($50):  Choosing between Tongue Dancer’s Bacigalupi and the Pratt Vineyard bottlings is like choosing between your children.  To be sure, the wines are different despite similar winemaking philosophy, which shows that terroir influence (i.e., where the grapes grow has an impact) is alive and well in California.  There’s a touch more complexity in the Bacigalupi compared to the Pratt and this stage, but the same opulence and finesse is front and center.  Like the Pratt, the Bacigalupi avoids going over the top.  There is a touch more oak showing in the Bacigalupi at this stage, but I have no doubt it will integrate perfectly given the wine’s balance.  Those who prefer a touch of the seductive spicy wood influence in their wine will embrace it now.  Others should cellar it for a year or two.  Neither group will be disappointed.
96 Michael Apstein Jul 9, 2024