2019 Wayfarer Pinot Noir
The Traveler

Tasting Notes

Pomegranate, raspberry, orange blossom, potpourri, forest floor, anise and hints of bergamot gradually release from the wine. The aromas and flavors become beautifully integrated and showy with time in the glass. The 2019 Traveler is remarkable for its complex expression of mineral chalkiness, great acidity, detailed structure and length that will last far beyond the last drop in the bottle. Enjoy the experience.

Winemaking Notes

Each block was hand-picked and firm, cool clusters were delivered to the winery before sunrise. The fruit was destemmed before transferring to tank, where five to seven days of cold maceration preceded more than two weeks of native yeast fermentation. The free run wine was transferred to 67% new French oak barrels for 15 months of aging.

Vintage Notes

2019 began with several months of heavy rainfall.  Pinot Noir shoots emerged 10 days later than normal but growth advanced quickly during a warm April, and energy was plentiful in the soil after late rains in May.  Flowering was also 10 days later than normal but aligned wonderfully with a change in the weather, as rain clouds gave way to clear skies in June.  The summer of 2019 was full of sunshine, yet temperatures were moderate to cool. The average high temperature through July and August was 81oF, perfect for gradual ripening.  In drier and warmer vintages, we are more proactive with mowing cover crop, leaf and lateral removal and irrigating the driest blocks, but in 2019 we were able to be patient with the vines.  We allowed them to naturally adjust to the energy in the soil and waited until the vines reached their optimal point before moving in with canopy work to help the transition from vegetative growth to fruit maturation.  By the time veraison began in early August, the vines were tracking only five days later than normal.  42 days later, we picked our first Pinot Noir on September 16th, and concluded harvest on October 5th. 

Blocks

9, 18

Clones

Wayfarer

Critics

100 Points

Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, July 2021

Lastly, the 2019 Pinot Noir The Traveler, from a suitcase clone selection in the vineyard, is more in the style of the Paige's Ridge and Golden Mean with its more linear, focused, incredibly pure personality. Bright wild strawberries, framboise, candied orange, spring flowers, and exotic spice notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s incredible on the palate, with a medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, multi-dimensional mouthfeel that keeps you coming back to the glass. This is pure gold and one of the top 2-3 wines in the vintage. It will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age (it's far from unapproachable today) and knock your socks off over the following decade.

95+ Points

Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate, June 2021

Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir The Traveler offers explosive amaro-like scents with blackberries, iron, iodine and classy new oak spices. The palate is dynamic with intense, broody, pure fruits packed into a lithe, smooth frame. It finishes with bursts of freshness and sparks of crushed stone and flowers. It will have so much more to offer with another 2-3 years in bottle.

Wine Data

Winemaker:
Todd Kohn
Origin:
Wayfarer Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview AVA
Pruning:
Double guyot
Vine Yield:
3 pounds
Harvested:
September 28, 2019
Bottled:
December 18, 2020
Release:
April 2022
Composition:
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol:
14.5%
pH:
3.33
TA:
6.6 g/L
Cases Produced:
125

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