2012 Pahlmeyer Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir Paige's Ridge
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Medium ruby colored, the 2012 Pinot Noir Paige’s Ridge (all 667 clone) is scented of dried cherries and cranberries with suggestions of spice box, dried flowers, forest floor and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied with a chewy, stewed tea texture, it has a restrained, savory palate and elegant finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Coming from the eastern edge of the Wayfarer vineyard and all clone 667 (this is a Dijon clone from Burgundy), the 140-case 2012 Pinot Noir Paige's Ridge is smoking good! Ripe, perfumed aromas of Asian spices, black cherries, blueberries, violets and earth all give way to a full-bodied, rounded, and incredibly sexy wine that has terrific persistence and length. Like the 2012 The Traveler, it has a sexy, La Tâche-like personality and is a joy to drink.
The 2012 Pinot Noir Paige's Ridge is a pretty wine that shows Wayfarer as a work in progress. In its first vintage, the Paige's Ridge was fermented in a new wood upright, which has marked the wine, almost as if the fruit were trapped by the oak. Sweet floral and spice notes emerge with some reluctance, and there is good depth throughout nonetheless, a clear sign of just how special this site truly is. By 2013, the winemaking was more dialed in, but the 2012 is a solid first effort.