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Russian River Valley
2022 Davis Bynum River West Pinot Noir
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Winemaking Notes
The River West Pinot Noir shows classic characteristics of the warmer Middle Reach neighborhood – savory tones, laden with baking spice, red fruits, balanced acidity, and tannins to age. This vintage is almost entirely Wente selection Pinot, which we fermented in oak puncheons, which are always a favorite way to ferment our highest tier wines. Interestingly, most of the Wente block grows on an east facing slope, angling away from the afternoon sun, which always retains a high level of acidity. A small addition of Dijon clone 115 from an earlier ripening block on the upper terrace added concentrated cherry, baking spice, and rose petals to the aromatics.
This vintage of River West shows the classic aromas of ripe red cherry, dusty notes, cinnamon, and baking spice. The flavors turn toward strawberry and continue with rose petals and cola, adding complexity. The mouthfeel is silky and soft, with balanced acidity, firming slightly on the finish with ageable tannins.
Vineyard Notes
Davis Bynum Pinot Noirs showcase terroir and differences in flavor from distinct sites in the Russian River Valley. River West vineyard is located between the famed Westside Road and the Russian River, in the far northern end of the Russian River Valley, in a neighborhood called the Middle Reach. We prize this well drained, reddish soil for lending concentration to the wine. The long warm days, cool evenings, and sandy alluvial loam soils make the River West vineyard a distinctive site, one that we’ve made wine since the 1970’s.
Production Notes
The 2022 vintage was very mild. Rain from the previous autumn was light, and the new year entered warm and dry with daytime highs up to 70°F in early spring. An unusual sprinkle of rain in early summer was no cause for concern, and the temperature turned predictably hot a few days in June as usual, but the
season was mild overall, with most summer days peaking around 85-90°F. An early start to harvest came as no surprise with the seasonable weather, as we picked the different vineyard blocks from August 20 to September 7.
Other Notes
BLEND: 96% Wente, 4% Clone 115
Wine Specs
Vintage
2022
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Russian River Valley
Acid
0.69g/100mL
pH
3.34
Aging
15 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels, 40% new
Alcohol %
14.5
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