Tongue Dancer Wines Vineyard eleven Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2023

The Data

Country USA

Appellation Russian River Valley

Varietal Pinot Noir

Retail Price $69

ABV 14.5%

Score 5 Stars/99 points

In the Glass

Appearance

Brilliant, deep ruby color.

Aromatics

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of red cherry, thyme, and slate with supporting notes of five spice, vanilla, hibiscus flower, and black tea.

Flavor

The palate echoes the nose delivering a red and black fruits-driven core with flavors of raspberry, dried herbs, and mulberry. The finish is long and lingering with supple tannins.

Intensity & Texture

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

Cool Factor

New wines from a great and trusted producer are usually cool, but when this wine flirts with perfection, cool goes to eleven.

Value Grade

B+

It’s rare to say that a wine selling near $70 a bottle is a bargain but in this case it is. Just 65 cases made — get yours now.

Analysis

We are pleased to introduce the maiden vintage of Tongue Dancer Wines’ (TDW) Vineyard eleven Pinot Noir. I will resist all of the tempting references to This is Spinal Tap — if you get it, you got it. Vineyard eleven (lowercase intended) is a gorgeous, 21-acre ranch with an eleven-acre Pinot Noir vineyard. The vineyard is owned by Marla & Geoffrey Bedrosian, the proprietors of Domaine de la Rivière. The grapes for this wine come from the vineyard’s Red Barn block that features the Vosne-Romanee clone. The grapes were hand-picked on the cool morning of September 22nd and gently de-stemmed — not crushed. Thrice daily punchdowns and cool fermenting temperatures ensured depth and a fruit-forward wine. The wine spent 11 months on the lees in French oak (one-third new). It was bottled unfined and lightly filtered in August of 2024. This is a spectacular wine with a great future — get a bottle or two now.

How to Enjoy

Serve this wine with nothing but a glass. Pair it with grilled meat subtly spiced, assuring that this wine is the meal's star.