Tasting Notes
An electric ruby in the glass, The 2023 Pinot Noir ‘Golden Mean’ displays lifted notes of black raspberry, crushed violets, sage, blood orange peel, dried thyme and a touch of forest floor. The wine opens with fresh, bright red fruit and supple acidity, giving way to a darker fruit character framed with finely textured tannin. It culminates in a lengthy, luxurious textural finish.
About Golden Mean
Golden Mean is a philosophical term that explores the harmonious middle between two opposite ideals. A seamless juxtaposition of two distinctive clonal selections, Swan and Pommard, Swan’s layered aromatics and ethereal character meld with the sublime texture and power of Pommard.
Winemaking Notes
Each block was picked by hand at night, and firm, cool clusters were delivered to the winery before sunrise. We sorted the clusters by hand and reserved 15% of the Pommard for whole-cluster fermentation. The remainder of the fruit was destemmed before we transferred it into stainless steel tanks for seven to nine days of cold maceration. Fermentation was carried out by native yeast, and we punched the cap down by hand, with the frequency and technique determined by tasting each tank daily. The free run wine aged in 228L French oak barrels, 62% new, for 15 months prior to bottling.
Vintage Notes
Moderate and extended vintages like we experienced in 2023 are ideal for producing classically styled wines with great aging potential. The 2023 vintage began with a cool and wet spring, delaying budbreak weeks later than usual. A mild May and June extended the bloom period nearly three weeks, further delaying an already late vintage. July and August brought warmth and sunshine with above average temperatures driving berry development and ripening, before transitioning into cooler weather in September. Harvest began on September 25th and carried well into October, ending on the 16th, our latest harvest on record. The temperate yet sunny days post-veraison created beautiful flavor and tannin development while retaining freshness and compelling savory notes. The 2023 Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays shine with finesse and quiet power, truly nuanced, multi-dimensional wines.
Blocks
5, 20, 26AClones
Pommard, Swan
Critics
96 Points
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2025
The 2023 Golden Mean Pinot Noir is fabulous. Bright and nuanced, with terrific energy, the 2023 is sublime. Crushed flowers, red/purplish fruit, orange peel, and a kiss of French oak all grace this restrained, beautifully elegant Pinot. This is such a classy wine, the purity of fruit is sublime.
95 Points
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, September 2025
Enticing boysenberry and raspberry coulis notes spill forth generously, though they are focused and harnessed by a spine of wet stone. Iris and potpourri drape the finish in lilting perfume. Best from 2036 through 2036. 130 cases made.
95 Points
James Suckling, James Suckling, February 2025
Very perfumed, with flowers, strawberries and some raspberries on the nose. Medium-bodied with intense lemon rind, dried strawberry and dried seaweed flavors. Linear and racy. Lots of blue fruit at the end. Drink or hold.
94 Points
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate, August 2025
The 2023 Pinot Noir Golden Mean explodes from the glass with compelling aromas of raspberry, strawberry, charcuterie, juniper, dried flowers and woodsy undertones. The palate combines powerful, powdery tannins with vibrant, driving acidity. It offers layered, expressive flavors and a long, ethereal finish. 135 cases were made, and it will be released in the fall of 2025.
Wine Data
- Winemaker:
- Todd Kohn
- Origin:
- Wayfarer Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview
- Pruning:
- Double guyot
- Vine Yield:
- 2.4 lbs/vine
- Harvested:
- September 25 - October 24th, 2023
- Bottled:
- December 18, 2024
- Release:
- September 2025
- Composition:
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Alcohol:
- 14.1%
- pH:
- 3.57
- TA:
- 5.6 g/L
- Cases Produced:
- 135
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In the mid-1990s, around 10 years after he wowed the wine world with the first vintage of his Cabernet Sauvignon-based Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red, Jayson Pahlmeyer wanted to do the same with Pinot Noir and began searching for a vineyard. Working with a close friend who was a wine importer, he located two Grand Cru plots for sale in Burgundy and arranged for his winemaker Helen Turley to work hand-in-hand with Michel Niellon at his winery… Read More
