Wayfarer Estate Fort Ross - Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Red Wine

Wayfarer Estate Fort Ross - Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 

West Sonoma Coast AVA, CA

96 pts. James Suckling:

"Very floral with hints of rose stems and hibiscus to the fresh ripe strawberry and citrus character. Medium to full body. Dried peach and orange peel flavors. Very long and intense. Lively at the end with lovely purity of fruit. Drink or hold."

95 pts. Wine Advocate:

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate has inviting aromas of cranberry sauce, mushroom, allspice and bitters. The palate's concentrated, nuanced fruit is structured by focused acidity and generous, powdery tannins, and it finishes with a flourish of spicy accents. It's drinking beautifully now and will develop savory complexity in bottle over the next decade."

93 pts. Wine Spectator:

"Offers showy raspberry and boysenberry puree notes that stream through, gilded liberally with anise, violet and hibiscus accents. Shows a sense of polish on the finish, though there's a good tug of structure at the very end as well. Drink now through 2028." 

93 pts.Vinous:

"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." - January 2023

If you want to treat yourself or someone else to the epitome of FANTASTIC Pinot Noirs, this would be one to snag! It’s got everything we love in a Pinot Noir – fruit, earth, and spice - in perfect balance. Oh, what a great wine! - Wine Factor

FROM THE WINERY

TASTING NOTES

The 2021 Pinot Noir is pure and focused with brightness and stunning structure. On 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 florals. The density, complexity and persistent minerality of this wine lead into a finish that lasts and lasts. The 2021s will age gracefully for many years.

VINTAGE NOTES 

2021 was a dry, warm, even vintage, giving us wines with great intensity and harmony. Though 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 season. Budbreak occurred on the early side due to an unusually dry, warm winter, and this early trend continued throughout the season. Spring and summer remained dry and warm, though temperatures never spiked. This consistency, along with bountiful sunlight, allowed for even ripening across the vineyard. It 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 stream. The wines are remarkably dense and complex, with lots of structure, energy and delicate aromatics.

WINEMAKING NOTES 

Each block was picked by hand at night, and firm, cool clusters were delivered to the winery before sunrise. We hand-sorted the fruit and reserved 4% for whole-cluster fermentation. The remainder of the fruit was destemmed before we transferred it into stainless steel tanks for five to ten days of cold maceration. Fermentation 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.

Harvested September 3-18, 2021

Bottled December 13, 2022

Alcohol 14.4%

ph 3.57

TA 5.9 g/L

Production 1,650 cases