Medium ruby color; raspberry, cherry, strawberry, plum, minerality, white pepper, oak, mint on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth, lush, moderate tannins with a little crunch on the finish; racy acidity (3.43 pH). Light-medium body. Smooth, fairly straightforward with nice rich, ripe fruit. Ably reflects Russian River Valley pinot, especially at it’s price point. Easy drinker. Aged 14 months in French and Hungarian oak. 14.5% ABV
The fruit came from the westernmost vineyards in the Davis Bynum assemblage. The 2021 vintage was mild-to-warm and dry, a welcome relief after the fire horrors—and Covid—in 2020. The cooler Dutton Ranch vineyards were picked first due to lower yields, caused by higher percentage of smaller, seedless berries—which made for nice concentration. Warmer vineyards in the north and central areas followed. The blend was made after each different vineyard block was completed and aged about eight months in the French and Hungarian oak.
Davis Bynum is a brand of Rodney Strong, a famed Sonoma—Russian River Valley maker. In 1973, Davis Bynum was the first to produce single vineyard wines in the Russian River Valley. The website notes: “Today, almost 50 years later, the heritage of Davis Bynum lives on through the hand-crafted creation of wines grown exclusively in Russian River Valley.”
Greg Morthole is the Davis Bynum winemaker. He started at Rodney Strong in 2005 and became the Davis Bynum winemaker in 2010. Rodney Strong notes: “Greg Morthole, honors the expertise and shared innovative winemaking spirit with founder, friend and mentor Davis Bynum. Humbled and proud to be carrying on the Davis Bynum legacy, Greg is committed to staying true to Bynum’s philosophy.”
Rodney Strong, an athlete and dancer on Broadway and producer of shows in Paris where fell in love with wine and knew dancing was a career with an expiration date. He and his wife settled in Sonoma in 1962. In 1968 they planted in the Russian River Valley. By the mid-70s, their wines were receiving Parker praise. In 1989, the Klein family purchased Rodney Strong Vineyards and began an ambitious program of expanding and modernizing. In 2003, that included installing the largest solar array of any winery in the world. The Klein’s operate the expanded operation today.
Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, Sonoma County 2021 smooth, very approachable, tasty, straightforward. Impressive acidity integrated with lush tannins. Faithfully reflects Russian River Valley terroir, as you would expect from a Rodney Strong brand and a Davis Bynum legacy. Pair with pork; turkey; broiled, baked chicken; veal; lamb shanks; lighter beef; grilled salmon and tuna; grilled mushrooms. Cheese—versatile, will work with many cheeses; brie, herbed goat cheese, gruyere, parmigiano reggiano, camembert, fontina, swiss, provolone, brie, taleggio. $25-40
