Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Tongue Dancer Wines Chardonnay Sonoma County 2021
Product Story
The Tongue Dancer Wines 2021 Sonoma County Chardonnay appears to be a one-off but I’ve been wrong before. It’s a triple threat Chardonnay sourcing its fruit from the Bacigalupi and Pratt vineyards in Russian River Valley, and a new source in Dry Creek Valley (Montrachet clone). It’s a bold blend of two previously utilized sources with a great new source. The resulting wine is stunning as it brings together many of the best elements found in Chardonnay wine: tropical fruits, citrus and peach, floral notes, honey, and secondary vanilla and meringue accents. It’s made entirely from hand-picked grapes that were whole cluster pressed. The Russian River grapes were barrel fermented while the Dry Creek fruit fermented in a concrete egg. The barrel-fermented wine was then rested, sur lie, for a period of 15 months in French oak (25% new). This amazing and perfectly balanced Chardonnay is near perfect now but amazingly it may improve with time as the various elements further coalesce.
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 we have never seen a Tongue Dancer Wine fail to earn Four-Stars or better. Tongue Dancer is constantly innovating, 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 gold/green color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of apricot stone and spring flowers with supporting notes of lemon curd, grapefruit zest, candied ginger, passion fruit, meringue, and hints of vanilla. The palate echoes the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of tropical fruit, white peach, kumquat, and wild honey. The finish is long and lingering with accents of citrus. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a supple texture.
How to Serve
Serve chilled but not too cold or you will suppress the subtle nuances abundant in this wine. Pair it with roasted fowl, cream sauces, or smoked salmon. The beautiful natural acidity in this wine makes it a great food pairing wine.
Price: $ 55
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4280
