Manchester Ridge is an island in the sky. The vineyard sits at around 2,000 feet, four miles from the Pacific, on one of the ridgetops that poke up through the Mendocino fog and give the Mendocino Ridge AVA its nickname. Fruit up there hangs a long time, developing flavor while holding onto acid, which is exactly what Drew Huffine and Emily Virgil are hunting for at Trail Marker. Their philosophy is simple: find the cold, extreme coastal sites, then get out of the way. This is Chardonnay with real cut and clarity, a California white that leans toward tension rather than butter.