While the 2014 Pinot Noir Monument Hill was slightly closed aromatically, it offers fabulous purity, depth and richness on the palate, with ripe tannin and a great finish. From the Nielson Vineyard outside of Santa Maria, and a mix of terroirs (sand, shale and limestone) and clones, give it a year in bottle and enjoy this beauty through 2024.
A solid step up over the classic Nielson Vineyard (it also comes all from the Nielson Vineyard), the 2014 Pinot Noir Monument is a mix of clones, was completely destemmed, barrel fermented (80%) and saw 14 months in 77% new French oak. It gives up loads of black raspberries, spice, dried flowers and underbrush/forest floor notes in its rich, textured, layered personality. It has terrific mid-palate depth, equally terrific complexity and sweet tannin, all suggesting it's going to keep for a decade. Originally founded in 1984, Byron is now owned by Jackson Family Wines with the wines made by Jonathan Nagy. The oak treatment sticks out slightly in a number of these wines, but as I hope the scores show, there’s tons to love here. These are ripe, classic Santa Barbara wines.
The pinnacle power-showing bottling of each vintage, this wine is brawny on the nose, reminiscent of hearty black cherry, bay leaf, crushed clove, roasted game and leather. The intriguingly herbal character is lavish on the palate, where dark cranberry and deep pomegranate gain complexity from peppercorn and thyme, showcasing very well-blended flavors.
From the oldest commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County comes this heady bottling, showing aromas of deep black raspberry, vanilla bean, beef carpaccio, black pepper and sesame oil. Black and white pepper and bay leaf spice up the acid- and mineral-laced palate, where dark but sharply focused fruits of elderberry and boysenberry gain a savory touch from smoked pork.
The winery’s top-end bottling, this presents rich aromas of black cherry and blackberry pie, with sweet hickory smoke, pipe tobacco and graphite shavings. The expertly balanced palate is quite broad, with ripe pomegranate and raspberry fruit, yet it’s not jammy at all, thanks to black clove, Earl Grey tea and violet candy. Ample tannins and acidity enliven the mouth.
This best of barrels selection from Byron's considerable number of vineyards in Santa Maria Valley is a stunner. It's immediately likeable for its soft, creamy mouthfeel, and the way the raspberry, cherry, currant, bacon, cocoa and sandalwood flavors finish so rich, yet so dry. Seems too soft for the long haul despite the firm tannins, but should provide beautiful drinking over the next six years.
A brilliant wine, massively sculpted and monumental, that shows how great this vineyard is. The wine shows densely concentrated flavors of blackberries and licorice, with the loveliest accent of sweet worn leather and rhubarb, flourished with the dusty spices that always characterize a fine Santa Maria Pinot Noir. Best now - 2013.
It's impossible to imagine this wine could have existed even five years ago, even though it hails from the extraordinary Nielson Vineyard that for many years has yielded Byron's best Pinot Noirs, as well as Chardonnays. The ripeness level is something only modern techniques could achieve, and the 2007 vintage was great. Ultra-rich in blackberries, cherries and dark chocolate, the wine retains a silky texture and is imposingly full-bodied. Drink now - 2013.
It's been a pleasure to taste through Byron's 2006 Pinots, because they show that this winery hasn't lost the magic tough after all these years. This bottling, a barrel select from their best vineyards, is magnificent. Fully drinkable now for its lush berry-cherry and cedar flavors, it has rich Santa Maria spicy tannins that enable it to age effortlessly for up to a decade.
Where Byron's regular '03 Pinot is all about immediate gratification, this single-vineyard release, a year older, is a darker, brooding wine. Instead of red cherries, you get black ones. Cassis, too, and sautéed mushrooms with a splash of balsamic. Still there's a delicious core of mocha. It's an exquisite, silky Pinot Noir, firm and classic, and addictively drinkable.
2015 CHARDONNAY, NIELSON VINEYARD Wente clone. The nose is a toasty and sticky lemon curd and honey. The palate is well-focused pure citrus, vanilla and spice backed by crisp acidity.
Oak dominates this 100% barrel-fermented Chardonnay, giving vanilla creme brulee and buttered toast notes, but they marry well with the pineapple and pear tart flavors of the fruit. The overall impression is flashy and elaborate. The grapes come from the highly regarded Nielson Vineyard.
Here's a very dry, steely and streamlined Chardonnay. Brims with mineral-infused pineapple tart, buttered toast and honey flavors. Feels wonderfully elegant and balanced, and will pair beautifully with barbecued salmon. The vineyard is located on the so-called Santa Maria bench, one of the region's prime growing areas.
Elegant, offering raspberry, pomegranate and cherry flavors that are well-structured. Notes of forest floor show midpalate, with an enveloping finish of spice and brick.
Red Elegant, offering raspberry, pomegranate and cherry flavors that are well-structured. Notes of forest floor show midpalate, with an enveloping finish of spice and brick.
The 2016 Pinot Noir 3 D—which hails from a sandy site in the Sta. Rita Hills planted in the late 1990s—is unusually powerful this year, opening in the glass with notes of cherry preserve, spice and potpourri. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, saline and supple, with impressive richness, amplitude and chewy extract despite being quite youthfully tight-knit. Give this a year or two in the cellar and then follow it for a decade.
The 2016 Pinot Noir 3D is one of the more marine-influenced wines in the lineup. Coming from a 10-acre site and a mix of clones, its light ruby color is followed by a beautifully complex bouquet of forest floor, shrimp broth, iodine, and loamy earth. It has a wonderful core of sweet red fruits, moderate acidity, and a layered, nuanced style. It's already drinking beautifully but it's also going to keep for a decade or more.
There’s an intriguingly earthy character to the nose of this bottling by Greg Brewer, with snapped sagebrush, dill, green olive and tart pluot aromas leaning into the herbal side of the grape. There’s great tension to the sip, which is fresh and flavorful with underripe fig and strawberry, orange rind and a hint of green peppercorn.
The nose is focused and dusty showing a leaner impression of cherry, orange zest and tobacco leaf. The palate is fresh and velvety with notes of tropical fruit and graphite showing in the long textured finish.
Notes of ripe orange, cedar and full, saturated black and red fruits. The palate is a lush sandalwood and supple black fruits accented by a gorgeous silky acidity.
Velvety black cherry aromas with subtle wet stone and florals. The palate entry is beautifully focused black fruit and spice. The core offers up brightly textured red berry with plenty of structure.
Lush red cherry and rosewater aromas meet with muddled sage, pepper dust and wild herbs on the nose of this excellent bottling, where rich fruit and herbal intrigue collide. Thyme, dried sage and even broadleaf parsley flavors show on the sip, set against a background of piquant cranberry and tart red currant, with bountiful energy that carries through the entire palate.
The nose offers up all of that Pommard weight and spice; Licorice, black cherry and violet. Gorgeous on the palate entry, seamless and lush velvet-like, red cherry, spice box and piquant cranberry.
This is Greg Brewer’s appellation blend rather than his single-vineyard expressions, but it’s still incredibly dynamic and delicious. A fresh and fruity strawberry-slushie aroma is met with notes of crushed slate and star anise-spiced cookies on the nose. The palate is bright in flavors of slightly tart cherries and ripe cranberries, but then come juniper and pine needle on the midpalate. Acidity pumps into the pomegranate and menthol finish.
The 2015 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is an absolutely outstanding showing, which opens with a bouquet of cinnamon sticks, red cherry, guava puree and suggestions of pomegranate seed with orange rind accents. Lithe and deep, this shows very pretty flavors of red cherries, lavender, raspberry and pomegranate with blood orange accents. Smooth and seductive, this is absolutely outstanding wine which should conintue to show well for years to come.