Wine Philosophy

Gary Patzwald, Winemaker

The guiding motivation behind the wines of Davis Bynum has always been and will forever be, to let the land speak, specifically the terrior of Russian River Valley.  The cool maritime conditions of the region are ideally suited for early ripening chardonnay and pinot noir and finding excellent vineyards within this world-class region continues to drive the style of Bynum wines.  We determined long ago that our wines should be shaped by the land from which they come.

Nature takes the lead role and our viticultural and winemaking practices fall in line. In both areas, we use sustainable practices, which means we meet winegrowing needs of today without threatening the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The three guiding principles are environmental health, economic feasibility, and social equity.

Further, we take into account what the vineyard and climate conditions can do and carefully apply our hand to coax quality and compliment flavor and textural elements.  All of the grapes are picked into half-ton macro bins during the early and coolest part of the day.  Picking early captures the most balanced ripeness.  The grapes are then delivered to the winery where they are sorted and carefully hand-guided through the winemaking process. The end result is a collection of wines that clearly herald from Russian River Valley.

CHARDONNAY

The eastern parts of Russian River Valley, nearing Highway 101, tend to be slightly warmer than the very cool western reaches.  While maintaining ample crispness due to balanced acidity, the additional warmth pushes the flavor profile toward tropical and the mouth-feel to a round texture that is at once lush, but with a clean lingering finish.

PINOT NOIR

Davis Bynum pinot noir is driven by vineyard sites. True to long-established form, it remains a very food friendly wine, with bright fruit aromas and flavors, a silky texture and a very long finish.  The Russian River Valley blend takes a series of exceptional vineyards and blends them together to create a classic wine that captures all the regional traits.  Our single vineyard offerings encapsulate the individual terrior of each site, some of the best sites for pinot noir anywhere.