WINEMAKER NOTES

Aromas of pear, Gravenstein apples, crème brûlée, and honeysuckle delight the nose in this delicious Russian River Valley wine. The palate showcases notes of stone fruit, pear, honeydew lemon, and light mineral tones. Oak barrel fermentation brings hints of vanilla and butterscotch to a well-rounded finish. This wine will age beautifully for the next 7-10 years but can be enjoyed now.

WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES

Our grapes are hand-picked at dawn and delivered cool and firm to the winery. The fruit is then hand-sorted and whole-cluster pressed directly into 30% new French oak barrels for fermentation with a combination of native and cultured yeasts. The wine is aged for eleven months with twice-monthly lees stirring (bâtonnage) for the first five months to enhance texture and complexity. This Chardonnay undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation to round out its acidity and mouthfeel.

FRUIT SOURCE: BACIGALUPI VINEYARD

The Bacigalupi Vineyard first rose to prominence after the 1976 Paris Tasting, when the 1973 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay triumphed over many acclaimed French wines in a professional blind tasting. 40% of the fruit for that award-winning Chardonnay came from the legendary Bacigalupi Vineyard, which has been owned and managed by the Bacigalupi family since 1956. Located just south of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley's west side, warm days for ripening and cool nights for preservation of acidity ensure balance and quality.

VINTAGE NOTES

Despite the challenging circumstances of 2020, our tailored and precise winemaking skills produced excellent wines. Dry soils from successive years of drought, early bud break and warm temperatures delivered short yields. But the extra stress on the vines led to intense fruit flavors. This vintage’s grapes showcased a natural balance between fruit character and acidity.

THE WINERY

Bailarín Cellars was created in 2014 by a collective of family and friends, each following their respective passions. 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.