2004 Pinot Noir, Nielson Vineyards
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Tasting Notes:
The wine is complex and richly layered, displaying aromas of dark cherry and rose petals with hints of brown spice and earthiness. The flavors are bold and reveal remarkable extraction and concentration with nuances of red and dark cherry,

Winemaker Notes:
Fruit for the Byron 2004 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard was harvested from the finest blocks of the Nielson estate, planted in high-density spacing to premium Dijon clones chosen specifically for this site. Hand-harvested Pinot Noir from Nielson Vineyard receives the gentlest handling possible at our gravity-flow winery. Clusters are carefully hand-sorted on the upper level, then pass through the crusher-stemmer into movable open-top fermenters below. There, the grapes are given three to five days of pre-fermentation maceration to develop fruit character, color, and body. Some of the lots were fermented with native yeasts to enhance vineyard expression. The wine was cellared for 10 months in our temperature - and humidity-controlled barrel rooms.

Vintage Character:
This vintage marked the second year in a row for bud break to begin in early January-a good month ahead of the average. The grapes had an exceptionally long hang time to develop intense color and concentration exuding varietal character. Extremely warm weather in early September contributed to very opulent, densely flavored wines from this vintage. Crop yields were approximately three tons per acre, average for our cool-climate vineyard.

Technical Information:
Varietal Component: 100% Pinot Noir
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley
Aging: 10 months in 100% French oak, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.5%
Bottling Date: January 24, 2006
Case Production: 1,956 cases (6 - 750 ml. cases)