Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 65% New, 35% Second Vintage French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
Made from our finest lots of wine, the 2010 Ten Degrees captures the rich diversity of our Anderson Valley Estate program. From its dark, brooding color to its aromas of cinnamon and white pepper, this is a wine that displays both power and poise. On the palate, it is round and rich with a dark fruit core. As it opens, layers of raspberry, espresso and bittersweet chocolate reveal themselves, all supported by balanced oak and acid. Sweet cigar box notes linger on the finish, extending the length of this deep, nuanced wine.
Production
The season began with a wet winter and spring. Despite rain and cool temperatures we had a window of good weather during bloom, and saw little-or-no shatter. Overall, we set a normal crop load of approximately 2.0-2.5 tons per acre. We chose not to do any substantial leaf stripping. As a result, we saw almost no sun damage during a heat event in late August. This ideal hot weather allowed the vines to focus on ripening. Harvest began on September 15, and we picked our Estate vineyards block by block over five weeks. While the Brix were a little lower than normal, we always pick in a spectrum of Brix for added complexity, and all our fruit was in the preferred range. Overall, the 2010 vintage produced great color, fantastic aromatics and balanced acids, all with the fleshy structure and texture that are hallmarks of great Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.