Notably wild in character with an elegant medley of wild strawberry, oolong tea, and dried flowers aromas. Entry of pomegranate and raspberry briar, savory spice, and misty forest floor finish with delicate tannin and marked acidity.

Accolades

• 92 Points – Wine Enthusiast “This is an outstanding, nervy, rather lean wine that is quite appetizing and well balanced. It combines tart cherry and cranberry aromas with rhubarb, black tea and mushroom flavors that are fascinating to taste. Medium body and a smooth texture are bolstered by moderate tannins for a very food-friendly mouthfeel.”
• 95 Points / Gold Medal – 2018 California State Fair

Vintage Notes

The 2014 vintage is being hailed as historical in terms of pristine quality. While suffering through the third straight year of drought and a mild spring, the vines began flowering in May setting the stage for an early harvest. Ideal weather continued through the growing season resulting in ripe and balanced fruit.

Winemaking Techniques

Clusters were hand harvested in at night to ensure gentle processing of cool fruit. At the winery, the grapes were hand sorted, destemmed, and cold soaked for 4 days. The grapes were then fermented in small open top bins with hand punch downs conducted twice per day.  A blend of natural and cultured yeasts were used for fermentation. At dryness, the grapes were pressed directly into a combination of 30% new French oak barrels for 11 months aging. The final blend consists of the winemakers selection of the best barrels.

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 acidit.

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.