Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Tongue Dancer Wines Lakeview Vineyard Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River Valley 2023
Product Story
In addition to tasting our annual favorites from Tongue Dancer Wines (TDW), the 2025 fall releases include a new label from a trusted vineyard, The Lakeview Vineyard in the Green Valley of the Russian River, which has featured in previous TDW offerings, notably the 2021 Foxtrot and the 2021 and 2022 The Sly One. Jim MacPhail has been working with fruit from this vineyard since 2007, and now it has found its way into its fourth TDW expression — one that should become part of their regular lineup. The fruit used for this wine is from a single clone, La Tâche, known for its small and intensely flavored berries. The grapes were hand-picked on the morning of September 11 and gently de-stemmed — not crushed. Thrice-daily punchdowns are performed by hand, followed by battong every other week for three months. The wine spent 17 months on the lees in French oak, with 33% of the barrels being new oak. It was bottled unfined and lightly filtered in February of 2025. The resulting wine is truly exceptional. The label features their winery presented in the style of an old French country chateau.
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 have never seen a Tongue Dancer Wine fail to earn Four-Stars or better. Tongue Dancer constantly innovates, releasing new wines yearly while never missing a beat. Once, they surprised us by releasing 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, deep ruby color. The aromatics are intense, offering scents of black tea, mineral, and raspberry with supporting notes of red berry compote, dried herbs, earth, and oak. The palate echoes the nose, delivering a red and black fruit-driven core with flavors of black cherry, baking spices, cassis, black plum, and thyme. The finish is long and lingering with chewy tannins. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a rich texture.
How to Serve
Serve this wine with nothing but a glass, but it is calling out for a perfectly grilled steak or game served simply with freshly cracked black pepper. Decant one hour before serving.
Price: $65