The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Sonoma Coast

Varietal   Pinot Noir

Retail Price   $49

ABV   14.5%

Score   4.5 Stars/96 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, medium ruby color.

The aromatics are very intense offering scents of red cherry and boysenberry with supporting notes of blackberry, black tea, earth, and five spice.

The palate echoes the nose delivering a red and black fruits-driven core with flavors of black cherry, hints of rose petals, and leather. The finish is long and lingering with supple tannins.

Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a silky yet vibrant texture.

Cool Factor

Vintage after vintage Tongue Dancer never fails to impress as their Pinots are ultra balanced and full of flavor and personality making it very cool.

Value Grade

Have you heard that Pinot Noir is expensive? Sure you have. The Tongue Dancer Wines have proven their worth being stylish and complex, as well as being ultra rare (fewer than 350 cases made).

Analysis

We are huge fans of the previous vintage of Tongue Dancer's Sonoma Coast Pinot but somehow this 2017 edition is even better. When tasting this wine I couldn't help but be drawn into an internal conversation of single vineyard versus a marriage of fruit from two or more vineyards. This wine is crafted with Pinot from vineyards in Sonoma Coast. You can absolutely see how the sum of the various parts have conspired to create a complex wine that is juicy while tart, silky while vibrant with acidity, and certainly multilayered. The fruit was all hand-picked. It was fermented in small, open-top fermenters and aged in French oak (36% new) for a period of 16 months. As always it's 100% true to varietal in every respect. Bravo!

How to Enjoy

This wine really needs nothing but a glass but the rich texture and bright acidity would love to pair with a grilled beef tenderloin, grilled leg of lamb, or perfectly cured Roman charcuterie.