Byron Nielson Vineyard Chardonnay 2012
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Connoisseurs'
Guide -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
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.
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
This wine is noticeably forward in oak in the nose, and its fruit does take a moment in which to get going, but going is just what it does, and it shines brightly in the deep and impressively filled flavors of ripe apples and lemons. There are scattered glimmers of complexity that bode well for aging, and the wine's youthful, slightly phenolic, finishing edges will disappear once a couple of years have passed.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More energetic, with better overall focus and definition, the 2012 Chardonnay Nielson offers impressive lychee nut, white flowers, mint and hints of brioche in its medium to full-bodied, layered and beautifully textured personality.
Other Vintages
2018-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling
-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Enthusiast
Byron was founded in 1984 by winemaker Ken Brown. With years of experience as a winemaker in Santa Barbara County, Ken recognized the Santa Maria Valley's potential for great wines in the Burgundian style, and was the first winemaker to introduce Rhone-style grape varieties to the area. The first crush at Byron Vineyard & Winery produced 7,600 cases, and Byron soon gained national recognition for high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
In 1990, the Robert Mondavi family purchased Byron, and Ken Brown became Winemaker and General Manager. He and Tim Mondavi, Robert's son, set about designing the new Byron Winery as an expression of their shared belief in natural farming, experimental viticulture and gentle grape handling. They wanted to eliminate pumping, which shears grape stems, skin and seeds, allows tannins and other harsh elements into the juice and can make wine bitter.
With the aid of noted architect R. Scott Johnson, who designed the Opus One winery in Napa Valley and San Francisco's Transamerica building, Ken designed a multi-level winery that replaces pumping with gravity flow, resulting in more complex, dynamic wines. Byron's vineyards were also expanded and replanted as Ken Brown experimented with trellising systems, new rootstocks and clones, row orientation, and planting density in his quest for the perfect grape.