2014 Pahlmeyer Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir Mother Rock

This cuvee comes from two blocks that have the most superficial soils in the vineyard, i.e. forcing the roots to go into the “mother rock” of the vineyard. A blend of Mont Eden (which is clone 37) and clone 777, the 335-case 2014 Pinot Noir Mother Rocks is a hands down success that offers fabulous notes of cassis, framboise, spice and spring flowers in a ripe, sexy, yet also elegant and ethereally textured package. It has tons to love and given its purity and balance, it will keep delivering the goods for another decade or more.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Mother Rock comes across as tightly wound and compact, with plenty of energy but less of the depth than it has shown in the past. The Mother Rock is generally a bit more austere and saline than the other wines in the range, but even so, I find the 2014 lacking in fruit.

One of the most reticent wines in the lineup, the 2014 Pinot Noir Mother Rock remains tightly wound to the core. With time in the glass, scents of inky blue/purplish fruit, graphite and savory herbs gradually start to open up. As the name implies, the Mother Rock is intensely mineral-driven in style. As such, it will likely be the last wine in this group to show all it has to offer. Today, it is the wine's energy and pure drive that truly stand out. The Mother Rock is the most dramatically transformed wine over the last few months now that the fruit has finally begun to show. Still, I would not plan on opening a bottle for at least a few years.