The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Russian River Valley

Varietal   Chardonnay

Retail Price   $50

ABV   14.1%

Score   5 Stars/97 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, light golden color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of lemon curd, honeysuckle, and citrus zest with supporting notes of lychee, baked apple, and apricot stone.

The palate confirms the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of ripe green apple, white peach, passion fruit, kumquat, and oak. The finish is long and lingering with citrus accents.

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

Cool Factor

Tongue Dancer's seventh release of their Bacigalupi Chardonnay is an absolute gem offering unbeatable depth and balance making it very, very cool.

Value Grade

Handmade Chardonnay from Russian River crafted in limited quantities (just five barrels) is never to be found in the bargain aisle but we find this wine to be irresistible.

Analysis

The 2021 vintage marks the seventh edition of their lovely Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay — somehow this still feels like a new wine but it’s not. We have reviewed all of seven of them witnessing an amazing record of success. Having a consistent history with this wine causes us to eventually compare it to previous vintages. This 2021 vintage has strong similarities in style and quality to their great 2016 and 2019 vintages. Each of these seven has been a product of the vintage but the core characteristics have always been present. This vineyard features the Old Wente clone — a Chardonnay clone brought to California from Burgundy in 1912 by C.H. Wente. Like previous vintages, the 2021 Bacigalupi Chardonnay is completely barrel-fermented with native yeasts. The wine was then rested, sur lie, for a period of 14 months in French oak (20% new). This amazing and perfectly balanced Chardonnay is made entirely at their Grapewagon Crush facility in Healdsburg.

How to Enjoy

Serve chilled but not too cold or you will suppress the subtle nuances abundant in this wine. Pair it with roasted fowl or fatty grilled fish. Of course it really needs nothing but a glass...