98pts Jeb Dunnuck

From the Mt. Eden and Dijon 777 clones, the 2021 Pinot Noir Mother Rock is lifted with mineral aromas of flinty gravel, toasted pine, wild cherry, and fresh flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it has more tension on the palate, which is balanced with power that drives forward its notes of black raspberry, fresh herbs, and a touch of iron richness. It’s long on the palate and will need a few years in bottle.

97pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2021 Pinot Noir Mother Rock is complex and expressive. It comes from east-facing Mt. Eden and 777 selection vines and was vinified using 15% whole clusters. Proprietor Cleo Pahlmeyer and winemaker Todd Kohn note that most of the wines in the Wayfarer portfolio are based on destemmed fruit, "but in this vintage, a touch more worked here." It takes some coaxing to release its aromas of strawberry and raspberry jam, shiitake, forest floor and wafts of cocoa. The palate is supple and mouthwatering with generous berry and spice layers, and the flavorful, juicy finish drives you to take another taste.

95pts James Suckling

Very blue fruits with black berry and dark strawberry aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, tight and very spicy with white pepper and cloves. Really flavorful and intense. Shows restraint at the end. Chewy yet toned and energetic. Drinkable but better in two or three years.

94pts Wine Spectator

Dark and lush at first, with a core of plum and boysenberry fruit taking the lead, this slowly unwinds to show plenty of additional range, with floral, incense and black tea aspects. Very refined through the lengthy finish, with the lingering fruit offset by a subtle mineral edge. Shows gorgeous texture and serious length.

Winemaker Notes

Mother Rock opens with mineral aromas and pure scents of raspberry, wild cherry and boysenberry, as well savory notes. In 2021 we included whole clusters in the fermentation tank, and this shines with fantastic texture and density on the palate, along with silky, persistent tannins. It is a great joy to see this wine come together so seamlessly, a wonderful representation of the beautiful 2021 vintage at Wayfarer.

Winery Notes

Wayfarer was founded as a secluded farmstead more than 40 years ago, before its locale was defined as the now coveted Fort Ross Seaview AVA. In 1989, Jayson Pahlmeyer's winemaker, Helen Turley, discovered the site for sale down the road from her Marcassin vineyard. She introduced Pahlmeyer, declaring it destined to become "the La Tache of California."

In tandem with his daughter Cleo and renowned winemaker Bibiana Gonzales Rave, Pahlmeyer drives to make intricate wines of transcendence, answering to powerful, ever-unpredictable climate that rewards only the most observant and meticulous. It is an endeavor of true passion, an experiment that pushes the exactitude of winegrowing and winemaking to the farthest limits.