Tongue Dancer Pratt Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2021

The Data

Country USA

Appellation Russian River Valley

Varietal Chardonnay

Retail Price $65

ABV 14.5%

Score 4.5 Stars/95 points

In the Glass

Appearance

Brilliant, light golden color.

Aromatics

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of Meyer lemon and pear with supporting notes of kumquat, pineapple, and honeysuckle.

Flavor

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.

Intensity & Texture

Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with an opulent texture.

Cool Factor

Tongue Dancer Wines make Chardonnay cool — and that's a challenge! Each new release is spot-on delivering wines with personality and style.

Value Grade

Handmade Chardonnay from Russian River crafted in limited quantities is never to be found in the bargain aisle but we find this wine to be irresistible. It's a limited production so get yours fast.

Analysis

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.

How to Enjoy

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.