2022 Wayfarer WF2 Chardonnay

Lively aromatics leap from the glass with notes of fresh apricot, nectarine, orange blossom and honeysuckle. While the delicate white flower aromas are indicative of a cooler growing season, the luscious stone fruit tones reflect the warm harvest weather in 2022. Flavors of white peach and tamarind fill the mouth, complemented by flinty, linear minerality and exciting freshness. Polished and pure on the palate, this wine finishes with impressive length. 

The grapes were hand-picked in the cool night hours, then hand-sorted at the winery. The fruit was gently whole-cluster pressed and barrel fermented with native yeast, employing limited battonage during malolactic fermentation.  The wine aged sur lie for 10 months in 24% new French oak barrels.  

Wayfarer's 2022 vintage was the product of a cool growing season and a warm harvest. Budbreak came two weeks earlier than average and resulted in an early September harvest. Wayfarer received significant rainfall in the winter months, replenishing the soil, followed by a very dry April and May, which moderated vigor in the vineyard. June rains required diligent canopy management to balance airflow and sunlight, which proved to be essential to both ripen the fruit in a cooler year, and to not overexpose it to heat later in the season. With below-average temperatures in June and July, 2022 was a cool growing season on the Sonoma Coast. The weather warmed significantly during harvest, though even on the hottest days, Wayfarer experienced a diurnal shift of 30 degrees Fahrenheit, preserving acidity and freshness in the fruit. Due to a series of prior drought years, 2022 was a very low-yielding vintage, with Chardonnay production down 50% and Pinot Noir production down 35%, creating a profound concentration in the wines. The 2022 wines display both the luxurious texture and fruit-driven character of a warm harvest as well as the elegance and vibrancy indicative of a cool growing season.