Tasting at Ten Acre Winery
I recently wrote a glowing feature on Ten Acres Winery Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay (www.princeofpinot.com/
article/2077/) so I was intrigued enough to meet winemaker Michael Zardo in person in early August and taste
his current releases. A sunny morning 15-minute drive north along West Dry Creek Road from Westside Road
to Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves in Dry Creek Valley, the home of Ten Acre Winery, is quite a bucolic
experience, although dodging bikers is a bit of a challenge. There isn’t a more picturesque wine road in
Sonoma County other than Westside Road.
Michael told me he grew up in Salinas, California and went to high school with Mark and Jeff Pisoni. All three
attended Fresno State at the same time. Michael had intended to major in computer science, but the Pisoni
brothers talked him into taking an enology class and he never looked back.
Michael now has 18 vintages under his belt and knows what he is doing. For Pinot Noir, he employs native
fermentations with small amounts of whole cluster inclusion depending on the vintage and vineyard. A 5 to 7-
day cold soak precedes fermentation and there is no post-fermentation maceration. 30% new oak is employed
in the Sonoma Coast bottling and 40%-45% in the other Pinot Noir wines. The style is robust and full-bodied,
but not heavy or compote-like. The 2016 Pinot Noirs are still quite young and have not shed their compliment of
oak as yet.
The Chardonnays are native yeast and barrel fermented with lees stirring during primary fermentation and
once a week during secondary fermentation. 100% malolactic fermentation. The wines all receive
approximately the same modest new oak exposure (40% new) and are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Ten Acre has offered wines since 2008 and Michael Zardo has been the winemaker since 2010. All grapes for
the winery’s Pinot Noir are sourced from Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards, including
Stephens, Cummings, Jenkins and Soberanes. The founders of the winery are the husband-and-wife team of Scott and
Lynn Adams, who became winegrowers more than 15 years ago. They acquired their first estate vineyard in
1995, and four years later established Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves in Dry Creek Valley, a winery devoted
to producing Zinfandel and Rhone-style wines.
The Adams have sold Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit from their ten-acre vineyard located a mere two miles
from Rochioli vineyards. In 2008, with a growing passion for Burgundian varietals, they established Ten Acre
Winery to focus on tiny lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They named the winery “Ten Acre” after their home
property.
Ten Acre wines are available for tasting at Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves. For more information, visit
www.tenacrewinery.com.
2016 Ten Acre Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 250 cases, $35.
·
Moderately light garnet
color in the glass. Enticing aromas of black cherry, cocoa, and floral spices holding up in the glass
over time. Flavorful darker fruits are blessed with integrated oak in a forward drinking mid weight
style with some finishing length.
Score: 89-90
2016 Ten Acre Jenkins Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.1% alc.. Release planned for fall 2018
or spring 2019. Vineyard planted by noted grower Charlie Chenoweth. Clones 115 and 667. 15% whole cluster.
·
Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Leading off are aromas of black cherry, pomegranate and chocolate.
Darker, sappy fruits are featured in a bold style with a touch of spice. Still young, but showing nicely integrated
tannins and acidity, predicting potential greatness ahead.
Score: 92-93
2016 Ten Acre Earl Stephens Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 150 cases.
Unreleased. Vineyard is located south of Forestville on a steep hillside. Clones are Pommard, 115
and 777. Some whole cluster inclusion.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Exuberant black cherry
aroma with accompanying oak-driven notes of caramel and cocoa. The wine’s luscious black cherry
fruit fills the mouth with goodness. The fruit is well-ripened but not over ripened. The tannins are well
managed and their is noticeable supportive oak to go along with the sexy texture. I took the opened
bottle with me after the tasting and sampled it 4 days later after it had traveled inside my car over several
miles, and the wine held up beautifully, even showing much better than when first opened.
Score: 94-95
2016 Ten Acre Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.6% alc., 175 cases. Unreleased.
Aged in French oak barrels, 33% new.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of dark red fruits and
underbrush. Very silky on the palate, with vivacious mid weight flavors of cherry and raspberry. There is no
sense of oak in this wine. Approachable now with commendable balance.
Score: 92-93
2016 Ten Acre Three Perch Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 175 cases. Unreleased. The 8-
acre vineyard is located just outside Occidental. Very small clusters, low yields, producing an intense wine.
Always the last vineyard harvested at Ten Acre. Clones are Pommard and 777 and a Calera selection.
·
Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Penetrating aromas of blueberry-pomegranate fruit along with
underbrush. Full-bodied and boldly sappy, featuring purple and black fruits. A fruit-laden, big boy with a long,
fruity finish. Nicely composed and not overly heavy with integrated tannins.
Score: 91-92
2016 Ten Acre Boots Block Russian River Valley Chardonnay
14.4% alc., 200 cases, $38. A
blend of Ritchie Vineyard young vines and Big River Ranch Vineyard fruit.
·
Subdued, but pleasing
aromas of citrus, white stone fruits, and a “mineral” character. The flavors echo the aromas with a
backbone of virile acidity and a quenching finish of some length.
Score: 90
2016 Ten Acre Green Acres Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
14.2% alc., 135 cases, $48. Old Wente
clone grapes from a Sangiacomo Vineyard in Carneros.
·
Very bright aromas of citrus and wet gravel. Flavors of
lemon, kiwi and peach are forward and powerful. Spirited acidity adds freshness and a clean finish.
Score: 92
2016 Ten Acre Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay
14.4% alc., $55. September
2018 release.
·
Sourced from an old vine block previously used by Mark Aubert along with a young
vines block. There are probably Ritchie, Hyde and Muscat clones in the vineyard. The aromas of
citrus, stone fruits and brioche leap from the glass - Wow! Perfectly balanced and sleek in style, with
dreamy flavors of lemon and white peach. One doesn’t think of oak when sampling this beauty.
Score: 96
2014 Ten Acre Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay
14.4% alc., $48. The
inaugural Chardonnay from Ritchie Vineyard for Ten Acre. A combination of 40-year-old and young
vines.
·
Amazing aromas of exotic stone and tropical fruits with an edgy, stony guise. A beautiful
combination of richness from the old vines and aromas and acidity from the young vines. Plenty of
viscosity and weight to satisfy, with a sleep texture and appealing harmony. A flat-out exceptional
mildly aged wine.
Score: 97
