The aroma of rich dark cherry and toasted oak sets the stage for what’s on the palate; a deep expression of pinot noir with black cherry and rhubarb with a hint of smoke. Cedar and toasted French oak are harmonious with the fruit, while a pleasant light spice invigorates the tongue throughout. Mendocino remains one of the best kept secrets of the Pinot Noir scene.

ACCOLADES

Wine Enthusiast - 94 points (Editor’s Choice)

WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES

The grape clusters were hand harvested at night to ensure gentle processing of cool fruit. At the winery, the grapes were hand sorted, de-stemmed, leaving 10% of the fruit as whole clusters for added complexity and spice component. The grapes were then fermented in temperature-controlled tanks; we did punch-downs three times daily. Native yeast was used for the fermentation. At dryness, the grapes were drained and pressed directly to barrel into a combination of 40% new French oak barrels for 11 months aging.

VINTAGE NOTES

2015 was a great vintage for cooler climate areas such as Mendocino Ridge. The warmer weather and dry year stressed these vines a little extra to create a little more complexity and richness while retaining the bright fruit characters.

FRUIT SOURCE: MANCHESTER RIDGE VINEYARD

Manchester Ridge is located in the discontinuous Mendocino Ridge AVA, near the Sonoma County line.  This rugged and diverse location is accessible only by timber flanked logging roads, which climb up to 2058 ft elevation, and then reveal the dramatic vineyard setting with Pacific Ocean views. Due to the ridge top elevation, the vineyard is above the fog line and most frost threats; however, the extremes of spring weather equate to small yields that average less than two tons per acre. This fruit takes full advantage of early morning sun and maritime breezes that develop in the early afternoon allowing a harvest that matures slowly to produce structured wines with exotic aromatic profiles and pronounced acidity

THE WINERY

Bailarín Cellars was created in 2014 by a collective of family and friends, each following their respective passions and all sharing one: quality wine. Together we focus on producing small lots of handcrafted wines from unique vineyard sources. We are proud to share the fruits of our labor and love with you.