Trade - Awards & Accolades
2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Rodney Strong is gorgeous. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, leather and new French oak are front and center in a racy, voluptuous, flamboyant Cabernet that will drink well with minimal cellaring.” - A.G.
2015 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon
“Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive, deep, ripe, intense, dark cherry, cassis, and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of dried herbs and mocha; full body; forward, deep, ripe red and black fruit flavors with hints of dark chocolate and baking spice, well integrated oak, and plummy richness in the mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very approachable and drinkable now, though best to bottle age for several more years. Very highly recommended.”
2015 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon
“Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, ripe, spicy, lush, blackberry and cassis aroma with hints of dried herbs and mocha; full body; big, deep, intense, concentrated, dark cherry and berry fruit flavors with hints of chocolate, undertones of toasty oak, and appealing richness in the mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very approachable and drinkable now, though best to bottle age for several more years. Very highly recommended.”
Out of 9,800 establishments nationwide, including 175 restaurant groups and chains, Rodney Strong Vineyards wines were ranked among the top 3 BTG in their respective pricing categories.
Ranked #3 BTG - Sonoma County Chardonnay
Ranked #1 BTG - Sonoma County Merlot
Ranked #2 BTG - Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
Ranked #2 BTG - Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
2015 Russian River Pinot Noir
Rated #6 out of 20 in top "by the glass" brands in Wine & Spirits "Most Popular Wines in America's Best Restaurants.
2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
“Medium-dark; deep, ripe, black cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with herbal and spicy notes, and hints of cedar, green olive, cassis, and chocolate mint; full body; forward, rich, nicely balanced, red and black fruit flavors with hints of baking spices and cocoa, and a velvety mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Enjoyable to drink now and over the next two to four years. Very highly recommended.”
2016 Chalk Hill Chardonnay
“Juicy and lusciously fruity, with roasted tropical fruit, apple pastry and pear tart flavors. Buttery and spicy accents show on the vibrant finish. Drink now through 2022.”
2015 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon
“In the middle of the valley, Rockaway Vineyard, with average temperatures of 62 degrees, balances heat and Pacific Ocean cooling breezes. … Low yields led to sugars accumulating much faster in the clusters than the speed at which ripening was occurring. The fruit was left to hang until the acid dropped and tannins came around. … The results are quite amazing: a rich 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot are intensely Cabernet with dark plum, mineral, tobacco and leather flavours. Again, like the 2014 and 2013, it’s the finesse and structure of this red that impresses. It’s Sonoma savoury with bits of brown spice throughout a long linear finish.”
2015 Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon
“The Brothers Ridge vineyard is 141 acres planted to mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with small blocks of Merlot and Malbec, just east of Cloverdale. … The site faces west for maximum afternoon sun and the result is a powerful, mountain red but with impressive smooth texture. … It took steely nerves to wait for the small crop to fully ripen without turning into a sugar bomb. The attack is rich the fruit deep and blue black with a strong cassis undercurrent with light mocha notes. As mentioned it’s softer than you might expect although a ten-year slumber is the best route for this red today. This wine is improving every year out."
2015 Alexander's Crown Cabernet Sauvignon
“Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon is grown inside the 22-mile-long Alexander Valley AVA…ranging in elevation from 250 to 350 feet above sea level. … It was first planted in 1971, and was the first single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in the Alexander Valley. … Only Block 1, planted to Clone 4, which is from the top 15 acres of well drained red volcanic soil, makes it into the Crown. In 2015, Alexander’s Crown is packed full of black and red fruits with a strong current of dried herbs and floral notes. The texture is crazy smooth for a mountain wine and a Cabernet Sauvignon. You could drink this now, but I know from experience that five to seven years bottle age only increases the final outcome.”
2015 Rowen Red Wine Blend
“In the pioneering spirit of Sonoma and Rodney Strong, winemaker Justin Seidenfeld, has created a new red blend called Rowen, with fruit grown at the high-elevation Cooley Ranch Vineyard in northeastern Sonoma County. The blend is dominated by 55% Cabernet Sauvignon mixed with 26% Malbec and 17% Syrah co-fermented with 2% Viognier, the latter two adding a peppery floral note. The attack is super soft and round, almost hedonistic, thanks to 24 months in 100% French oak barrels of which half was new. Lushness pervades this red with rich black raspberry marked with pepper, violets and dark chocolate.” –A.G.
2016 Chalk Hill Chardonnay
“The estate high end Chardonnay program is permeating the breadth of Rodney Strong Chardonnays, leading with less obvious oak and fruit, replaced by more texture and complexity. The light, volcanic, white ash soil of the Chalk Hill appellation is at the centre of this story. The style is fresh with bright juicy, mineral, pear, apple, Meyer lemon with creamy, mineral, nutty, wet stone undertones...It’s been nearly 55 years since founder Rodney Strong planted Chardonnay in what would later become the Chalk Hill American Viticultural Area (AVA), established officially in 1983.”
2016 Russian River Pinot Noir
"Refined, featuring lithe flavors of cherry tart and raspberry, with hints of nutmeg, all supported by medium-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Chocolate, spice and cream details emerge on the rich finish. Drink now through 2024." - K.M.
2016 Chalk Hill Chardonnay
"Juicy and lusciously fruity, with roasted tropical fruit, apple pastry and pear tart flavors. Buttery and spicy accents show on the vibrant finish. Drink now through 2022." - K.M.
2014 Symmetry
Rodney Strong’s investments in hillside vineyards have been paying off in wines like this 2014, a blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon from the Brothers Vineyard in the hills above Geyserville. It includes small lots of Merlot and Petit Verdot from estate properties in Alexander Valley, along with Malbec and Cabernet from Knights Valley. It’s the clarity of the flavor that’s most impressive – woodland cherry notes that capture the cool elevations of the fruit and a dark, foresty mushroom savor that amplifies that tannins. Silky and plump, with lasting intensity, this is a mouthwatering Cabernet to serve with roast lamb.
