Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard gives notes of mulberries, black raspberries, charcoal and dusty soil with a hint of bay leaves. It’s just a little attenuated in the mouth with grippy tannins and an herbal finish.

Spice, wild strawberry, sappy flowers and black raspberry notes all emerge from the 2014 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard. It comes from a site in the Santa Maria Valley AVA and the same vineyard where the Pinot Noir Monument is sourced. This medium-bodied, supple, very polished, elegant and seamless beauty has no hard edges, very fine tannin and a great finish. Destemmed and aged 16 months in 41% new French oak, it’s another example of the quality coming from this cool, ocean-influenced AVA.

Another terrific wine is the 2013 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard, which was completely destemmed and aged 16 months in 40% new French oak. Still showing its oak elevage, with lots of caramelized cherry, black raspberry, sweet oak and spice, it hits the palate with a seamless, silky, gorgeously pure texture that carries plenty of fruit and finishes clean and dry, with notable tannic grip. Give it a year or two in the cellar to integrate its oak and drink bottles through 2021.

More focused and energetic than the straight Santa Maria Valley, the 2012 Pinot Noir Nielson (aged 15 months in 40% new French oak) offers beautiful black cherry, sappy herbs, flower blossom and rose petal-like qualities in its seamless, silky profile.? It’s the tension and energetic feel that sets this apart and it’s a knockout Pinot Noir to drink over the coming 4-5 years. Tel. (805) 938-7365; www.byronwines.com

More straightforward at the moment, yet with solid concentration and depth, the 2010 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard has a blacker core of fruit with plenty of raspberry, cherry, flowers, spice, hints of crushed stone and chocolate flowing to a rich, concentrated palate that has fine tannin and good length. Juicy, fresh and lively, it will benefit from another year in bottle and drink nicely through 2018 or so. Drink 2014-2018. Relatively firm, structured efforts, these should all benefit from short-term cellaring. Tel. (805) 938-7365; www.byronwines.com