The 2009 Ten is vivid, brooding, and intriguing. Incredible lifted earth notes, balsamic reduction, with blackberry fruit, mint, muscular tannins, broad-shouldered, and laced with chocolate and spearmint. Ample body and tension make this broad-shouldered red a lovely balancing act between power and freshness.

This is really beautiful and reminds me of a beautiful Volnay with ripe strawberry and mineral character. Full body. But refined and silky with bright fruit. All there. Very fine indeed. So good now but better in two or three years.

One of the Sea Smoke flagships, the 2009 Pinot Noir Ten impresses for its depth and sheer power. Layers of flavor flow through to the huge, dramatic finish in a full-bodied, intense Pinot. Once the intensity of the fruit fades, there is not much development in the glass, which results in an overall impression of one-dimensionality. The Ten is made from all ten Pinot clones planted on the property. While a solid effort, I expected more from this offering, which also happens to be the wine through which I discovered Sea Smoke years ago. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. - Antonio Galloni