Wayfarer Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Pinot Noir 2016

97 points                                                                                    Limited new release from Pahlmeyer's new Sonoma Coast vineyard. Wayfarer is Jayson Pahlmeyer's powerhouse Pinot Noir project and a cult in the making, just down the road from Helen Turley's Marcassin Vineyards. With 15 months in 45% new French Oak you’ll find heaps of bright strawberry jam, lilacs, and spice dancing across your nose. With firm tannin and a long, supple finish, this is going to blow your mind. 97 Points Jeb Dunnuck:  "Leading off the Pinot Noirs, the 2016 Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard was completely destemmed and spent 15 months in 45% new French oak. It offers a bright framboise, cranberry, exotic flower, and spice-driven bouquet that carries to a medium-bodied, silky Pinot Noir that has everything in all the right places. Showing more floral, spice, and forest floor with time in the glass, incredible tannin quality, and a great finish, it’s certainly on par with the single parcel/clone driven releases." Robert Parker:  "...One of the most impressive vineyard visits I’ve made this year was to the Wayfarer Vineyard in Sonoma Coast’s relatively newly formed Fort Ross-Seaview AVA (established in 2011). I cannot say that I’ve seen a happier looking vineyard in a long time, and by “happy” I refer to the immaculately trimmed, healthy, vivid green vines supporting well-balanced canopies and crop loads. And what a site! Apart from being incredibly remote, down a long, winding mountain road paved by gorgeous old redwoods and leading away from the Pacific Ocean, it’s perched fairly high in the mountains at about 1,100 feet. So, altitude and proximity to the ocean both have a cooling influence, which can be felt when you drive up from the warmer Sonoma plains. But don’t let the cool air fool you—this mountaintop vineyard is a real sun trap!" Cleo Pahlmeyer, daughter of Napa Valley's Jayson Pahlmeyer, came up with the idea to produce a stand-alone brand from the Wayfarer Vineyard on the Sonoma coast in 2012. According to the St. Helena Star, "then-Pahlmeyer winemaker Helen Turley had called the property the destined 'La Tache of California,' referring to the blessed grand cru in Burgundy." Pahlmeyer teamed up with winemaker Bibiana González Rave, formerly of Lynmar, on this project.

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