If ever there were a wine that belonged in the "Chardonnay Hall of Fame," it's the 2021 Wayfarer Estate Chardonnay. A wine that grabbed a 98-point rating from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate along with 95-98 points from every other major wine publication, it is off-the-freaking-charts delicious.
I slowly sipped on a bottle last night, and it reaffirmed to me that this is one of the best Chardonnays produced in California. I also think it's Sonoma's "answer" to Corton-Charlemagne, and we're offering it up at a really good price.
2021 Wayfarer Chardonnay 'Wayfarer Vineyard'
98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points Jeb Dunnuck
To put the wine into context, of the 150 California-made Chardonnays that Robert Parker's Wine Advocate reviewed in the wonderful 2021 vintage, this tied with the best of the best for first place. It tied with or beat all of the Aubert cuvees ($300+), all of the Peter Michael Chards ($250+), and everything from Kistler ($150+).
Sounds good right? Trust me, it's insanely delicious, and it will go down as one of my top white wines of 2024. Jayson Pahlmeyer purchased this isolated Sonoma Coast vineyard in 1998. He was urged to do so by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer of Marcassin. Their famed vineyard is just down the road from Wayfarer, and at the time, Helen was making the wines at Pahlmeyer. Some 25 years later, Wayfarer has deepened its roots, the vines have matured, and it is special sites like this that give us the greatest wines of the world.
Jayson's daughter Cleo runs the show at Wayfarer these days, and under her watch, the wines have gone from incredible to sublime. Bravo to this wonderful family that has brought us so many great wines over the years! And unlike Marcassin, Aubert, and Peter Michael, this one won't require a second mortgage or a long waiting list to get on their list....so you can have the honor of buying their wines 🥱
In case you forgot, the '21 vintage was exceptional throughout Sonoma, and the virtues of that vintage are on full display in this incredible wine. If you want the full notes on the intricate and meticulous way this one was made, click HERE, but I know most of you just want to know how it tastes.
If ever there was a California Chardonnay that balanced immense richness with impeccable structure, it's this one. Bright, effusive, and packed with character, this unctuous and decadent white tastes of lemon confit, white peach, caramelized pineapple, mint, crushed rock, tangerine oil, baking spice, and on and on and on. Drinking beautifully now, this easily has a decade of cellar potential.
You can take my word for it, or you can see what several leading wine critics had to say.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -- 98 points: "The 2021 Chardonnay The Estate is delightfully decadent and almost feels like a guilty pleasure—it's so packed with flavor! It has gregarious aromatic layers of warm peach, summer honey, candied citrus and wafts of allspice. The medium-bodied palate is luxuriously satiny and features expansive, concentrated flavors. Despite its generosity, it maintains balance with bright acidity, and it has an epically long finish. Drink 2024-2035."
Jeb Dunnuck: Revealing a medium straw hue with youthful green highlights, the 2021 Chardonnay The Estate offers gorgeous, fresh, floral aromas of lemon curd, pastry cream, cheese rind, sweet baking spices, and ripe pear. With fresh acidity, medium body, ample ripe fruit, and a sound structure, it’s fresh and long on the palate, with well-balanced richness that also feels decadent. Drink 2024-2035.
I'll close by saying that despite this wine's overt richness and opulence, it is 100% balanced by underlying acidity and minerality. 24 bottles up for grabs, that's all I can get, and it's first come, first served!
