Tongue Dancer Wines

Call Directions Website

Tongue Dancer Wines All intellectual whimsy comes from our hearts, our heads, and always after we drink a bottle of this stuff! I do it for the sheer love of the Burgundy grape.

In my 29+ years of tinkering (yes, you could call it that) with the Burgundy grape, I’ve come to love and appreciate the subtle nuances, such as texture, taste, weight and movement that it imparts in the glass and on the palate. So, while I was making wine for my brand ‘MacPhail Family Wines’, I was getting offers from amazing vineyards that I couldn’t pass up. ‘Tongue Dancer Wines’ came about as a result of these relationship and amazing fruit. After a bit of alchemy and intuition, I have learned how to let this fruit guide me and carry me through its process, and the result is a wine with heightened aromatics and intense flavors. The wine is rich, has texture, and carries weight – all of which I refer to has having great “mouth-feel”. Yes, making wine this way demands more focus, and each lot is always touched with as much attention and fervor as the next one. We end up with something that is lush and luxurious, and meant to be just a great bottle of wine. I’ve been in this business for almost 30 years, and those who know me well can say I am a bit obsessive and passionate about what I do – and what I do is make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I am committed to it. I am practicing what I try to teach my daughters, and that is follow – and trust – your gut, and let your passions be your guide. It is with the understanding that although I am a simple man, my desires run deep, and I simply want to keep exploring the wine’s depth and breadth. It’s this visceral desire that inspired my wife and I to embark on this leg of our wine-journey. This is not an arrogant expression of mastery, as I am the forever-student with the vines as my teacher. Why “Tongue Dancer Wines”? We wanted to create an image of taste - and as hard as that is sometimes, we think this label captures what we’re trying to convey. This wine will surely dance on your tongue. To family and good friends, " ~ James MacPhail

Took a quick detour with the kids. Bills vs Rams.
10/13/2026

Took a quick detour with the kids. Bills vs Rams.

This just in - and time for our funnsie offers. 2023 Irwin Lane etched 3.0L. It’s … stunning. The last etched bottle o...
10/02/2026

This just in - and time for our funnsie offers. 2023 Irwin Lane etched 3.0L. It’s … stunning. The last etched bottle of Irwin Lane was with the 2018 vintage. Now, with the age-worthy vintage of 2023, THIS bottle will be epic even after … 2043. Easily. We’ll still be here in case you want to test that theory. On our page in the “Double Magnum” section.

TGIF! Just so you know why we’ve been holding onto your orders for what seems like forEVER: et voilá! We’re waiting fo...
09/18/2026

TGIF!

Just so you know why we’ve been holding onto your orders for what seems like forEVER: et voilá!

We’re waiting for it to be … less red.

On the bright side, just think of it as we’re helping you age your w**es.

It’s the last week of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but the season is going out with record-breaking heat. 🥵

A heat dome sent temperatures soaring in the south-central United States on Sept. 15, 2026. Heat domes develop when an area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere pushes hot air toward the surface and traps it there, suppressing clouds and precipitation. This allows sunlight to reach Earth’s surface relatively unhindered and further elevate air temperatures.

This map shows air temperatures just above the surface. It was made using satellite observations and temperatures predicted by the NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center GEOS model, which uses mathematical equations to represent physical processes in the atmosphere.

Learn more about this event: https://go.nasa.gov/3V2sSwM

96 pts. / Cellar Selection ~ “Aromas of concentrated cherry, plum, and cocoa pop from the glass on the nose of this w**e...
09/15/2026

96 pts. / Cellar Selection ~ “Aromas of concentrated cherry, plum, and cocoa pop from the glass on the nose of this w**e. The palate delivers racy acidity and rich tannin that frame flavors of dusty berries, pithy orange, rose petal, licorice, and mint through a minute long finale. Delicious now, this will soften nicely in the cellar, so be patient. —T.R.C., W**e Enthusiast
Okay, we *knew* this was going to be an ager, and we haven’t really poured her much in the tasting room because she’s just so … different from most of our other Pinots. BUT! THIS IS WHY.

Opening these 3 w**es for a tasting today. Any guesses as to which w**es belong to these wax dollops?
09/15/2026

Opening these 3 w**es for a tasting today. Any guesses as to which w**es belong to these wax dollops?

95 pts. Editor’s Choice: 2024 The Sly One Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley). Focused and pure aromas of saturated black ...
09/15/2026

95 pts. Editor’s Choice: 2024 The Sly One Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley). Focused and pure aromas of saturated black cherry, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and roses explode from the glass on the nose of this w**e. The palate balances supple tannin and vibrant acid with rich flavors of roasted raspberry, cola spices, black plum, roses, and tea leaf across a long and
energetic finish. Editors’ Choice. —T.R.C. The hardest part about this w**e is trying to hold onto it. Made from Pratt Vyd - Vine Hill, using the Mt. Eden clone ONLY!

Getting ready to roll this baby blue ‘de Ville out in a couple of days. For this 2024 vintage, we sourced a vineyard out...
09/03/2026

Getting ready to roll this baby blue ‘de Ville out in a couple of days. For this 2024 vintage, we sourced a vineyard out on the West Sonoma Coast, so this single vineyard Pinot is as lush and weighty as you’ve come to expect from this label. This is a special release, too, as you’ll see why once the email vrooms out.

Walk down the path of our Fall Release happening on September 5th! Some pretty great surprises await your adventure.
09/02/2026

Walk down the path of our Fall Release happening on September 5th! Some pretty great surprises await your adventure.

This goes out to all our Cadillac buffs: what vintage of car is this (graced our 2020 )? Is it a ‘67? It is an actual...
08/24/2026

This goes out to all our Cadillac buffs: what vintage of car is this (graced our 2020 )? Is it a ‘67? It is an actual car - Chris Blum made it into a label for us, so we know it exists in real life. TIA!

Address

851 Magnolia Drive
Healdsburg, CA
95448

Telephone

+17074334780

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tongue Dancer Wines posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category