Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Tongue Dancer Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022
Product Story
This is the 11th vintage of Tongue Dancer Wines’ Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and as always it’s an impressive glass of Pinot Noir. We absolutely love this wine and could easily see the scores rise with a bit of cellaring. This vintage reminds us of their great 2019 — very Burgundian. We have reviewed every vintage since 2015 and while each wine is unique and always an expression of the vintage, each respective wine has scored 94 points or better. How’s that for consistency? In 2022, like 2021, most of the fruit was sourced from the Putnam Vineyard in the West Sonoma Coast with a bit of fruit from the Notre Vue Vineyard in Russian River Valley. For the Pinot geeks out there (we say with great affection) the clones used were Pommard 4, Calera, 777, 115, and Pommard. The berries were gently de-stemmed and not crushed. It was fermented in small, open-top fermenters with the cap punched-down by hand three times a day. Post fermentation the wine was aged in French oak (33% new) for a period of 11 months. It was bottled unfined and lightly filtered on 8 August, 2023.
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 ruby color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of black cherry, forest floor, and black tea with supporting notes of boysenberry, black plum, and violet. The palate echoes the nose delivering a black fruit-driven core with flavors of blackberry, elderberry, and five spice. The finish is long and lingering with firm tannins. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a chewy texture.
How to Serve
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.
Price: $ 55
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4377
