2021 Wayfarer Pinot Noir
The Estate

Tasting Notes

The 2021 Pinot Noir is pure and focused with brightness and stunning structureOn the nose, raspberry, tart cherry and cassis merge with notes of violets, orange spice and a burst of fresh basil.  Fine, chalky tannins and hints of crushed cacao underlie the brilliant red fruits and floralsThe density, complexity and persistent minerality of this wine lead into a finish that lasts and lastsThe 2021s will age gracefully for many years.

Winemaking Notes

Each block was picked by hand at night, and firm, cool clusters were delivered to the winery before sunriseWe hand-sorted the fruit and reserved 4% for whole-cluster fermentationThe remainder of the fruit was destemmed before we transferred it into stainless steel tanks for five to ten days of cold macerationFermentation was guided by native yeast, and hand punch downs were tailored to how each tank tasted each day.  The free run wine aged in French oak barrels, 55% new, for 15 months prior to bottling.

Vintage Notes

2021 was a dry, warm, even vintage, giving us wines with great intensity and harmonyThough we experienced record-low rainfall of 20 inches, a long way from our 65-inch average, it was plenty to fill our pond and irrigate our vines throughout the seasonBudbreak occurred on the early side due to an unusually dry, warm winter, and this early trend continued throughout the seasonSpring and summer remained dry and warm, though temperatures never spikedThis consistency, along with bountiful sunlight, allowed for even ripening across the vineyardIt was a smooth growing season and an ideal harvest, with all fruit picked at just the right moment and coming into the winery in a steady streamThe wines are remarkably dense and complex, with lots of structure, energy and delicate aromatics.

Blocks

3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26a, 30

Clones

Bacigalupi Old Wente, Dijon 115, 667 and 777, Hirsch, Hyde Old Wente, Mount Eden, Pommard 4 and 5, Swan, Wayfarer

Critics

93 Points

Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2023

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is a terrific introduction to this range. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, mint and blood orange lend nuance to this very pretty, deep Pinot Noir from Wayfarer. In this tasting the Estate comes across as pretty tight, but it was only bottled a month ago, so I remain quite optimistic about its prospects.

Wine Data

Winemaker:
Todd Kohn
Origin:
Wayfarer Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma
Pruning:
Double guyot
Vine Yield:
3.02 pounds per vine
Harvested:
September 3-18, 2021
Bottled:
December 13, 2022
Release:
Spring 2023
Composition:
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol:
14.4%
pH:
3.57
TA:
5.9 g/L
Cases Produced:
1,650

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