Tongue Dancer Wines The Sly One Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2024

Item: Tongue Dancer Wines The Sly One Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2024
Rating: 96
Author: Sean Ludford

The Data

Country USA

Appellation Russian River Valley

Varietal Pinot Noir

Retail Price $65

ABV 14.5%

Score 4.5 Stars/96 points

In the Glass

Appearance

Brilliant, medium ruby color.

Aromatics

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of black cherry, violet, and cassis with supporting notes of hibiscus flower, lavender, black tea, and subtle hints of tomato leaf.

Flavor

The palate substantially agrees with the nose, delivering a black fruit-driven core with flavors of boysenberry, black currant, baking spices, sweet thyme, and wild raspberry. The finish is long and lingering with ripe tannins.

Intensity & Texture

Medium to full-bodied with an opulent texture.

Cool Factor

When a trusted and terrific winery starts making Pinot Noir from a famed vineyard that they had previously sourced their award-winning Chardonnay from, it’s going to be very cool.

Value Grade

B+

It’s rare to say that a wine selling near $65 a bottle is a bargain, but in this case, it is. Just two barrels made making it ultra rare.

Analysis

We are happy to introduce Tongue Dancer Wines (TDW )'s sixth vintage of its “The Sly One” (TSO) Pinot Noir. The Sly One has earned its nickname this vintage as veteran BevXers and long-time fans of TDW associate the Pratt Vine Hill Vineyard with Chardonnay. Clearly, this vineyard is also home to some fancy Mt. Eden clone Pinot Noir. The Mt. Eden clone is one of California’s heritage Pinot Noir selections brought to the state by Paul Masson in the late 1800s from Burgundy. This is TDW’s first bottling of Pinot from this famed site, and it’s just as good as you imagined. The fruit was hand-picked and then hand-sorted, given a five-day pre-fermentation cold maceration, native yeast fermentation, and daily puchdowns. The wine rested and developed in French oak, with one new barrel and the other two years old, for 11 months. This one was worth the wait.

How to Enjoy

Serve this wine with nothing but a glass. Pair it with subtly spiced, grilled ribeyes or thick pork chops. Open an hour before service.