Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Exprimere Mia — Peake Ranch Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 2021
Product Story
Exprimere is a new wine project with a very interesting premise. At the heart of Exprimere is some exceptional fruit grown at the Peake Ranch in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County — a proven Pinot Noir zone. While the wines were unknown to us the winemaker is very familiar. The wines are made by James MacPhail, an award-winning winemaker familiar to every BevX reader via Tongue Dancer Wines. The two inaugural releases of Pinot Noir both hail from the same vineyard and vintage. The difference lies solely in the winemaking choices. Mia, featured here, is treated very gently being fermented at cool temperature, cap pushed down softly, and reseted in neutral barrels sur lie. Its sibling Persey gets a more vigorous interaction with nature and man. There is a clear difference to be observed in the glass and it all comes down to your preferences — we leaned toward Mia. The wines are in short supply — Sold as a set with its sibling wine Persey.
Brand Story
Exprimere is a new winery in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County. To say it’s a “micro-winery” may be exaggerating its size. Just shy of 200 cases were made for their inaugural commercial release in early 2023. The project is the creation of John Dimos, a molecular biologist who has previously worked on life-saving therapeutics. After years in the lab, John transitioned to an entrepreneurial role, supporting startups in biotech, medicine, healthcare, and agriculture. Needless to say he got the wine bug and went on to earn a Certificate in Winemaking from UC Davis. John is new to winemaking but he wisely built an all-pro team including veteran viticulturist Michael Anderson and famed winemaker James MacPhail (Tongue Dancer Wines). Exprimere will eventually add other varietals to their offerings while continuing the concept of creating two wines from the same vineyard source with differing winemaking techniques.
Tasting Note
Brilliant, medium ruby color. The aromatics are pleasingly intense, offering scents of red plum and raspberry with supporting notes of clove and slate. The palate confirms the nose delivering a red fruit-driven core with flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, five spice, and oak. The finish is long and lingering with silky tannins. Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a supple texture — the essence of Pinot.
How to Serve
We love this wine with a no-frills grilled skirt steak or maybe an herb-crusted pork tenderloin. Of course, it needs nothing but a glass — decant before drinking to get the full experience.
Price: $ 118 ($235 for the pair)
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4281
