2019 Wayfarer Pinot Noir
Golden Mean

Tasting Notes

Opening with notes of forest floor and blood orange, the aromas expand to strawberry and blackberry with hints of rose petal and caraway seed. Plush tannins envelop the palate and flavors of violet and raspberry abound. Earthy undertones and baking spice add to the complexity and intrigue, leading to a lengthy finish.

Winemaking Notes

Each block was hand-picked and firm, cool clusters were delivered to the winery before sunrise. The fruit was hand-sorted, with 15% reserved for whole-cluster fermentation. The remainder of the fruit was destemmed before transferring to tank, where five to seven days of cold maceration preceded more than two weeks of native yeast fermentation. The free run wine was transferred to 50% new French oak barrels for 15 months of aging.

Vintage Notes

2019 began with several months of heavy rainfall.  Pinot Noir shoots emerged 10 days later than normal but growth advanced quickly during a warm April, and energy was plentiful in the soil after late rains in May.  Flowering was also 10 days later than normal but aligned wonderfully with a change in the weather, as rain clouds gave way to clear skies in June.  The summer of 2019 was full of sunshine, yet temperatures were moderate to cool. The average high temperature through July and August was 81oF, perfect for gradual ripening.  In drier and warmer vintages, we are more proactive with mowing cover crop, leaf and lateral removal and irrigating the driest blocks, but in 2019 we were able to be patient with the vines.  We allowed them to naturally adjust to the energy in the soil and waited until the vines reached their optimal point before moving in with canopy work to help the transition from vegetative growth to fruit maturation.  By the time veraison began in early August, the vines were tracking only five days later than normal.  42 days later, we picked our first Pinot Noir on September 16th, and concluded harvest on October 5th. 

Blocks

5, 20

Clones

Pommard 4, Pommard 5, Swan

Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, July 2021

The 2019 Pinot Noir Golden Mean is similarly ruby-hued yet offers a more mineral, savory, iron-laced style as well as beautiful strawberry and raspberry fruit, medium-bodied richness, and building yet ripe, polished tannins that carry through the finish. The purity and precision on this puppy are something, and as with the other 2019s here, short-term cellaring is the name of the game.

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Wayfarer Vineyard

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