Winemaker Notes
This wine opens with a hint of minerality before notes of ripe strawberry and cherry fruit fill your senses. Toasted marshmallow, baking spice and creamy
tones follow in a nod to the choice of oak barrels. The rich mouth is balanced with acidity underpinning flavors of cherry, spice and savory notes. The finish is
elegant, showing classic flavors of cherry compote and toasted oak through the end.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
The eastern Russian River Valley meets the west side in this balanced red spanning four prestigious vineyards and utilizing five clones- that captured our attention with its keen acidity and inherent ripeness. Aromas Mast Ni of cherrywood bark and sandalwood lead to unique, remarkably fresh layers of hibiscus, prickly pear, cherry tomato, and cranberry. Underscored by coffee and toasted oak, a generous, silky stream of cocoa glides along the palate.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ruby-colored, the 2021 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is fresh and aromatic with aromas of fresh cherries, roses, rosemary, and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied and attractive, it has great balance and a lot of classic appeal, but it’s not heavy.
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Wine Enthusiast
Candied cherry and reduced raspberry aromas dominate the nose of this Pinot Noir, with cedar, cocoa powder and zippy cranberry acidity emerging on the palate. Drink this with barbecued chicken or salmon.
The Davis Bynum Winery story begins in 1951 when Davis Bynum, then a young newspaper man for the San Francisco Chronicle, bought 50 pounds of grapes from Robert Mondavi and made 3.5 gallons of petite sirah. "It wasn't a great wine," says Davis, "but then we drank it all before it was six months old!"
In 1971, Davis acquired vineyard land in the Napa Valley, near St. Helena. After unsuccess-fully attempting to build a winery on the property in 1973 (due to a moratorium on new winery construction by the Napa county planning commission), the Bynum Family -- Davis' wife Dorothy, son Hampton and daughter Susan -- purchased the 83-acre River Bend Ranch in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. On the property was a 1950's hop kiln which the Bynum Family converted into the winery and permanent home. "A friend convinced us to come over to the Russian River Valley. You can grow better grapes there anyway," Bynum chuckled.
In the first few years of operation at the new winery, grapes were hauled over from Napa and crushed along with local Russian River Valley fruit. This ended when the Napa property was sold off in 1976. During this period, the Bynum Family made their first pinot noir -- the 1973 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir from the Rochioli Vineyard was the first ever pinot to carry a Russian River designation.
Today, Davis Bynum Winery crushes about 250 to 275 ton of grapes annually (which makes about 15,000 cases of wine), bottling premium varietals under the Davis Bynum label. It is still family oriented: Davis oversees the vineyards and finances, though he now leaves winemaking decisions in the capable hands of Gary Farrell. His son, Hampton, oversees the daily operations at the winery as well as sales, and is responsible for product development. During harvest, Hampton helps with winemaking. Dorothy, Davis' wife, oversees the landscaping and a building improvement program.
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.