2023 Wayfarer Chardonnay
The Estate

Tasting Notes

Wayfarer’s flagship Chardonnay encapsulates the truest representation of our estate vineyard each vintage, a wine that can only be from one place in the world.  Our three California heritage clonal selections of Chardonnay are planted in individual blocks on both east and west facing slopes, providing myriad expressions of clone, aspect, elevation and microclimate to build an architecture that reveals the complex character of our exceptional vineyard.

The 2023 Chardonnay ‘The Estate’ exhibits a shimmering pale gold in the glass. Ebullient aromas of ripe apricot, freshly zested Eureka lemon, crushed elderflower, almond paste and slate meld with Tahitian vanilla and a touch of toasted brioche. Lithe and supple, the wine shows a profound depth of flavor while remaining fresh and vibrant, its brilliant fruit character lifted by focused acidity and culminating in an energetic and lingering finish.  While drinking beautifully now, this vintage will continue to develop nuance and complexity in bottle for the next decade.

Winemaking Notes

The fruit was picked by hand in the cool pre-dawn hours and delivered to the winery before sunrise.  We hand-sorted the clusters before transferring them into a bladder press. After gentle pressing, the juice settled for 24 hours before we carefully racked it into 228L French oak barrels, 56% new. Native yeast slowly guided alcoholic fermentation in barrel, with measured batonnage until malolactic fermentation was complete. The wine aged sur lie for 15 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Vintage Notes

Moderate and extended vintages like we experienced in 2023 are ideal for producing wines of finesse and complexity with quiet power.  2023 began with a cool and wet spring, followed by a mild May and June, extending bloom nearly three weeks and further delaying an already late vintage.  July and August brought warmth and sunshine with above-average temperatures driving berry development and ripening, before transitioning into cooler but still sunny weather in September.  Harvest began on September 25th and carried well into October.  A few early fall showers lightly sprinkled the vines, spurring photosynthesis and phenolic development until the last vine was harvested on October 16th, the latest harvest in our history.  The mild temperatures and extended harvest in 2023 brought beautiful flavor and tannin development with vibrant acidity, truly exceptional and classically styled wines with great aging potential.