Tongue Dancer Wines Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2020

The Data

Country USA

Appellation Russian River Valley

Varietal Chardonnay

Retail Price $55

ABV 13.5%

Score 4.5 Stars/96 points

In the Glass

Appearance

Brilliant, medium gold/green color.

Aromatics

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of apricot stone, honeysuckle, and custard with supporting notes of lemon curd, meringue, candied ginger, and lychee.

Flavor

The palate confirms the nose delivering a tropical fruits-driven core with flavors of pineapple, white peach, quince, honey, with hints of wild mint, and citrus zest. The finish is long and lingering with lemon zest lingering for minutes.

Intensity & Texture

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

Cool Factor

Not many winemakers can make Chardonnay cool — it's ubiquitous — but Tongue Dancer delivers wines with personality and this new, unique blend is amazing.

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. Just five barrels produced.

Analysis

This spring (2022) we get treated to a new Tongue Dancer Wines (TDW) Chardonnay. A new Chardonnay is rarely cause for celebration but when it's made by James MacPhail we take notice. It's a blend from three vineyards: Bacigalupi, Pratt Irwin Lane, and Pratt Vine Hill. Regular readers at BevX and followers of TDW will recognize some of a couple of these vineyards from previous Chardonnay releases. The resulting Chardonnay is clearly more than a sum of its parts as it is deftly moderate in alcohol, simply accented with oak, and perfectly balanced. It's fully barrel-fermented, aged in French oak for 11 months (20% new), and bottled unfined and lightly filtered. We absolutely love this wine and we are very hopeful that this is not a one-off but rather a continuing part of their great portfolio.

How to Enjoy

Serve chilled but not too cold or you will suppress the the subtle nuances abundant in this wine. Pair it with roasted fowl or grilled, meaty fish and seafood.