2019 Bydand Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Colin Gordon and Tim Beranek met working at Kosta Browne in 2010. Four years later—after both served a stint under Thomas Rivers Brown at Outpost—they founded Bydand Wines, named after an old Scots word meaning to “stand and fight.”

That uncompromising spirit informs just about everything they do, especially when it comes to what vineyards they work with. This Pinot Noir is sourced solely from Umino Vineyard, which sits right next door to Kanzler—a site beloved by Rivers-Marie and Kosta Browne—in the cool Sebastopol Hills area of the Russian River AVA. 

When Umino Vineyard was first planted by David Umino, a third-generation farmer, every expert he talked to said it was too cold to grow Pinot Noir. He has since proved them wrong. The bracing winds that keep temperatures down thicken the skins of his grapes and create an extra-long growing season that’s perfect for developing rich fruit and seductive textures.

In 2019, David, Colin, and Tim had a spectacular vintage to work with—Wine Spectator called it a “benchmark vintage” for California Pinot Noir. It played into the hands of the Umino Vineyard terroir, and we get to reap the rewards now.

The result is a phenomenal single-vineyard Russian River Pinot. Boldly fruited, lush, and decadent with a wave of dark cherries and exotic spices, it’s one you’ll be glad to have on hand, every single time you pop one open.