Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Tongue Dancer Wines "Magnolia Montrachet" Chardonnay Dry Creek Valley 2023
Product Story
We are enjoying the third release of Tongue Dancer Wines (TDW) “Magnolia Montrachet” Chardonnay. The first wine from this great vineyard source was their “The Sly One” Chardonnay from 2021. The source vineyard, the Tolmasoff Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley, is planted with the Montrachet clone — a name very familiar to white Burgundy lovers. The vineyard was planted in 2017 and thus far TDW is the only winemaker trusted with this gorgeous fruit. This wine is made without the use of oak. The wine is fermented and aged in their concrete ‘hippo’, a cheeky name given to the popular concrete egg that lies horizontally rather than the typical vertical orientation. The 10 months the wine spends on its lees give it depth, structure, and polish that can mimic oak aging without the oak flavors. We absolutely love this wine and don’t miss the oak for a second.
Brand Story
Tongue Dancer Wines is the creation of James and Kerry MacPhail. If you are a California Pinot Noir lover, you likely know James' previous work with MacPhail Family Wines. James knows how to make amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and James knows a lot of people who grow spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We have been reviewing the wines from Tongue Dancer for the better part of a decade and have never seen a Tongue Dancer Wine fail to earn Four-Stars or better. Tongue Dancer constantly innovates, releasing new wines every year while never missing a beat. Last year they surprised us with the release of a great, dry cider! This is a winery to watch. The wines are always in short supply, so be swift. Visit their website and join their mailing list to get direct access to their wines.
Tasting Note
Brilliant, medium green/gold color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of honeysuckle, green apple, and bees wax with supporting notes of slate, chamomile, and Meyer lemon. The palate echoes the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of white peach, sudachi, apricot stone, lemongrass, grapefruit zest, and quince. The finish is long and lingering. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a supple texture.
How to Serve
Of course this wine needs nothing but a glass but it is built for food with a generous dose of natural acidity and incredible length. It pairs beautifully and any fish or fowl — best grilled or served with a balanced cream or butter sauce. This is a wine for your cellar so get bottles for now and some more bottles for later.
Price: $ 59
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4484
