The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   West Sonoma Coast

Varietal   Pinot Noir

Retail Price   $69

ABV   14.5%

Score   4.5 Stars/97 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, deep ruby color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of blackberry, dried herbs, and red cherry with supporting notes of black tea, forest floor, slate, truffle, red cherry, fennel seed, and hibiscus flower.

The palate confirms the nose delivering a red and black fruits-driven core with flavors of black plum, five spice, cranberry jam, and wild blueberry with hints of mint. The finish is long and lingering with ripe tannins and sexy oak accents.

Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a supple texture.

Cool Factor

Tongue Dancer's Pinot de Ville never fails to be cool as it remains as one of our select quintessential California wines.

Value Grade

This is a special wine built for a special occasion. We suggest grabbing a few bottles to share at the holidays this year and in the years to come.

Analysis

The 2022 vintage marks the ninth edition of The Tongue Dancer "Pinot de Ville" (PDV). For the first time, the label does not feature a classic Cadillac DeVille but rather a guitar inspired by classic car design. The fruit was harvested in equal portions from the Lofty section of Putnam Vineyard and Notre Vue Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The fruit from Lofty, grown at 1,000 feet above sea level, is small and concentrated, while Notre Vue is much warmer and delivers plump fruit with thick, tannic skins. The marriage of these two diverse fruits greatly contributes to the wine’s complexity. It’s uncertain if this blend of sources will be featured in their PDV in vintages to come. We suspect that this special wine will be a reflection of the vintage and James MacPhail’s intuition. As always, the grapes are hand-picked, gently destemmed, not crushed, and cold-soaked for five days. This Pinot rests for 17 months exclusively in French oak barrels (20% new) prior to bottling. The production is very limited, so get some fast. The 2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noirs are wines for cellaring — they are noble beasts with dexterity.

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 or grilled leg of lamb.