2021 Carhartt Venture Wayward Son
A vineyard apart. A soulful Pinot Noir defined by nuance, restraint, and Santa Rita Hills character.
Wine ships only to states where the winery is licensed; an adult 21+ must sign on delivery. Pickup at the Carhartt Cabin is available. Demo cart only — buy on the official shop.
- Vintage
- 2021
- Appellation / source
- Sta. Rita Hills
- Size
- 750 ml
- Alcohol
- 13.6%
- Vineyard
- Donnachadh Vineyard
- Ageing
- 12 months
- Barrels
- 6
- Clones
- 667 / Swan
- Availability
- Available
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir (Clone 667 & Pommard)
Nose (aromas): wet rock, dried blood orange, red cherry
Flavor (palate): red currant, olive tapenade, black tea
Winemaker’s Notes: This is our sixth vintage working with Pinot Noir from Donnachadh Vineyard, a steep, organically farmed site on the southern ridge of the Sta. Rita Hills. Its rare north-facing exposure produces fruit that ripens slowly and evenly, yielding wines of restraint, depth, and natural balance. Wayward Son is our ode to this vineyard’s independence. Set apart from the rest, it produces Pinot Noir unlike anywhere else in the appellation. The 2021 vintage offers a savory, mineral-driven expression layered with dark red fruit, earth, and spice. Pair it with aged goat cheese or Comté, wild mushroom and thyme flatbread, or roasted duck with an olive-cherry glaze to highlight its tension between brightness and depth.
Aging Potential: Now - 2029+
Additional Notes: 2021 was a cooler, longer-ripening vintage, resulting in a Pinot Noir that is structured yet finely textured, with lifted aromatics and fresh acidity. Wayward Son spent a full year in barrel and more than three years in bottle, allowing its savory, mineral character to unfurl gracefully. Decant 30–45 minutes before serving to let the wine’s nuance fully emerge.
“Wayward Son is my love letter to Donnachadh Vineyard—a place that defies convention. With its steep north-facing slopes and dark soils, it ripens fruit slowly, shaping Pinot Noir that’s savory, mineral, and endlessly layered. The 2021 vintage was cool and deliberate, giving this wine time to mature with patience and grace. After a year in barrel and years in bottle, it’s finally showing its full voice: balanced, brooding, and a true vineyard designate within the Sta. Rita Hills appellation.”
- CHASE CARHARTT, CO-WINEMAKER
