2011 Byron Pinot Noir Drizzle Barrel Santa Maria Valley

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 89.7 points

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  10/10/2018 - ajacobs79 Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Very impressed with the overall quality of Byron's wines, I purchased this bottle direct from the tasting room years ago when it was their current release. It was about $50 and more money than I'd ever spent on a bottle. In the years since, Byron has become Nielsen by Byron and the quality of their wines has noticeably fallen. Keeping my fingers crossed this juice still had a bit of life remaining, I was pleasantly surprised and reminded of why Byron's quality stood out to me. Pinot Noir doesn't typically age well beyond a few years, but this bottle still offered plenty of dark fruit, wet earth, well integrated oak, and smokiness...all further concentrated by age. The tannins have also integrated perfectly and left the wine silky smooth after about an hour of air. I'm excited to see what it's like on the second night. This is a serious, well-crafted wine befitting its price point.

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  1/9/2016 - tonepad wrote: 88 Points

  This lacks flavor and is very tight and almost harsh. I have a friend who likes this but it's not for me. Don't know hwat else to say. I've saved a glass for a second night to see if it comes around.

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