The team behind Ten Acre has a good deal of pedigree, and it shows. Winemaker Michael Zardo sharpened his chops in Monterey County with pinot noir specialist Pisoni Vineyard, and before that worked at Bernardus Winery. The vineyard manager is Charlie Chenoweth, who’s something of an icon in Russian River Valley viticulture. The Stephens Vineyard Pinot Noir is a huge wine, with a nose showing floral and spice notes followed by a blast of ripe raspberry fruit on the palate and a bit of heat at 14.5 percent alcohol. While many pinots made in this style are crowd-pleasing, most are soft and finish sweet. Not this one. The finish is long and slightly chewy, with plenty of palate-cleansing grip without being too tannic to enjoy now.
Ten Acre, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County) Pinot Noir 2010
By Robert Whitley