The Santa Rita releases from Expression Wines

With a terrific portfolio of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Expression Wines sources fruit from all the best places these varieties are grown, including Sonoma Coast, Willamette Valley, and Santa Barbara County. As a Northern California native, it’s easy to overlook the wines coming out of Southern California. Don’t make that mistake! Released just in time for grilling season, these two wonderful wines are the ultimate accessory to your backyard BBQ's and summertime soirees...

The 2010 Expression 34° Bentrock Vineyard Chardonnay from Santa Rita Hills ($45/bottle) is a pretty golden hue in the glass with a perfume redolent of crème brûlée. Fermented in French oak (10% of which were new) and aged for 14 months in barrel, the palate is complex and creamy with plenty of vanilla and spice. Flavors of baked green apple and lemon curd are balanced by good acid and minerality. Refreshing tropical fruit notes linger on the finish. Only one barrel was made of this tasty Chard (24 cases total)! Pair it with summer salads, pesto pasta, salmon or shrimp.

The 2010 Expression 34° Rita’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills ($65/bottle) is super dark and concentrated. The nose offers deep aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, and espresso. Rich and powerful in the mouth, crème de cassis, blackberry jam, and black licorice flavors round out the palate. This Pinot has an opulent, juicy texture and a long finish with notes of sweet vanilla and wood spice. Because it is on the bigger side, this wine is a perfect match for grilled meats and BBQ ribs.

The Expression Pinot Noirs caught my attention at the Pinot Days event last summer. Keep an eye out for them if you’re attending Pinot Days on June 30^th this year at Fort Mason in SF. It’s a fantastic event if you’re a Pinot-lover like me!

These bottles were received for review purposes. They have just been released and are available for purchase direct from the Expression website. Order here. Cheers!

A Great Impression from Expression wines

Yesterday, my boyfriend Doug and I (at left) hosted a July 4th party. The food was great and there were many tasty wines to choose from. But instead of writing about one of those wines, I want to highlight two bottles I enjoyed this past week.

On Tuesday evening, we went for dinner at Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur, Ca. Doug and I were happy to enjoy a glass of 2009 Expression 38° Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Gap's Crown Vineyard ($48/bottle) while we waited for a table.

This Pinot is exceptionally dark and concentrated in the glass. Sweet, dark fruit aromas lead to a medium-plus body. Layers of black cherry, ripe blackberry, espresso bean, and vanilla are supported by dusty tannins and good acidity. This is a structured and luscious wine that finishes dry with cocoa and herbs; it was easy to sip on its own and it tasted great with the mushroom pizza we ordered. It would also pair nicely with a burger, sausage, or BBQ ribs!

The '38°' in the name represents the latitude of the vineyard from where the grapes were grown. Focusing on Burgundian varietals sourced from Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley (39°), Willamette Valley (44°), and Santa Rita Hills (34°), Expression makes terrific wines that express the unique terroir of these different regions. I discovered this producer at Pinot Days and they sure made a great impression on me!

Expression makes a yummy Chardonnay, too. Last Friday, I popped the cork on a bottle of 2009 Expression 38° Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Goldrock Ridge Vineyard ($25/bottle). Too tired to cook anything for dinner, I unwrapped some Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk cheese, sliced a few fresh figs, and grabbed a handful of crackers

With aromas of orange blossom, vanilla, and creme brûlée, this full-bodied Chardonnay matched the weight and richness of the gooey, triple-cream cheese. Flavors of sweet oak and honey rounded out the palate and baking spice was abundant on the finish.

(If you prefer a lighter, leaner style of Chardonnay, please check out the wine I reviewed this past Tuesday.)


These two bottles were received courtesy of Expression Wine for review purposes. Order yours directly from the website.

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Pinot Party at Fort Mason

Yesterday was the 8th Annual Pinot Days Grand Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. According to their website, it is the "largest gathering of Pinot Noir producers in the world." With more than 150 producers from California, Oregon, and France, there were many wines to try!

I attended the event with a fellow wine writer and friend, Alana Gentry ("Girl with a Glass", pictured at left). We arrived with no game plan, choosing to approach wineries at random (sometimes it was the label that caught our eye or the winery name or a crowded table that attracted us).

Although there were a few more corporate wineries with large production wines, it seemed like most of the Pinots we tasted were of limited production (a few hundred cases to a couple thousand cases)--and most of them were new to my palate. I can't say I was a fan of every wine I tasted, but after two hours, I had a long list of favorites:

Sequana Wines was a winery I recognized, but I didn't know they made so many vineyard-specific Pinot Noirs. The Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot was super tasty with nice depth and concentration. I also really liked the Dutton Ranch and Russian River Valley Pinots.

Expression Wines was a winery that sounded familiar but I couldn't recall ever tasting their wines previously. They were pouring a trio of Pinot Noirs; one each from Oregon, Sonoma, and Napa. I don't know many wine companies that can offer such a diverse portfolio of wines. Each wine was delicious, full-flavored, and unique!

Woodenhead was another winery that was new to me. Their Russian River Valley Pinot was light and juicy. The second wine they poured us was called "Wet Kiss" and it suited its name--very playful and easy to drink. This winery makes quite a few vineyard designate wines, including Zinfandel and French Colombard.

Cornerstone Cellars was a familiar name to me because of their tasting room in Yountville, but they also produce Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. This was news to me. We tasted two vintages....both were beautiful wines with elegant aromas. Light-hued in the glass. Distinctly Oregonian. At the time, my mouth was watering for duck confit; it would have been the perfect compliment to these wines.

JCB is a collection of wines inspired by Jean-Charles Boisset's French heritage and his love for California winemaking. I loved the simple black label with gold lettering--très chic! They were pouring a very refreshing Brut Rosé from Burgundy as well as a few Pinot Noirs.

Just when we thought we had had enough, I spotted the sign for Abiouness Wines, which I had heard were lovely but had never tasted. Unknowingly, we saved the best for last. Nicole Abiouness, the winemaker/owner, was happy to tell us about her wines and the distinct vineyard sites from which she sources the grapes. I loved the Hudson Vineyard Pinot; it was concentrated with a rich mouthfeel and dark fruit flavors. Oh so wonderful!


I was glad to see a few familiar wineries whose wines I always enjoy...including Dutton-Goldfield, Domaine Serene, Sojourn Cellars, Failla, and Eric Kent Wine Cellars.

Always held in mid-June at Fort Mason, I strongly recommend you attend Pinot Days next year. What a fun event!