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.
Professional Ratings
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
On the far western edge of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA hugs right up against the Pacific coast. Vineyards, planted at rugged elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, occupy only two percent of the total land in the AVA. Fort Ross-Seaview growers believe that the region boasts an ideal mix of sunshine, cool air and beneficial stress for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot noir.