The 2010 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine blasts from the glass with waves of seamless dark fruit. A brooding wine, the Cuvee Catherine is endowed with serious power for the year. Ash, smoke, tobacco and incense add complexity as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2010 boasts serious structure, with big tannins supporting the huge, dramatic finish. Readers will have to give the 2010 another year or two in bottle. For now, it is the wine’s structure that dominates. It will be very interesting to see the direction the 2010 takes over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. - Antonio Galloni