Fort Ross-Seaview is a 27,500-acre sub-appellation on the far north-western end of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Defined as a distinct appellation in 2011, the extreme landscape is often deemed “the true Sonoma Coast” as it overlooks the Pacific beaches and receives the cool wind and fog from the frigid California Current flowing down the coast. The entire appellation resides above the fog line at and elevation of 800 feet and higher – above the fog line, allowing ample sunshine for ripening. Situated on a jagged portion of the San Andreas Fault, most of the acreage is unfarmable due its dramatic terrain. A majority of the vineyards are planted on rounded summits cloistered by thick redwood forests along the AVA’s first and second coastal ridges. Access to the sites is slow and treacherous on winding mountain roads. A combination of bountiful sunshine, cooling ocean air and fog, and a variety of shallow top soils with underlying rock define the appellation’s extraordinary fruit character.

Wayfarer’s 2022 vintage was the product of a cool growing season and warm harvest. Budbreak came two weeks earlier than average, resulting in an early September harvest. Wayfarer received significant rainfall in the winter months, replenishing the soil, followed by a very dry April and May, which moderated vigor in the vineyard. June rains required diligent canopy management to balance airflow and sunlight, which proved to be essential to both ripen the fruit in a cooler year, and to not overexpose it to heat later in the season. With below-average temperatures in June and July, 2022 was a cool growing season on the Sonoma Coast until the weather warmed significantly during harvest. However, even on the hottest days during harvest, Wayfarer experienced a diurnal shift of 30 degrees Fahrenheit, preserving acidity and freshness in the fruit. Due to a series of prior drought years, 2022 was a very low-yielding vintage, with Chardonnay production down 50% and Pinot Noir production down 35%, creating a profound concentration in the wines. The 2022 wines display both the luxurious texture and fruit-driven character of a warm harvest as well as the elegance and vibrancy indicative of a cool growing season.

The 2022 Chardonnay ‘The Estate’ is an enticing pale gold in the glass. An exuberant nose evokes white peach, nectarine, Meyer lemon curd, quince and Anjou pear accented with essences of honeysuckle, toasted hazelnut and wet river stone. Fresh and nervy, the wine displays a thrilling tension between lithe fruit expression and vibrant acidity, beautifully balanced by a touch of richness from barrel fermentation in partial new oak. The wine finishes with a lush fruit note that tempers into a lingering minerality.

Each block was picked by hand in the cool pre-dawn hours, and the fruit delivered to the winery before sunrise. We hand-sorted the clusters before transferring them into a bladder press. After gentle pressing, the juice settled for 24 hours before we carefully racked it into 228L French oak barrels, 52% new. Native yeast slowly guided alcoholic fermentation in barrel, with measured batonnage until malolactic fermentation was complete. The wine aged sur lie for 15 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.