“James MacPhail’s Pinot Noirs are full-flavored and show generous fruit.” – PinotFile

Picture this: you’ve got a lineup of kick-butt Burgundian Pinots open in front of you (at WS HQ, we call this “work!”) Real bell-ringers - triple-digit Grand and 1er Crus that are just blowing minds.

And then a California Pinot clears the bases, sends everyone packing, and empties the park in dramatic walk-off style.

Everyone at the table sits up at attention and takes notice… that was this wine. With 94 points from Enthusiast, and under $30, this is clocking in at one of our best Pinots of the year, and probably in our long history.

Fruit-forward notes of ripe cherries, tilled earth, black tea, and Christmas pie spices… Silky red plums and cranberry flavors are broadening seductively all over your mouth. It’s lush, ripe, and broad, with saturating fruit that retains wonderful lift, energy, and structure somehow.

That gorgeous creature is Exprimere’s 2023 ‘Persey’ Pinot from the Peake Ranch vineyard (trying saying all of that five times fast now) in the Sta. Rita Hills, which is basically the “tenderloin” of Santa Barbara wine country. We tasted this alongside some other crazy good red Burgundies, and it held its own. Insanely good stuff.

Founded by a young, iconoclastic Princeton University Molecular Biology Ph.D. (John Dimos) who shuns the traditional notions of terroir, Exprimere has a secret weapon in the cellar. Call it Weapon X, Marvel Comics style, if you will.

That weapon? James MacPhail.

MacPhail is tall, shaves his head, and cuts an imposing figure. But when it comes to Pinot Noir, he is all finesse. His own MacPhail label, The Calling, Sangiacomo, We Know Jack wines come to mind. Most recently, he’s also been wowing wine insiders with his small-lot Tongue Dancer project, too. In fact, Wine Enthusiast just shortlisted him for their 2024 Winemaker of the Year award.

But there’s still time… Time to get in on the inside before this secret weapon gets the spotlight. And as they say in real estate and fine wine, the best time is RIGHT NOW! Justifiably, this one normally goes for almost a cool Benjamin ($96 currently), but you can snag it TODAY for $28, at a discount of OVER 70%. Which is kind of insane, except without the “kind of.” It’s certifiably nutty.

How did we manage that one? Even we are not entirely sure (we’re just sure that our VERY limited amount is sure to soon be gone.) Don’t think too hard about it, just run with it!

94 Points – Wine Enthusiast “This bottling offers enticing aromas of raspberry, cranberry and hibiscus that are cut by a dusty thyme earth tone on the nose. The palate is fresh and snappy, pairing pomegranate with rosewater and ample baking spice flavors.”