Winery - Rodney Strong
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
You have to hand it to Rodney Strong for being able to produce 71,000 cases of this wine at such an affordable price. It shares the ripe peach, green-apple, butter, smoke and spice notes of much more expensive Chards, and the crisp acidity, although not the complexity or opulence. But it's a very nice wine, and a good value.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A good medium-weight Chardonnay offering mild vanilla, toast and caramel aromas. In the mouth the flavors are light green apple, orange and lemon. The mouthfeel is full and balanced. A slight bitter note creeps in on the end.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This fabulous vintage offered all sorts of possibilities. The winery chose an austere route. Tightly controlled blackberry and cassis notes are wrapped in oak, and the wine is very dry. It may age. If you drink it now, do so with the richest beef or lamb you can find. —S.H.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Alexander and Russian River Valley fruit contributed to this dry wine, which is distinctively Zinfandel in its wild briary aromas and flavors. There’s a peppery note, and it’s bone-dry. It’s the perfect wine for the barbecue or the tailgate party. —S.H.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a nice, flavorful wine with lots of peach, pear and apple tastes, and a round, creamy mouthfeel. It’s a bit soft, but offers up lots to like at a gentle price.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Of this winery’s two new releases, the less expensive is better, because this usually fine release is from the infamous ‘98 vintage. It just can’t overcome a basic thinness and wateriness, despite an obvious pedigree and plush oak. That said, it’s a good wine. The ‘99 will undoubtedly be much better.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
For an astounding 121,000 cases produced, this is surprisingly rich. Consider the vintage. If you couldn’t make good Cab in ’99, forget it. Ripe and fruity, with plenty of oak, it’s a fine expression of Sonoma Cabernet. Just don’t look for depth or ageabilty.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This very dry wine is earthy, with a dusty, tannic flavor of hazelnut skin and a slight bitterness, but it rewards with deeper tastes of white peach, and a rich overlay of oak.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Coffee and cinnamon notes show atop vague cherry flavors. But in this light wine, the wood wins. Smoke and cedar prevail from start to close, and it finishes tart with charcoal and black coffee notes. This is oak in excess without a solid fruit presence to support it.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Well-ripened blackcurrant and cherry fruit shows oaky, vanilla influences, in this dry, softly tannic wine. It has a polish and easy drinkability that make it fine now.
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