The 2014 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard comes from a sandy, limestone site in the Santa Maria Valley, from a mix of clones (667, 114, Pommard and Swan), and was completely destemmed and aged in 41% new French oak. It’s more red fruit driven, with lots of spice, kirsch, forest floor and dusty/loamy/earthy notes in its medium-bodied, supple, charming, beautifully textured style. Like the other releases here, it has light, yet present tannin, sweet fruit, and a good finish. 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.

Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of black cherry, ripe strawberry and sous bois lead off. Easy to like, with silky tannins, a suave texture, nicely integrated oak, and a generous amount of dark red and black cherry and berry flavors that linger on the finish. Still solid the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle.

Lush, ripe and juicy with raspberry, cherry and spice; deep, dense and rounded; earthy, complex and long.

This darkly fruited, earthy pinot from the renowned Sierra Madre Vineyard exhibits richness and flavor without having to flex its muscles. On the palate the wine is layered with aromas of strawberry and cola and firm tannins. The finish is seductive and lingering, showing a hint of fall spice.

Hearty cranberry and chaparral herbs mesh with iron and sweet rose florals on the slightly rustic nose of this bottling from a historic vineyard. It's light in body, with decent acidity and bounce to the sip, showing hibiscus and pomegranate juice as well as floral lavender touches on the palate.

Everybody knows by now that inexpensive Pinot Noir is a very dicey category, but this wine is highly successful even at this just-released stage. It shows open, juicy fruit, but that “juicy” quality isn’t “grapey” or obvious. Some subtle savory undertones and the faintest whiff of wood provide counterpoints to the fruit, giving this a layered character. Pair with grilled salmon or most chicken dishes and this will sing.

It’s hard to find a tastier Pinot Noir for this price. Aromas of rose petals, pungent violets and raspberry juice show just a touch of chai tea, and the palate proves juicy and fun, with cranberry, pomegranate and raspberry elements. Black tea and mocha flavors add just enough seriousness.

The palate has fun red-fruit notes, as well as just-serious-enough black tea and mocha flavors.

Julia's Vineyard has produced some great Pinot Noir, including a recent #1 from another publication's top 100. This bottling showcases bright cherry fruit, roses, damp earth and fall spice aromas, which are delivered in linear fashion on the palate, with a soft, approachable feel and a long black cherry emphasis on the finish. A solid solo glass, or fine for pairing with roasted tarragon chicken.

Smooth and lush with juicy cherry and spice; dense and savory with good acid structure and a long finish.

Ripe cherry nose; fresh, juicy and spicy with dark cherries and cassis; smooth and lush with balance and lovely style.

Light and lacy, with a delicate filigree of red fruit flavors (notably cherries) this is an exceedingly appealing wine for Pinot Noir fans who value wines that whisper rather than shout. It has just enough oak to add an extra subtle note of complexity, but that oak never calls attention to itself in a showy way. If you want an affordable food-friendly Pinot Noir this one from Byron is for you.

Smooth, silky and bright with bright cherry and raspberry; fresh and balanced with lovely structure and depth.

Smooth and rich with juicy cherry and plum; bright acid structure and along finish; supple, balanced and showing notes of earth and spice.

With a rich, full-flavored profile and solid back-end structure, the 2010 Pinot Noir Clone 667 dishes out plenty of black raspberry, black cherry, licorice, mineral and earthy/underbrush aromas and flavors. Structured and with some tannin to integrate, give it another year in bottle and enjoy through 2018. Drink 2014-2018. Relatively firm, structured efforts, these should all benefit from short-term cellaring.

Luscious cherry pie, blackberry jam, cola, sweet cinnamon toast and sandalwood flavors characterize this dark, soft, dry Pinot Noir. The wine is a barrel selection that has more intensity than others, in the words of winemaker Jonathan Nagy. It truly is a big wine, with the weight of Grenache. With Pinot’s noble structure, it’s drinking well now.

Deep ruby color; complex, deep spice and toasty cherry aromas; big, dense earthy cherry with spice and oak notes; some tannin; good structure and balance; long finish. Deep, spicy Pinot with nice structure.

Bright ruby. Intense violet and licorice-tinged black raspberry and cherry aromas expand with air, picking up a sexy note of oak spices. Palate-coating cherry-cola and dark berry flavors show very good intensity and power but come off as quite elegant. Finishes long, spicy and fresh, with a lingering note of candied licorice.

Bright ruby.  Sexy, oak-spiced aromas of candied red fruits and rose, with a hint of musky herbs coming up with air.  Supple and open-knit raspberry and cherry flavors pick up smokiness with air and show good depth.  Finishes sappy and long, with sneaky tannins and lingering spice notes.

Bright ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of red and dark berry preserves and potpourri, with a deeper note of licorice in the background. A smoky quality builds with air and carries onto the palate, which offers sweet raspberry and blackberry flavors. A dense,, chewy wine that possesses unlike finesse, finishing with very good clarity and persistence.

Ruby-red. A sexy, fragrant bouquet displays black raspberry, sassafras and baking spices, with a hint of smoky oak. Sappy and bright, offering juicy dark berry flavors and a touch of candied rose. Attractively seamless, with very good back-end punch and finishing persistence.

One of the Year's Best Pinot Noir's - Big and brash up front, this pinot noir has some jazz in its acidity, a firm, lively finish that breathes with black cherry and smoke. The tannins are fine, holding the warmth of the wine in check. Ready to serve with Peking duck.

Big and brash up front, this pinot noir has some jazz in its acidity, a firm, lively finish that breathes with black cherry and smoke. The tannins are fine, holding the warmth of the wine in check.

The 2008 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard, which is produced from Burgundian Dijon clones as well as the old Joseph Swan clone, exhibits plenty of raspberries, black cherries, cola, and roasted herbs in a full-bodied, round, generously endowed style. This is an impressive Pinot Noir to drink now and over the next 3-5 years.

This is a quite impressive New World Pinot Noir, meaning a wine of compelling fruit quality, with a seductively silky texture and a clean, long, ever-evolving finish. Unlike the great red wines of Burgundy, which must remain the benchmarks for both winemakers and wine drinkers who love this grape, this Californian does not display any earthy or so-called barnyard notes, its legitimately complex mélange of aromas and flavors coming wholly from the interplay of fruit and oak. That's in no sense a criticism, just an indication of Golden State style.