From a steep block on the eastern side of this famous vineyard complemented by some old vines on a broad upper terrace; dominated by Pommard Selection; and his only wine of the vintage to reach 13% alcohol (and then just barely) Vlossak's 2010 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard smells of dark cherry purple plum and holly berry all shadowed by their penetrating spirituous counterparts and tinged with mace. With considerable richness and textural polish this comes off as softer and sweeter at mid-palate than I anticipated from the nose; but bitterness of cherry pit and holly berry serves for a real sense of back-end invigoration and a combination of saliva-liberating salinity and sheer sappy cling helps guarantee the desire to take the next sip. Giving what he considered the four best barrels from this vineyard 16 months before bottling Vlossak rendered a Shea Special Selection - "my favorite wine of the vintage" he called it and the only such selection this vintage - that was sold to mailing list customers en primieur and expected to be released late; but he didn't offer to show it to me in June.