2016 Pahlmeyer Wayfarer Vineyard Chardonnay Estate

The 2016 Chardonnay Wayfarer Vineyard opens with beguiling scents of fresh ginger, orange blossoms, baking bread, toasted almonds and beeswax with a core of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon meringue pie and green mango. Medium to full-bodied, the palate explodes with tropical and citrus fruit goodness, supported by a racy line of acid and finishing on a persistent gingery note.

Starting with the Chardonnay, the 2016 Chardonnay Wayfarer Vineyard is an extraordinary effort as well as world-class. Offering an ultra-pure bouquet of white flowers, tangerine, crushed citrus, and hints of brioche and marzipan, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, riveting acidity, and a great, great finish. It’s certainly one the gems in the great vintage and is going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age and keep for 15+ years. The big news at Wayfarer is the moving on of star winemaker Bibiana González Rave to focus on her own label and assistant winemaker Todd Kohn taking over the helm. Todd has been with Wayfarer since 2013 and certainly, along with Cleo Pahlmeyer, the vineyard and estate are in talented hand. All these 2016s were made by Bibiana, and as the notes and scores show, they’re truly sensational, world class wines.