Tasting Notes
Wayfarer’s flagship Pinot Noir encapsulates the truest representation of our estate vineyard each vintage, a wine that can only be from one place in the world. Our ten Pinot Noir clonal selections are planted in individual blocks on both east and west facing slopes, providing myriad expressions of clone, aspect, elevation and microclimate to reveal the complex character of our exceptional vineyard.
The 2023 Pinot Noir ‘The Estate’ flaunts a vibrant ruby hue in the glass. Expressive, layered aromatics evoke alpine strawberry, black raspberry, crushed rose petal, green cardamom, pomegranate and fresh sage. The seamless pure fruit character is framed with firm but finely textured tannin and elevated with a fresh backbone of acidity. While drinking beautifully now, this vintage will continue to develop nuance and complexity in bottle for the next decade.
Winemaking Notes
Each block was picked by hand in the cool pre-dawn hours, and the fruit was delivered to the winery before sunrise. We sorted the clusters by hand, with 7% reserved for whole-cluster fermentation. We destemmed the remainder of the fruit before transferring it into small stainless steel tanks for three to eight 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, 46% new, for 15 months prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Vintage Notes
Moderate and extended vintages like we experienced in 2023 are ideal for producing wines of finesse and complexity with quiet power. 2023 began with a cool and wet spring, followed by a mild May and June, extending bloom nearly three weeks and 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 but still sunny weather in September. Harvest began on September 25th and carried well into October. A few early fall showers lightly sprinkled the vines, spurring photosynthesis and phenolic development until the last vine was harvested on October 16th, the latest harvest in our history. The mild temperatures and extended harvest in 2023 brought beautiful flavor and tannin development with vibrant acidity, truly exceptional and classically styled wines with great aging potential.
Critics
97 Points
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2025
The 2023 Pinot Noir is a blend of all clones and main blocks on the estate. Seamless and layered in feel, the 2023 is absolutely exquisite. Silky contours wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit, dried flowers, mint and mocha. All of the elements are so well-balanced to the degree that nothing sticks out. The 7% stems are expertly judged. This, too, needs time to be at its most expressive.
97 Points
James Suckling, James Suckling, February 2025
Complex aromas of iron, iodine, raspberries, blue fruit, mussel shells, lemongrass and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy fruit and a lightly chewy finish. A barrel selection of the best wines of the vintage. A little tight now, but it opens in the glass. Drink or hold.
96+ Points
Audrey Frick , Jeb Dunnuck, July 2025
A blend of all 11 clones at the estate, the 2023 Pinot Noir The Estate is a jeweled ruby color and opens with bright notes of currants, crunchy, bright berries, brambly spices, clove, and fresh lavender. The palate is vibrant and tension-driven, with well-defined tannins, focused acidity, and a stony texture throughout the wine. Drink 2026-2046.
96 Points
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate, August 2025
The 2023 Pinot Noir The Estate has kaleidoscopic scents of wild cherry, pomegranate, dried flowers, conifer and spice that draw you back to the glass again and again. The palate offers power without weight, its vibrant acidity driving highly concentrated flavors. It’s framed by barely there, silky tannins and has a hauntingly long finish. Wow! 1,312 cases were made.
Wine Data
- Winemaker:
- Todd Kohn
- Origin:
- Wayfarer Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma County
- Pruning:
- Double guyot
- Vine Yield:
- 2.5 pounds per vine
- Harvested:
- September 25 - October 13, 2023
- Bottled:
- December 18, 2024
- Release:
- Spring 2025
- Alcohol:
- 14.3%
- pH:
- 3.48
- TA:
- 5.6 g/L
- Cases Produced:
- 1312
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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
