Love, love, love Rodney Strong Wines. From the six I tasted in 2019 to the 2018 single bottle reserve Cabernet Sauvignon I tasted a year ago which also made my Best of 2023 list.
From the New York International Wine Competition two years ago:
Rodney Strong Wine Estates (Healdsburg, CA)
Double Gold medal: Russian River Valley; Estate Rose of Pinot Noir 2020
Gold medal: California Chardonnay 2019
Silver medal: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017
Silver medal: River West Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2017
Silver medal: Red Blend 2018
Silver medal: Knotty Vines Pinot Noir 2018
Silver medal: Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir 2017
Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Bronze medal: Sonoma County Merlot 2017
Individual award: Russian River Winery of the Year
I could go on and on listing the many accolades I and others have bestowed on this winery. But let’s move on, to the latest wine:
When I received a 2020 Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon from Rodney Strong Vineyards the first thing I asked was if there were any issues from smoke taint. A quick Google search, and a look at their tech sheet, showed that the Glass fire broke out on September 27 and the grapes for this wine were harvested September 14.
(Now, I have had some other 2020 Napa wines, including a remarkable one from Groth we tasted in Napa last year. Sometimes the grapes are from vineyards outside of the line of fire and smoke, like Pope Valley. My point is don’t discount Napa or Sonoma wines just because they are from 2020. Google AI overview: Yes, some vineyards in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County were affected by the Glass Fire in 2020, though the extent of damage varied depending on location, with some vineyards experiencing smoke taint from the fire while others were directly impacted by flames; however, most of the fire’s damage to vineyards was concentrated in Napa Valley rather than Alexander Valley.)
Moving on now to this Rodney Strong wine, again, harvested 13 days prior to the Glass fire. My tasting notes are below, and below that is the technical sheet.
Tasting Notes
Rodney Strong 2020 Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% alcohol
24 months in 100% new French oak barrels.
Opened the wine 30 minutes before tasting and got: an entire bowl of dark fruit greeting me on this purple-hued wine including crushed ripe blueberries, blackberry jam, plums, and hints of strawberry. Also got violets, wet earth, and cherry liqueur. The taste was jammy, spicy, lots of dark fruit, earth, and that same cherry liqueur. It was a drink now for me, alone or with food.
Technical Sheet
V I N E YA R D: Established in 1971 and recognized as the first vineyard in Alexander Valley to produce a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander’s Crown vineyard is perched on a hill in the south end of the Alexander Valley, just south of Jimtown. Encompassing 63 acres, the vineyard feels the cool Pacific breezes earlier in the afternoon compared to sites farther up the valley. We use only the top 15 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon from Block 1, planted to Clone 4 in well-drained red volcanic soil, to craft this intensely flavored wine.
HARVEST: 2020 was notable for being another dry growing season, with only a few brief showers throughout spring, milder weather through most of the year and significantly lower yields at harvest. Moderate temperatures kicked off the season in early summer, picking up into warmer days with afternoons in the 90s in August leading to ideal ripening conditions for our heat-loving red Bordeaux varieties. We harvested Alexander’s Crown at optimal ripeness on September 14.
TASTING PROFILE: The 2020 Alexander’s Crown exhibits ripe flavors of black currant, blackberries, crushed violets, and a hint of fresh sage. The wine is voluptuous, has a rich mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a long lingering finish with notes of dried herbs and a touch of mocha. Enjoy this wine now or cellar it for enjoyment in 8 to 10 years.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
