Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Tongue Dancer Wines Vineyard eleven Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2023
Product Story
We are pleased to introduce the maiden vintage of Tongue Dancer Wines’ (TDW) Vineyard eleven Pinot Noir. I will resist all of the tempting references to This is Spinal Tap — if you get it, you got it. Vineyard eleven (lowercase intended) is a gorgeous, 21-acre ranch with an eleven-acre Pinot Noir vineyard. The vineyard is owned by Marla & Geoffrey Bedrosian, the proprietors of Domaine de la Rivière. The grapes for this wine come from the vineyard’s Red Barn block that features the Vosne-Romanee clone. The grapes were hand-picked on the cool morning of September 22nd and gently de-stemmed — not crushed. Thrice daily punchdowns and cool fermenting temperatures ensured depth and a fruit-forward wine. The wine spent 11 months on the lees in French oak (one-third new). It was bottled unfined and lightly filtered in August of 2024. This is a spectacular wine with a great future — get a bottle or two now.
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 yearly while never missing a beat. Once, they surprised us by releasing 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, deep ruby color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of red cherry, thyme, and slate with supporting notes of five spice, vanilla, hibiscus flower, and black tea. The palate echoes the nose delivering a red and black fruits-driven core with flavors of raspberry, dried herbs, and mulberry. The finish is long and lingering with supple tannins. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with an opulent texture.
How to Serve
Serve this wine with nothing but a glass. Pair it with grilled meat subtly spiced, assuring that this wine is the meal's star.
Price: $ 69
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4487
