2010 Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir

(14.1% alcohol): Good full red; the deepest color yet. Inviting perfume of black cherry, dark chocolate and dried flowers. Intense, sappy wine with a distinct youthful firmness to its flavors of dark fruits and licorice. Finishes very long and gripping, with an element of redder fruits providing lift. The tannins are ripe but the wine nonetheless conveys a slightly aggressive youthfulness, suggesting that it still needs time to express itself. From a cool season, but still picked in August before a heat spike at the beginning of September and late rains. This may be passing through a sullen stage; I suspect it will eventually merit an even higher rating.