A Couple of The Reasons I Love Rodney Strong Vineyards

Rodney Strong Vineyards is one of the single most important producers in Sonoma County. The breadth of their portfolio, consistency of quality and general availability of their wines across the country assure that wine lovers everywhere have releases they can count on. Some producers focus on a couple of small lot wines, others a wide array of offerings made in massive quantities and still others fall into places somewhere between that. In a sense Rodney Strong does a little bit of all of that and then some; the key though is that they do it all very well, almost impossibly so. One of the concepts that they have embraced for a number of years now is the Winery within a Winery. I recently visited with winemaker Greg Morthole and toured this facility; getting an inside peek of what goes on there. Greg has been part of the winemaking team at Rodney Strong for 8 years and he provided some valuable insights into their operation. In a sense this sub-facility makes what one would think of as a reserve tier wines. The highest end, smaller lot wines are made there. By creating a smaller facility on the Rodney Strong property a team can dedicate themselves to shepherding these wines from vine to bottle. This includes offerings like the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons such as Brothers Ridge, Rockaway and Alexander’s Crown and their proprietary blend Symmetry, not to mention the Davis Bynum Wines which became part of the Rodney Strong family a few years back. Working in a smaller (but not small by any means) facility allows the team to focus on specific lots and highlight the best of the best for the most premium offerings in their portfolio. I spent a good chunk of time with Greg tasting through barrel samples and getting an idea of what they look for when they create the blends for these wines.

After my visit I then decided to take a look at some of the releases currently on the shelf, a way of backing up my work in the "classroom" with Greg by tasting current offerings of released wines. Wanting to have a bit of a common thread I chose three wines from the 2010 vintage; in each case Cabernet Sauvignon is the predominant varietal. Each comes from a different tier in their lineup.

First up is the Rodney Strong Vineyards 2010 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. This offering was produced from Cabernet fruit sourced in various parts of Sonoma County. After fermentation this wine spent 18 months aging in a combination of French and American oak barrels. This widely available release has a suggested retail price of $20. Red fruit aromas such as wild strawberry and cherry are prevelant on the nose along with bits of toast and vanilla. Those characteristics carry through the palate along with red raspberry, black cherry and hints of espresso. The solid finish shows off minerals, rhubarb, black pepper and clove. This Cabernet has soft, supple tannins. The Sonoma County Cabernet is an easy drinking wine in the best sense of that term, while showing off more than sufficient true varietal character and depth for its category. Also considering its most often available for closer to $12 this is a value that’s difficult to beat in California Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Rodney Strong Vineyards 2010 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was from fruit sourced exclusively in the namesake appellation. After fermentation this wine spent close to 17 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. This widely available wine has a suggested retail price of $28. Deep, dark fruit aromas permeate the nose of this Alexander Valley Cabernet. On the palate black fruits continue to dominate but wisps of red fruit flavors pipe through here and there as well. The palate shows off a depth and purity of fruit with blackberry and black cherry leading the way. Chocolate, dust, spices galore and espresso are all part of the finish which has terrific length, depth and precision. The Alexander Valley Cabernet has firm, chewy tannins, terrific acidity and lots of delicious fruit wrapped up in a well proportioned package. This wine most often sells for right around $18. It’s a prime example of how Rodney Strong Vineyards hits it out of the park year after year. There are Cabernets in both Napa and Sonoma selling for $50 that simply aren’t as good as this wine is one vintage after the next. Quite simply it’s an awesome value and a terrific example of Alexander Valley Cabernet.

The Rodney Strong Vineyards 2010 Symmetry Red Meritage was produced from fruit sourced in Alexander Valley. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), this blend also contains Malbec (12%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Merlot (2%), and Petit Verdot 1%).The fruit was hand harvested and each lot was fermented and barreled separately. After it spent ½ a year in oak, each lot was tasted and from the best of the best, Symmetry was assembled and then returned to barrel for 15 additional months of oak aging. This offering has a suggested retail price of $60 but is often available for close to $45. Hints of crème fraiche support more vigorous aromas of plum and toast on the nose of the 2010 Symmetry. Blackberry and raspberry flavors are prominent on the palate along with an absolute avalanche of cherry flavors (both red and black). A host of sweet and savory spice notes are also present and carry through the lengthy finish along with chicory, chocolate sauce and hints of sour fruit. Symmetry has excellent, length, depth of palate and persistence of flavor from the first through the last sip. One vintage after another there is a consistency of quality and general style to this wine which makes it a wonderful sure-bet for a special occasion or relaxed Sunday Dinner with Family and Friends. The bottom line for me is that Symmetry really is a shining example of the small lot winemaking facility at Rodney Strong. All of the techniques such as hand harvesting, berry sorting, lot selection and more are utilized to make world class wines that speak of their origins within specific appellations of Sonoma County.

What continues to impress me about them as a producer is that whether it’s an under $10 Chardonnay or a $75 single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon you’re getting value and quality for your money. The intent of all of these wines is different and often so is the intended target audience but being able to count on one producer to offer so many good choices is quite frankly inspiring and a boon for consumers. For those of us who live close to great wine shops we’re often spoiled with a litany of selections from all over. Not everyone has that at their fingertips and therefore it’s a feather in their cap that you can walk into a decent wine shop just about anywhere in America and find quite a few of the Rodney Strong wines and count on the fact that they’re going to be delicious, quality wines that well represent their varietal and Sonoma County; as well as being sold at a fair price for what they represent. Some producers can do this on the low end of the spectrum and others do it in the premium or super premium category, Rodney Strong Vineyards manages to do this in all of those categories. It’s a notable feat that should be mentioned often, particularly in a world where we have so many choices; if it says Rodney Strong on it, spend your money with confidence!

Yes Virginia, Rosé (Sometimes) Does Age Well; Case In Point Chêne Bleu

Common perception holds that Rosé’s don’t age well. Sometimes common beliefs are totally wrong and in other cases they become foregone conclusions for a good reason. In the case of Rosé’s longevity the truth is not 100% either of those things. Reality is that very few Rosés are built to age well.  Some will hang around and be quite tasty for a couple of years but most go south after that. I’m the sort of person who is perfectly content drinking good, dry Rosé in the middle of winter, so I’m a fan. When the opportunity popped up to taste several vintages of Rosé from Chêne Bleu out of both standard bottle and magnum for some vintages over a meal, how could I resist? Chêne Bleu is a project that began 20 years back. The husband and wife team of Nicole & Xavier Rolet began restoration of a property in the Southern Rhone that had been lying dormant for many, many years. Their work included restitution of the vineyards which are now farmed sustainably as well as the estate house itself. It was a massive undertaking and took years from start to fruition of their first vintage. They make several other wines such as Viognier, two Red Rhone blends and a White Rhone Blend, but Rosé represents the lion’s share of their production.

The current release is the Chêne Bleu 2012 Rosé. This vintage it was produced from a blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (35%), and Cinsault (5%). Prior to 2011, they weren’t using Cinsault in this wine yet. The Grenache and Syrah vines utilized have 40 and 30 years of age on them respectively. This wine which was produced using entirely natural methods and finished in screw-cap has a suggested retail price of $28. It’s also available in large format bottles. The Chêne Bleu Rosé has a lovely pale, pink hue, just the sort of color that comes to mind when I daydream about deliciously dry Rosé. This wine has a big nose loaded with gentle red fruit aromas; strawberry and bits of Bing cherry are both in evidence. The palate is gentle and layered with boatloads of flavor. Ref berry flavors dominate with citrus and hints of stone fruit taking part as well. There is crisp acidity and tons of spice such as white pepper and cardamom on a finish that is long and persistent. This wine is absolutely delicious all by itself; however it’s also well suited to pair with a fairly wide array of foods.

A couple things are of particular note having had the chance to taste vintages as far back as the 2007. One is the overriding fact that these wines age well for at least a 5 year period. Another is that the ones poured out of Magnum had some similarities. I found them both to show off a bit more spice and a couple of extra hints of sour fruit on the finish. Unlike the 750 ml bottles, the magnums were finished in cork. Regardless both we quite tasty, but the subtle differences are worth mentioning and looking for if you have a chance to drink them out of different formats

Across the board the Chêne Bleu wines are well made, proportionate offerings that are built to accompany food. Any of them would be welcome on my table at anytime, however I have a special place in my heart for Rosé and now I have a new one to drink regularly. If you love good dry Rosé you should make a special effort to obtain the Chêne Bleu. If for some crazy reason you don’t already love Rosé this could be the wine to turn you. They say every true wine lover eventually falls head over heels for Rose; so why wait, get some Chêne Bleu now.

Celebrate World Malbec Day with Trivento 2011 Amando Sur Malbec & Graffigna 2011 Centenario Reserve Malbec

Today is Malbec World Day so I thought tasting through some Malbecs and finding a couple to recommend was the thing to do. Malbec is planted in a number of different regions in the world but the examples coming from Argentina are the best known to most wine lovers. In many other countries it’s more often used as a blending component with Bordeaux style blends. That said varietal Malbecs in small quantities come from other areas like Chile as well. The Trivento 2011 Amando Sur Malbec was produced from a blend of Malbec (78%), Bonarda (12%) and Syrah (10%). All of the fruit was sourced in the Mendoza region of Argentina in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. This widely available wine has a suggested retail price of $15. Wild strawberry, violets, and red raspberry aromas fill the nose of this Malbec. Red plums, raspberries and cherry are all in stromng evidence along with white pepper, cardamom and a hint of vanilla through the palate. The is a well-balanced Malbec that offer plenty of up front fruit but also backs it up with an even keeled palate of substance and a nice finish that shows off sour cherry and hints of blueberry as well as black tea, pepper notes and good persistence. This Malbec works on its own but really excels with food. Grilled meats and strong cheeses are particularly reccomended.

The Graffigna 2011 Centenario Reserve Malbec was produced from estate fruit. The fruit came from two areas within San Juan Argentina. This is a 100% varietal wine. Barrel aging occurred over 12 months in a combination of French (85%) and American (15%) oak. This wine is available all over the country and has a suggested retail price of $14.99. This wine from Graffigna is a Malbec I’ve been enjoying regularly for the last several years. One vintage after another one of the hallmarks has been its balance and proportion while still providing a nice punch of full flavored fruit flavors. It follows that up with depth and balance. The 2011 vintage is no exception, dark fruit flavors such as plum and blackberry lead the nose. Black cherries and a bit of plum star on the palate along with raspberry and copious spices. The flavors are fruity but never over the top and above all refreshing in nature with crisp acidity. The finish has medium length and reverberates with spices, chicory, and wisps of sour cherry. Graffigna continues to make food friendly wines that are well priced for everyday drinking; they’re well worth your time and money. They have also worked with Riedel to develop a special Malbec Glass, I'll be taking a look at that in an upcoming post.

Happy World Malbec Day everyone! I hope you all get a chance to pick up one of these wines to celebrate this delicious day. Too many examples of Malbec in this general price range are a lot of flash and little substance, here are two well-heeled examples that will be delicious any night of the week with a myriad of foods.

Trione Vineyards and Winery - 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc / 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

For more than 30 years the Trione Family has been growing and selling grapes in Sonoma County from their own property as well as vineyards they manage. In 2005 they launched Trione Vineyards & Winery to bottle their own wines. They hired Scot Covington as winemaker. He brings both winemaking experience in Sonoma County and elsewhere to the table as well as winery building and design knowledge. A couple of months ago I was really impressed with some of their then current releases. Here’s a look at a couple of more recent ones. The Trione Vineyards and Winery 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc was produced from fruit sourced at River Road Ranch. This vineyard is 115 acres in size. The vines have between 2 and 12 years of age on them. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks using select South African yeast. 4 months of aging in neutral French oak followed. 600 cases of this vintage were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $23. Lemon, minerals and a touch of grass imbue the nose of this Sauvignon Blanc. The palate has good weight and is loaded with lemon-lime, spices such as white pepper and continued mineral elements. The finish here is crisp and clean with a nice bite of acid. Mineral characteristics continue here along with ginger, pepper and touch of vanilla. The end of each sip inspires another one as this wine beckons you back to the glass for more. This is a gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc built to pair with light foods.

Trione Vineyards and Winery 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was produced utilizing fruit sourced at a single vineyard. The Cloverdale Ranch sits in the northern part of Alexander Valley amongst the Mayacamas Mountains. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), small amounts of Merlot (9%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Petit Verdot (2%), and Malbec (2%) were blended in. Each lot was vinified and aged in barrel separately over 12 months. After blending an additional 12 months in French oak followed. Just fewer than 1,200 6 bottle cases of this wine were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $64. Violets, vanilla bean and dark fruit aromas fill the nose of this Cabernet Sauvignon.  Dark fruit characteristics continue through the palate where black cherry, currant and bits of blackberry are all present along with pepper and cardamom. Wisps of blueberry and plum emerge on the lengthy finish along with earth and mineral elements. Firm tannins yield with some air and are part of the wines fine structure. This Cabernet is well suited to pair with rich, bold foods. If you’re drinking it over the next couple of years I recommend decanting it for 90 minutes or so. Otherwise lay it down for 5 or more years and you’ll be richly rewarded for your patience.

Trione Vineyards and Winery is making some lovely wines. These are two more examples. If you enjoy vineyard driven wines made in relatively small lots with care and precision that speak of their origins, give them a shot.