Limited-edition with only 25 cases made, these exclusive wines are only available as a pair

 

Healdsburg, CA, December 01, 2020 – Admired winemaker behind Tongue Dancer Wines, James B. MacPhail, has just released ‘ULTRA’, the brand’s first-ever pair of wines. The 2018 ‘ULTRA’ Pinot Noir and 2018 ‘ULTRA’ Chardonnay are only available as a duo. A true endeavor of focus & detail, confidence & style, and art & artist, this collaboration between James MacPhail and Chris Blum has resulted in their “art in a bottle”.  The labels were made on an old, hand-cranked letterpress machine by a Letterpress Artist, hand-deckled, and were all hand-affixed. These clever labels, designed by artist Chris Blum (who does all of Tongue Dancer Wines’ label design), look longingly at each other, while – from the artist winemaker’s point of view – the wines complement each other as two sides from the same Burgundy coin. No less than 23 vendors / artists (most of them based in Northern California) were involved in making this package sing. With only 25 cases made, these limited-edition wines will be available for a short time and can be packaged perfectly for the holidays in the winery’s logo’d wooden box.

“All components of these wines harmoniously came together — the iconic vineyard locations, the clones, the cooper, the winemaking,” winemaker James MacPhail explained of these new releases. “They were isolated in what I call a ‘stand-alone’ barrel – standing out from their siblings and singing differently than the rest. So I singled them out. Closely monitored and laboriously tended to, these wines were ‘touched’ a dozen times more than any other lot. Mouthwatering, special, these are the ULTRA.”

Tongue Dancer Wines 2018 ‘ULTRA’ Pinot Noir is crafted with premium grapes sourced from the gem that is Van der Kamp Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, a site considered a sacred place by local Native Americans who believe the top of Sonoma Mountain was where the world began. This is one of California’s oldest Pinot Noir vineyards, with current plantings from 1952. These dramatically sloping vineyards are farmed organically, with a focus on environmental sustainability and the unique needs of each individual vine. The patchwork of soil types includes loam with volcanic material and decomposed riverbed. The thin topsoil creates a more structured wine and a very unique terroir. This Pinot Noir is an eye-opener from start to finish, with great aging potential.

The new 2018 ‘ULTRA’ Chardonnay is sourced from the Russian River Valley’s Bacigalupi Vineyard and Lynmar Estates’ 45-acre Quail Hill Vineyard. Made with 50 percent Bacigalupi fruit from the historic Paris Tasting Block, grown in red volcanic clay soils at 200-foot elevation, these 56-year-old Wente clone vines produce the resulting wine’s texture, lushness, and complexity. The other half of the fruit was grown on the western edge of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, a 22-mile sanctuary of creeks, marshes, wetlands and oak woodlands. These Quail Hill Chardonnay blocks, the oldest on the vineyard, are known for their stunning floral notes and fresh acidity.

Undoubtedly dedicated and committed to his craft, James MacPhail has produced over 100 different Pinots and Chardonnays with 90+ point scores. Committed to sustainable farming and making something from the earth that he can share with others, MacPhail has over 20 years of experience developing wines of the highest caliber. All releases from Tongue Dancer Wines echo the ethos of staying true to traditional, old world techniques and minimal intervention.

Tongue Dancer Wines’ newest releases are $190 for the pair and can be acquired through their exclusive mailing list. For more information on Tongue Dancer Wines, visit their website (https://tonguedancerwines.com) and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

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