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2021 Chardonnay
Description
Winemaking Notes
The 2021 vintage turned out to be a fantastic growing season, with no frost and very mild temperatures throughout most of the year. However, the unpredictable spring rains ended in March in what would become one of the driest seasons on record in Sonoma County. Despite a predicted early harvest due to dry conditions, we were pleased to find flavors and high acidities indicating everything was in balance and on track for a September harvest.
Our single vineyard River West Chardonnay gains its structure from its bright acidity, a defining characteristic that we temper by fermenting in French and Eastern European oak barrels, malolactic fermentation and sur-lie aging with monthly bâtonnage for added richness. Four different clones were chosen to blend together for their unique characteristics. Clone 15 and 76 offer golden apple, pear and mineral notes while the Spring Mountain
selection adds floral and tropical notes. These flavors are rounded out and blended beautifully by the vanilla and toasty notes imparted by the oak barrels.
History
Davis Bynum is distinguished as the first winery to produce a single vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. The vintage was 1973 and the grapes were from Joe Rochiolis now prized vineyard. Today, our heritage of winemaking lives on through hand-crafted single vineyard wines grown exclusively in the Russian River Valley
The Vineyards
The River West Vineyard is located on Westside Road, on a low riverside bench, in the far northern end of the Russian River Valley. The soil is predominantly Yolo sandy silt loam but with a pocket of gravelly Cortina soil in one block. It has been said that Chardonnay shows the hand of the winemaker more than other varietals. Our winemaker, Greg Morthole, believes there is some truth in that, but also believes the best vineyard sites yield fruit that distinctively express the characteristics of their location in the finished wine. Greg's delicate signature is embedded in each vintage as favored blocks and clones from River West are blended to show off the terroir of that site. The result is a delicious Chardonnay that shows characteristics of its origins derived from careful and deliberate winemaking choices to highlight our best lots.
