Winemaker Notes
A brooding and intense wine. The aromas begin with notes of black tea, blackberry and orange rind, then a myriad of savory spices, and a hint of jasmine. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten's ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of dark strawberries, ripe strawberries, crushed stone, iron and dried tile dust. Turns to light chocolate. Full-bodied and layered with lots of ripe strawberries, but it remains juicy and savory. Flavorful finish. Plenty of fruit but energetic and racy.
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Wine Enthusiast
Candied strawberry and raspberry aromas are spiced up by cinnamon, sumac and peppercorn on the lively, complex and alluring nose of this bottling from the region’s iconic winery. The palate is fresh and juicy with strawberry sorbet, rosewater and white pepper flavors, proving both hedonistic and detailed.
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Vinous
The 2020 Pinot Noir Ten offers more tension and brightness than Southing, with opulence delivered in a velvety frame. Pomegranate, iodine, sweet spice, white smoke and toasty French oak merge into a seamless whole. Less about fine delineation of flavors than about a unified impression, this is a harmonious, flowing wine with a pliant mid-palate and a soft finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.