in September, including San Francisco, and available the following month by mailing list allocation at WayfarerVineyard.com.