Brilliant magenta. Intensely perfumed cherry, black raspberry, boysenberry and incense aromas take on vibrant mineral and spice notes with air. Stains the palate with concentrated yet vibrant red and blue fruit, floral pastille and cola flavors that turn spicier through the back half. Suave, polished tannins build smoothly through the impressively long, energetic finish, which emphatically repeats the floral and cherry notes.

Shimmering magenta. Mineral- and spice-accented red berries, cherry cola, incense and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy, appealingly sweet raspberry and cherry flavors show very good depth as well as energy and pick up a floral pastille nuance on the back half. Finishes very long and smooth, displaying subtle tannins, strong persistence and resonating mineral character. 38% new oak.

Bright ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, incense, cola and potpourri, and a lively mineral overtone builds in the glass. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering juicy cherry and black raspberry and spicecake flavors and a suave vanilla accent. Shows solid thrust and spicy lift on the strikingly long, gently tannic finish, which leaves sappy berry preserve and floral pastille notes behind.

Limpid ruby-red. Suave, spice-and smoke-accented aromas of black raspberry, cherry cola, pungent flowers and incense reveal a subtle mocha nuance. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cherry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that show impressive depth and an undercurrent of energizing minerality. Delivers power as well as vivacity on a long, penetrating finish framed by velvety, slow-building tannins. 59% new oak.

Limpid ruby-red. Expressive red and blue fruit preserve, cola, candied rose and baking spice scents are complemented by a smoky mineral overtone. Concentrated and sappy on the palate, offering appealingly sweet, oak-spiced black raspberry, boysenberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors that spread out slowly through the midpalate. Conveys a deft marriage of concentration and energy and finishes with sneaky tannins and strong, spice-driven persistence.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyFrom a great site in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2017 Chardonnay Radian Vineyard from Hartford Court reveals a medium gold hue as well as a rich, powerful bouquet of mulled stone fruits, nectarines, toasted bread, and sappy flowers. Medium-bodied, nicely balanced and concentrated on the palate, with the more focused, tight style of the vintage, it's going to benefit from a year in bottle and should see its 10th birthday in fine form.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard comes from the Santa Maria Valley and was all destemmed and brought up in 65% new French oak. As with all these wines from Byron, it has wonderful purity of fruit as well as complex spice, peppery herb, and earthy aromas and flavors. Fresh, focused, beautifully balanced, and elegant on the palate, it's another winner from this estate.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyFrom a vineyard outside of Santa Maria, the 2018 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard was all destemmed and spent 17 months in 70% new French oak. Rocking levels of black raspberries, toasted spice, and floral notes all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a fresh, focused texture, wonderful purity of fruit, and just a kiss of background oak. I like it today, but the oak adverse should give bottles another year or so. It's going to evolve for a solid decade.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyMore iron, leafy herbs, and forest floor notes emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Q Block (which is classic Bien Nacido). It has a core of red (almost blue) fruits, a touch of violets, medium-bodied richness, bright acidity, and a great finish. It's another beautiful Pinot Noir from this estate.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyStarting with the Chardonnays, the 2018 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is a winner and is ideal for readers looking to understand the Sta. Rita Hills as well as the style of the wines at Brewer-Clifton. Medium gold, with a great nose of Meyer lemons, caramelized orchard fruits, hints of sappy herbs, and a touch of seaside-like salinity and minerality, it's medium to full-bodied and has a rounded, elegant texture, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, classy finish.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard saw a touch of stems (20%) and was brought up in 70% new French oak. It's a firmer, more focused, structured wine with lots of darker fruits, crushed stone, graphite, and herbal aromatics, medium to full body, bright acidity, firm tannins, and a kiss of background oak. It's mostly potential at this point and is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. I think it's a terrific wine, though.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyLastly, the 2018 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard was all destemmed and brought up in 45% new barrels. It shows a touch of its élevage, with plenty of spicy oak as well as pretty red and black fruits, violets, and dried flower-like aromas and flavors. With medium to full body, good acidity, and a clean, classy style, give bottles a year or so and enjoy over the following decade.

Bright ruby-red. Cherry, musky red berries, pungent flowers and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering cherry cola, raspberry and mocha flavors and a subtle touch of savory herbs. Pliant tannins add subtle grip to a very long, penetrating finish that echoes the cherry and floral notes.

Dark garnet. Smoke- and spice-accented red berry, mulberry and rose pastille scents pick up suggestions of allspice and cola with air. Appealingly sweet and seamless on the palate, offering energetic raspberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors that show building spiciness and a refreshingly bitter edge. Shows fine delineation and finishes with strong, spicy cut and silky, slow-building tannins that fold smoothly into the vibrant fruit.

Deep, glistening garnet. Ripe red berries, candied rose and oak spice on the perfumed nose, along with a smoky element that emerges with aeration. Velvety, sweet and seamless on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors complemented by vanilla and mocha nuances. In a seamless, forward style, showing impressive clarity and smooth, rounded tannins on the long, floral-tinged finish. 63% new oak.

Deep scarlet. A highly aromatic bouquet displays lively raspberry, boysenberry, baking spice and incense qualities, and a sexy floral nuance builds as the wine opens up. Conveys a deft blend of depth and energy, showing seamless texture and vibrant red and blue fruit, rose pastille and spicecake qualities on the palate. Finishes very long and smooth, with discreet tannins and lingering floral and berry notes.

Bright magenta. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red and blue fruits, succulent flowers and exotic spices, and a cola nuance emerges with air. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet cherry, raspberry and boysenberry flavors that are lifted and sharpened by a gently spicy flourish. Finishes very long and smooth, with well-judged tannins and lingering florality.

Glistening ruby. Highly perfumed, mineral- and spice-tinged red berry, cherry cola and incense aromas, joined by a slowly emerging floral nuance. Seamless and nicely concentrated, offering intense black raspberry, bitter cherry, spicecake and rose pastille flavors and a sweetening touch of vanilla on the back half. Finishes spicy and long, displaying a repeating floral note and harmonious tannins that lend subtle grip.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyLastly, the 2017 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard reveals a similar translucent ruby/plum color and offers a more gamey, herbal style in its darker currant and cherry fruits as well as notes of leafy herbs, earth, and briny minerality. Medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has a more rounded texture and a great finish. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years or so.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2017 Chardonnay Signature Collection Katherine's Vineyard plays in the same richer style yet brings another level of purity and precision. Terrific stone fruits, toasted bread, caramelized peach, and spicy notes all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied and has a round, elegant texture, good acidity, and a great finish. It's impressive.

Shimmering ruby-red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red fruit, exotic spices, cola and vanilla, along with a smoky mineral overtone. Densely packed and lively on the palate, offering mineral-laced black raspberry, cherry cola, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that steadily deepen and spread out with air. Delivers both power and finesse and finishes impressively long and subtly chewy, delivering well-knit tannins and resonating floral and spice notes. 33% new oak.

Limpid ruby. A powerfully scented bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, vanilla, incense and candied licorice, and a suave floral pastille nuance builds in the glass. Sappy, broad and expansive in the mouth, offering sweet black raspberry, boysenberry and cola flavors supported by a core of juicy acidity. Closes on a youthfully tannic note, showing fine clarity and spicy thrust and leaving sweet red fruit preserve and vanilla notes behind.

Deep crimson. Powerful red and blue fruit liqueur, potpourri, incense and smoky mineral scents are complemented by hints of cola and exotic spices. Alluringly sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering densely packed, spice-laced cherry, black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors and a strong undercurrent of smoky minerality. Fine-grained tannins frame and shape a powerful, mineral-driven finish that lingers with superb persistence and a sweetening touch of vanilla.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyA big jump up in price, the 2017 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Julia's Vineyard was all destemmed and spent 17 months in 30% new French oak. It's a more backward effort that displays a core of darker currant and cherry fruits as well as lots of spice and dried herbs, medium to full body, a solid backbone of tannins and acidity, and a great finish. Give it another year or three and it should keep nicely through 2029.

Glistening ruby-red. Powerful cherry preserve, black raspberry, candied licorice and exotic spice aromas are sharpened by a steadily building mineral note. Succulent and pliant on the palate, offering gently sweet red and dark berry flavors, a hint of succulent herbs and a floral pastille quality that emerges on the back half. Finishes long and smoky, with a resonating cherry note and subtle tannic grip.