WINEMAKER NOTES

The 2020 Manchester Ridge Chardonnay is vibrant and captivating. Its perfect harmony of acidity and fruit character creates a delightful mouthfeel. The nose reveals notes of melon, citrus, and hints of vanilla. On the palate, you'll find flavors of stone fruit, cantaloupe, lemon peel, and a subtle touch of toasted marshmallow. This wine has great aging potential, improving over the next 5 years.

WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES

Grapes are hand-picked at the break of dawn and promptly delivered to the winery, ensuring they remain cold. They are sorted and whole-cluster pressed into barrels. The juice then embarks on its barrel fermentation journey, aging gracefully sur lie for a duration of 11 months. We encourage a full 100% malolactic fermentation to harmonize the acidity. To enhance texture and complexity, we delicately stir the barrels twice a month for the initial 5 months. Finally, the wine is cleanly racked off the lees and prepared for bottling.

FRUIT SOURCE: MANCHESTER RIDGE VINEYARD

Located in Mendocino County, the Mendocino Ridge AVA is one of California's best-kept secret sources of spectacular fruit. The vineyard sits above the coastal fog at 2058ft, just west of Anderson Valley. Warm days and cool nights increase the hang time for ripening with harvest typically occurring one month later than our valley vineyards.

VINTAGE NOTES

In 2020, we faced numerous challenges. Low rainfall, early bud break, a pandemic, and an intense fire season tested our resilience. However, these difficulties led to shorter yields and increased stress on the vines, resulting in more intense and unique fruit flavors that truly stand out.

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.