2022 Wayfarer Chardonnay, Fort Ross-Seaview

This wine is a perfect example of what I have come to expect from wines grown in Fort Ross-Seaview.  A perfect combination of sun-drenched California weather perfectly moderated by high elevation vineyards planted with direct exposure to the sea. Fort-Ross Seaview has easily become one of my favorite regions in California for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (right along with Sta Barbara, if in an different idiom.)  Wayfarer is the newest project from Jayson Pahlmeyer and from tasting a single vintage I am ready to declare it a success! There is elegance matched with intensity and texture and a nice dollop of ripe fruit. The oak is present but like the other elements of the wine, it is really beautifully integrated.  This is a wine for folks who love Chardonnay but tend not to love the oak, butter, and texture turned up to 11. - Andy Paynter

Wayfarer vineyard was planted by David Abreu in 2002, and in 2005, Jayson Pahlmeyer started blending Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with fruit from Russian River vineyards and bottling it under the Pahlmeyer moniker. By 2012, the vineyard’s exceptional fruit presented an irrefutable case for a namesake label. With Jayson’s daughter, Cleo Pahlmeyer, at the helm, Wayfarer is an endeavor of true passion – an experiment that pushes the exactitude of winegrowing and winemaking to the farthest limits. -Winemakers Website