2015 Pahlmeyer Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir Estate
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Sadly, because Pinot Noir yields were down by around 60% in 2015, no Golden Mean, Mother Rock or Paige’s Ridge were made this year. The good news is that all that superlative fruit went into this “straight” Pinot Noir label. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard delivers pronounced crushed black cherry, black raspberry and red currant notes with touches of forest floor, tea bark, rose hip tea, cracked pepper and cedar. Medium-bodied, the palate is superbly poised and intensely flavored, with a firm backbone of very fine, ripe tannins and great freshness supporting the generous red and black berry notes, finishing with lingering earth and savory nuances. Wow! 875 cases were made.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
This is the estate cuvee made with the idea to include all the different clones and blocks of the vineyard. The 2015 Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard offers terrific black cherry and framboise notes intermixed with hints of violet, peach and marmalade. Perfumed, incredibly complex, layered and silky, it's a gorgeous Pinot Noir that has nicely integrated acidity, tons of class, and a great finish. Due to yields, there was only one single vineyard cuvee made in 2015, and this vineyard blend is certainly not far behind in terms of quality. There’s 875 cases made.
The 2015 Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard is superb. Sadly, quality has come at the expense of most of the other single-block wines. But that is the cost of this vintage. Rich, ample and creamy, the 2015 exudes concentration and power. Ripe red cherry, plum, spice, mint and licorice give the wine its exuberant, racy personality. The 2015 is going to need a few years to shed some baby fat, but all the elements are there. This is a superb wine.