Pahlmeyer's inaugural Pinot Noir! Very limited
In 1998, Pahlmeyer (know for their Napa Cabs and Chardonnay) purchased the Wayfarer Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast near Flowers, Williams Selyem, and Marcassin, and spent years preparing the site for their first-ever Pinot Noir. Winemaker Erin Green worked with Bob Cabral of Williams-Selyem to choose a dozen Pinot clones, and planted using dense spacing and trellising reminiscent of Burgundy. The result? The Pahlmeyer 2005 Jayson Pinot Noir is a stunning, sensuous Pinot with a nose of Bing cherries and rich earth, with blackberry and elegant tannins on the palate; the wine has a long complex finish with touches of plum and spice. The fruit and acid balance make it a quintessential Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, lively in the mouth with lots of stuffing and complexity at the same time.