Coming from sandy, shale and limestone soils, the 2015 Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard from Byron was barrel fermented and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. Orange blossom, stone fruits and plenty of salinity give way to a concentrated, rich, yet fresh and pure Chardonnay that's ideal for drinking over the coming 3-5 years. 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.

Lovely vanilla nose; silky and fresh with tangy acidity, fresh pear and soft vanilla oak; fruit forward and elegant.

Roasted macadamia, toasted coconut and baked apple scents lead the nose of this wine from Santa Barbara County’s first commercial vineyard. The palate is broad to start, with lemon curd, pear and almond flavors; but it centers on a flinty mineral character as it finishes.

A rich, stylish effort, with a seductive overlay of smoky, toasty oak to the ripe pear, fig, nectarine and melon flavors, gaining depth and length on the finish.

A rich, stylish effort, with a seductive overlay of smoky, toasty oak to the ripe pear, fig, nectarine and melon flavors, gaining depth and length on the finish.

The aromas of this Chardonnay are zesty and fresh yet rich, with barrel smoke, caramelized pear and vanilla tones. The integration continues on the palate, with a bit of oak followed by apple, white peach, nectarine and lime zest. It’s flavorful and enjoyable now

Santa Maria Valley's terroir shines through in this Chardonnay's brisk, mouthwatering acidity and fruit purity. The bright, vibrant guave and citrus flavors are enriched with a coating of sweet, smoky oak. There's a fascinating minerality, like a lick of sandstone rocks, that boasts its complex appeal.

Very rich, reflecting 100% barrel fermentation in partial new oak and 100% malolactic fermentation. Under the creamy lees and buttered toast are scads of pineapples, pears and papayas. The grapes come from the Nielson Vineyard.

A gorgeous, flamboyant Chardonnay, with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and opulent flavors of peaches, orange popsicle, candied orange peel, buttered toast and cinnamon, brightened with crisp acidity. A real crowd-pleaser.

A beautiful wine, crisp and elegant, filled with varietal complexity. Oak-inspired butterscotch and vanilla custard accent ripe fruit flavors of grilled pineapples and ripe kiwi, with a long, spicy finish. Beautiful now for a year or two.

What a string of successes Byron's Nielson Chard has had over the years. As always, this is a high acid, mineral-filled wine, with a taste of lighter fluid riding over the pineapple, pear and kiwi fruit. Very dry, it should be considered for the cellar, if you're into aging the handful of California Chards that can handle it.

Zesty and well-sculpted, with forest floor notes to the dried fruit and spice flavors. Dried orange peel and clove accents show on the supple finish, revealing hints of tar and paprika.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Machado is quite tight-knit after its very recent bottling, unwinding in the glass with notions of cherry, strawberry preserve, rose petal, cinnamon and orange rind—seemingly the most floral and high-toned of these 2016s. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, supple and fine-boned, without the power and richness of the Hapgood or 3D, but endowed with lovely energy.

Offers mouthfilling richness, with suave and well-articulated flavors of dried red fruit and savory spice. The minerally finish stretches out, revealing hints of soy.

2016 PINOT NOIR, 3D The nose is a pure black cherry accented with notes of raspberry and spice. The palate is well-focused and bright on entry with a saturated core of black fruits and a firm acid profile on the finish.

Vibrant and juicy, with concentrated raspberry, plum and cherry flavors that are filled with Asian spice and cedar notes. The long finish echoes with red fruit confit and savory accents.

Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Acin has bright, lifted red cherry and raspberry notes with suggestions of Marmite toast, dried Mediterranean herbs and stewed tea. Medium-bodied with a lively acid backbone and chewy tannins defning the palate, it has loads of earthy nuances and ends on a sour cherry note.

Very woody and herbal aromas of wild thyme, sagebrush and bay leaf meet with rust, orange rinds, blistered tomato and crushed hibiscus on the spicy nose of this clonal selection. Wild red currants and cranberry-orange compote make for a sour tangy sip, with minty herbs in the background.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Machado is a classic Sta. Rita Hills built on exuberance and racy, voluptuous fruit. There is fabulous drive to this creamy, layered Pinot with layers of flavor and texture, not to mention tons of pure appeal.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Machado offers a perfumed, nuanced and savory bouquet of herbes de Provence, dried strawberries, dusty earth and spice to go with a seamless, elegant style on the palate that stays weightless and lively. It’s more restrained and reserved than the 459 cuvée (which is from the same vineyard), yet opens up with time in the glass, has a terrific mid-palate and is beautifully balanced. I like it today, but it should be at its best from 2019-2025+.

Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir 3 D has a wonderfully fragrant perfume of lavender and potpourri over Bing cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry leaves notes with a touch of underbrush. Light to medium-bodied, there is a beautiful, quiet intensity in the mouth with a rugged backbone, finishing long and earthy.

A beautiful nose of lavender, cherry, blueberry and whiffs of conifer. The palate is delicate on entry with notes of lean forest floor and mint and full shadings of earth and cherry.

I loved the 2015 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills from Winemaker Greg Brewer, and while it’s half the price of most of the single vineyards, it’s certainly more than half the wine. Spices, sweet red fruits, dried earth and hints of forest floor all emerge from this medium-bodied, supple, beautifully layered Pinot Noir that shows the seamless, weightless style of the vintage beautifully.

The Brewer-Clifton pinot is a mix of three estate vineyard sites within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA: 3D, Machado and Acin. The style is intense and rich from a European point of view, but I might say restrained from a New World view. The nose is a mix of red fruit scents with a strong tea leaf undercurrent marked with a dusting of dried herbs. Think earthy/forest floor, raspberries cherries and pomegranate. AT B-C they employ neutral oak to better let the site show through. The use of stems is an important part of the structure and earthy characters of the Sta. Rita Hills fruit. The clones are a blend of Swan, Pommard, 667, 828, and the Merry Edwards clone. Delicious stuff.