It was several years back and I was meandering my way through the Russian River Valley when my friend and I stumbled upon Rodney Strong. I had tried these wines many times before but had never visited their tasting room. We had a really good time tasting through the good range of wines.
Fast forward more than a decade, it has now been several years since I have tried the Rodney Strong wines. Over the years they have built a strong reputation for good value Chardonnay, along with their Bordeaux style wine, ‘Symmetry.’ The winery dates back more than 55 years ago, when a celebrated American dancer named Rod Strong settled in Sonoma County to pursue a second lifelong creative passion: winemaking. Rodney Strong Vineyards was the 13th winery bonded in Sonoma County and today the winery remains family owned.
I really enjoyed the range of new release wines. A good value, their 2018 Rodney Strong ‘Chalk Hill’ Chardonnay (OB, 90) delivers good poise and balance, as this wine would pair well with a massive range of foods. I really loved their 2016 Rodney Strong Vineyards ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 92) which is deep, inky and full of classic Sonoma flavors with its rich dark fruit profile. Learn more about this great Sonoma estate at https://www.rodneystrong.com/ Here are the great new releases by Rodney Strong Vineyards.
2018 Rodney Strong Vineyards ‘Chalk Hill’ Chardonnay- This shows good freshness with Meyer lemon cream and minerals on the palate alongside Japanese pear tones. Medium bodied and well-balanced, enjoy over the next five to seven years. Drink 2020-2025- 90
2017 Rodney Strong Vineyards ‘Russian River Valley’ Pinot Noir- This comes off a bit lean and angular with the lighter red fruit flavors with citrus rind accents. Enjoy over the next several years. Drink 2020-2024- 87
2016 Rodney Strong ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Half sourced from Sonoma County and Alexander Valley, this was aged for 30 months in 50% new French oak prior to bottling. Mocha, tar and red belll pepper tones fill the nose. The palate is plush, showing a soft mouthfeel and delivering really nice viscosity. Rich dark fruits collide with smoke, minerals and shades of sage and red bell pepper on the palate. Gorgeous now, this has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2032- 92
2016 Rodney Strong Vineyards ‘Symmetry’ Red Wine- The 2016 ‘Symmetry’ is a great melange of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Once on the nose this takes on bell pepper and Turkish coffee tones with black florals and exotic spices that all take shape in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with medium to full-bodied dark fruits that mingle with espresso bean, minerals and salty terroir. Drink 2020-2032- 91
2016 Rodney. Strong Vineyards ‘Brothers’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Brothers’ is sourced from a 141 acre site near the town of Cloverdale. Aged for 26 months. In 54% new French oak, this shows off rich blueberry tones alongside wild blackberry and Black Forest Cake aromatics that all take shape in the glass. The palate is plush and beautifully textured, showing a great veil of acidity that runs through the core of dark fruits with minerals and espresso bean tones. Gorgeous in its youth, this has another fifteen years to go. Drink 2020-2035- 92