Wayfarer Pinot Noir The Estate 2021
(Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast, California) - [TWI 96] [JS 96] [WA 95] [JD 94] [WS 93] [VM 93]

Tasting Notes
Violet, lavender and boysenberry aromas emerge from the glass, along with cherry, plum, dried herbs and fennel seed.  A silky entry, lush body and creamy notes on the finish are juxtaposed by lively acidity, bringing a beautiful tension to the wine.  This is a wonderfully complete Pinot Noir, a combination of focus and finesse, and it has a subtle power that will carry this vintage for many years.

Winemaking Notes

We hand-picked each block and delivered firm, cool clusters to the winery before sunrise. We then hand-sorted the fruit and reserved 4% 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 100% native yeast fermentation. The free run wine was transferred to 53% new French oak for 15 months of aging.

ONLY 1,580 CASES MADE

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - The Wine Independent:
The 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate is a blend of all the clones. Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, it prances out of the glass with fragrant notes of Bing cherries, fresh raspberries, and wild blueberries plus hints of red roses, cinnamon toast, and black tea. The medium to full-bodied palate has electric tension and impressive purity with very fine-grained tannins and a long vibrant finish. In 2021, the vineyard was clearly firing on all cylinders. These are some of the finest Pinots and Chardonnays coming out of Sonoma. Dirnk 2024-2032.


96 Points - James Suckling:
Very floral with hints of rose stems and hibiscus to the fresh ripe strawberry and citrus character. Medium to full body. Dried peach and orange peel flavors. Very long and intense. Lively at the end with lovely purity of fruit. Drink or hold.

95 Points - Wine Advocate:
The 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate (previously labeled "Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard") has inviting aromas of cranberry sauce, mushroom, allspice and bitters. The palate's concentrated, nuanced fruit is structured by focused acidity and generous, powdery tannins, and it finishes with a flourish of spicy accents. It's drinking beautifully now and will develop savory complexity in bottle over the next decade.

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
A deep ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate is ripe and layered with an attractive perfume of cardamom, pure wild raspberry, and fresh sage. Medium-bodied, it expands with good length and concentration, its pure fruit is seamless throughout, and it has a fresh spine of acidity. Offering a lovely balance of fruit and freshness, with ripe tannins and a rocky texture, it should be drunk 2024-2034.


93 Points - Wine Spectator:
Offers showy raspberry and boysenberry puree notes that stream through, gilded liberally with anise, violet and hibiscus accents. Shows a sense of polish on the finish, though there's a good tug of structure at the very end as well.

93 Points - Vinous Media:
The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is a terrific introduction to this range. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, mint and blood orange lend nuance to this very pretty, deep Pinot Noir from Wayfarer. In this tasting the Estate comes across as pretty tight, but it was only bottled a month ago, so I remain quite optimistic about its prospects. (Drink between 2024-2036)