Winemaker Notes
This blend of the vineyard’s 12 prize clones yields a wine of complexity and completeness, the culmination of a far-reaching journey. This wine possesses a beautiful ruby color with aspects of garnet. Vibrant aromas of red cherry, strawberry and raspberry mingle with layers of crushed violet and rose petal, fresh mint and forest floor. New French oak adds even greater complexity with hints of vanilla bean and toasted bread. The entry of the wine is supple and generous and balances with its firm structure. A harmonious blend of the site’s diverse clones, a panoply of red fruits unfurls on the palate with an emergence of cranberry, pomegranate and raspberry, framed by silky tannins and lifted by bright acidity and mineral undertones. This is a restrained, concentrated wine that opens magically with each sip. The complexity of floral notes and wild red berries lingers on the palate with a lasting finish.
About Winery
Wayfarer is the manifestation of a remarkable place, masterful winemaking, and the drive to go to extremes to create something truly exceptional.
After nearly 30 years as an acclaimed Napa Valley vintner, Jayson Pahlmeyer became increasingly entranced by the wines of Burgundy. “Every oenophile eventually gravitates to the wines of Burgundy,” he says. In the early 1990s, Jayson began seeking out the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards in the world.
A close friend, legendary French wine importer Martine Saunier, had located two parcels for sale in Burgundy – Clos de la Roche, a Grand Cru Pinot Noir vineyard in Côte de Nuits Grand Cru, and Corton Vergennes, a Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyard in Corton. His winemaker, Helen Turley, was to make the wine with the hands-on assistance of the renowned Michel Niellon at his Chassagne-Montrachet winery. However, just after the papers were signed, the deal was nullified by an obscure Burgundian real estate clause that permitted last-minute alternative offers.
Though these iconic vineyards faded from his dreams, Jayson knew that, eventually, the perfect site would present itself. He just didn’t realize it would be six years later in the remote hills of the Sonoma Coast at a small farm called Wayfarer.
