WINEMAKER NOTES

A much-needed wet winter helped replenish moisture into the soils and allowed the vines to take off and create full canopies which means more photosynthesis. Suacci vineyard sits on rolling hills with deep root structure and absorbs plenty of earth character. On the nose you will find black tea, cedar, forest characters up front and rich cherry cola, and blackberry cobbler notes. The palate brings dark black fruit tones, Asian spice, white pepper and cherry pie flavors that linger for a long silky finish. This wine will age beautifully for years to come.

FRUIT SOURCE: SUACCI VINEYARD

Suacci Vineyard is a 6.5-acre vineyard planted on south facing slopes of the Sebastopol Hills in Blucher Valley. An especially cool pocket of the Russian River Valley, there are short windows of heat in the midday, followed once again by the ocean breezes which flow through the Petaluma Gap. With low yields and tiny clusters, this vineyard consistently produces Pinot Noir with intense, complex flavors and pronounced acidity.

VINTAGE NOTES

This vintage started off cooler than the previous few vintages.  Despite having a warm February, the cooler weather set in and provided a wonderfully cool spring.  The bloom lasted longer than usual and provided for consistent fruit set throughout the vineyards.  The summer temperatures were moderate and allowed veraison to start later than previous vintages.  There was a cooling trend in late July that meant we avoided the typical late summer heat spikes that drove an early and compressed harvest the previous two vintages.  As a result, harvest started 2-3 weeks later than previous years, but was really back to normal where it should be.  The grape development and maturation took extra time with the cooler weather with vineyards thinning fruit more times than in previous years.  Slower ripening and cooler weather typically provides higher quality fruit and we are already seeing the benefits in the cellar with fully mature, sweet tannins, outstanding color and brightness, depth of fruit, naturally beautifully balanced wines.  Due to an ideal growing season the 2018 vintage is already showing its potential for greatness.

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 10% of fruit was left "whole cluster" for complexity. 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 was used for fermentation. At dryness, the grapes were pressed directly into a combination of  40% new French oak barrels for 11 months aging. The final blend consists of the winemaker’s selection of the best barrels.

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.