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2017 Wayfarer Golden Mean Pinot Noir

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Latest Sale Price

December 4, 2022 - $93

Estimate

RATINGS

97Vinous / IWC

...combination of juicy fruit and exotic aromatics. Black cherry, plum, licorice, menthol, lavender and spice are some of the notes that burst out of the glass. This is such a complex and nuanced Pinot. In a word: Stellar.

95The Wine Advocate

...blackberries, moss-covered bark, orange peel, cranberry and black raspberry with rose petal, autumn leaves, tobacco and dusty earth—beautifully broody and perfumed. The palate is medium-bodied and dense with earthy fruits accented by red berry sparks. The frame is fine, grainy and juicy with loads of berry fruit and a long, elegantly textured finish.

95Jeb Dunnuck

...gives up a perfumed bouquet of red currants, forest floor, and rose petals. It's another seamless, elegant, beautifully balanced wine that has fine tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, elegant style.

PRODUCER

Wayfarer

Wayfarer is a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir estate with a classy pedigree. It was founded in 2002 by Jayson Pahlmeyer, an attorney who in 1985 founded Pahlmeyer winery and hired legendary winemaker Helen Turley. In the late 1990s Pahlmeyer became intrigued by Burgundian wines and tried to buy vineyards in Burgundy, only to have the sale fall through at the last minute. Instead he found an organic farm for sale on the ridges of the Sonoma Coast near Helen Turley’s Marcassin vineyard. Pahlmeyer bought the 30 acres and David Abreu planted vineyards in 2002. Pahlmeyer runs the estate with his daughter Cleo and consulting winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave. The estate and its wines are all in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, a northern Sonoma Coast AVA only just approved in 2012. The Wayfarer vineyard is 1,100 feet high, resulting in plenty of sun as well as cooling marine breezes. The estate makes several Pinot Noirs and one Chardonnay. Reviews have been impressed, awarding some of the wines scores in the high 90s. The journal Vinous has written that “simply put, the wines are stunning.”

REGION

United States, California, Sonoma County, Fort Ross-Seaview

Sonoma County is not an AVA, but it is a commonly used informal designation for wines made outside of more specific AVAs within Sonoma, which is a large wine producing region just west of Napa Valley. Though Sonoma is often overshadowed by its glamorous neighbor Napa Valley, it has a long history of wine production. The area specialized in jug wine until the mid-20th century, when Sonoma producers took a cue from Napa and started improving quality. Unlike Napa, where Cabernet Sauvignon is king, Sonoma specialized in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, though excellent Cabs are produced too. There are at present 16 AVAs within Sonoma County, and, like much of the West Coast of the United States, new AVAs are created in Sonoma County with regularity. Some Sonoma appellations, such as the Russian River Valley, are renowned for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

TYPE

Red Wine, Pinot Noir

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.