Beverage of the Week (BOW)

Tongue Dancer Pratt Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2021

Product Story

When Tongue Dancer Wines introduced their Pratt Vine Hill Chardonnay last year we really hoped that they would create a follow-up release. Spoiler alert — they did. The 2021 vintage is a bigger, more opulent wine but still shows incredible balance and a generous dose of acidity that made their inaugural release so remarkable. The grapes are sourced from Pratt Vineyard — Vine Hill. Three great Chardonnay clones are grown here: Mt Eden, Robert Young, and FPS 70 (Dijon). The blend of these clones results in a wine with great complexity and depth. The grapes were hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed straight to barrel. It's 100% barrel-fermented, and aged in French oak for 14 months (25% new) sur lie (on the lees giving it great texture and depth). Finally, it’s bottled unfined and lightly filtered.

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, light golden color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of Meyer lemon and pear with supporting notes of kumquat, pineapple, and honeysuckle. The palate echoes the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of white peach, lemon curd, blanched almonds, apricot stone, slate, and star fruit. The finish is long and lingering with citrus notes rising. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with an opulent texture.

How to Serve

Serve chilled but not too cold as this will mute the aromatics and flavors. The wine is approachable at first pour but if you allow it to open up for 10 minutes or more you will be rewarded.

Price: $ 65

BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4344