Winemaker Notes
The color of translucent straw and honey dew rind this wine has aromas of orange blossom, match stick and sea air. On the palate, very bright acidity, structured mineral and talc nots. The finish is vibrant and lingering. A high acid wine with a light body.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2019 Chardonnay Manchester Ridge is one of the most compelling wines I have tasted from Trail Marker. In the glass, it is rich and textured, with tremendous depth allied to the vibrant style that is the Trail Marker signature. That interplay results in a Chardonnay of true distinction and glass. Old Wente clone Chardonnay on this site really sizzles.
Range: 93-95
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Essentially a northern extension of the Sonoma Coast AVA but part of Mendocino County, Mendocino Ridge is one of the rare appellations defined by elevation only. The Mendocino Ridge AVA is reserved only for vineyards at or above 1,200 feet between the Anderson Valley and Pacific Ocean.