The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Santa Rita Hills

Varietal   Pinot Noir

Retail Price   $96

ABV   14.5%

Score   4.5 Stars/96 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, medium garnet color.

The nose is moderately intense, offering scents of boysenberry, strawberry, and dried herbs with supporting notes of slate, five spice, kumquat, and hibiscus flower.

The palate confirms the nose delivering a red fruit-driven core with flavors of red cherry, cranberry, red plum, and oak. The finish is long and lingering with chewy tannins.

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

Cool Factor

We absolutely love the fruit, the unique philosophy, and the choice of winemakers making this wine totally cool.

Value Grade

This Pinot is not designed for mass consumption. It's pricey for sure but fewer than 100 cases are made making it pretty rare.

Analysis

This is our third vintage of Exprimere Pinot Noirs. Like the previous vintages, the two Pinot Noirs, Mia and Persey, were created as siblings exploring the question of nature and nurture. The fruit is sourced from the Peake Ranch vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County — a proven top-tier Pinot Noir AVA. The difference lies solely in the winemaking choices. Mia, featured here, is treated very gently, being fermented at a cool temperature, cap pushed down softly, and rested in neutral barrels sur lie. Its sibling, Persey, is treated in a rough-and-tumble manner, fermented hot, and punched down more frequently. The barrels are rolled out into the sun to heat up and then regularly stirred. The wines are created by the trio of John Dimos, proprietor; Michael Anderson, viticulturist; and James MacPhail, winemaker (Tongue Dancer Wines). The 2023 vintage saw ideal conditions until the end of the growing season, as a sudden heat spike caused a scramble. Despite the challenge, the ’23 Mia is wonderfully balanced, subtle, and complex.

How to Enjoy

Pair with bistro-style roasted chicken, roasted pork tenderloin with sauteed apples and a red currant sauce, or roasted mushroom risotto.