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Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2024 and 2026 (based on 183 user opinions) |
Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.3 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 9 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 5/13/2024: Retail $30. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (471g; 1lb 0.6oz). Under screw cap. I first tasted this for the 6th Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir last November and I loved it then (94 Points). Not much has changed, certainly not the tasting notes. Don't be dissuaded by the price points of Rodney Strong wines (they are almost all too low), they are top-notch across the board! 93 Points.
www.thedrunkencyclist.com (118 views) | | Tasted by Frijole on 2/24/2024: burgundy, lots of clarity, ruby silvery hue Nose: cherry, black cherry, cola, black pepper, wet earth, mushrooms, minerals, oak Pal: plum, black cherry, cola, black pepper, clove, wet earth, mushrooms, minerals, oak Feel: medium, savory, acidic Finish: medium T8 (268 views) | | Tasted by snarfglk on 1/26/2024 & rated 90 points: 90+, well worth the $20-ish price (290 views) | | Tasted by snarfglk on 1/17/2024 & rated 90 points: still a 90 (316 views) | | Tasted by snarfglk on 12/30/2023 & rated 90 points: about a 90, maybe a hair below, but very nice (320 views) | | Tasted by JAT on 11/24/2023 & rated 91 points: Excellent value wine. Concentrated red fruit flavors. Balanced alcohol, acidity, and oak. Velvety mouthfeel. Medium finish. (386 views) | | Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 11/4/2023 & rated 94 points: The Sixth Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir (Houston, Texas): Retail $30. Medium to dark in color with a harmonious nose of solid cherry notes and a bit of spice. Great on the palate as well with rich fruit, but balanced by the zingy tartness. Wonderful. Outstanding. 94 Points.
www.thedrunkencyclist.com (539 views) | | Tasted by Mike Kopanski on 5/26/2023 & rated 89 points: As might be expected from a Northern California Pinot, the color is darker than expected, but with a beautiful magenta rim. The fruit is soft and approachable blueberry, mulberry and plum, with a touch of mint. Some wet earth and mushroom. Very nice balance with the alcohol, acid, fruit and tannins. More viscosity than expected. Just a touch short on the finish. (55 views) |
| Rodney Strong Producer website
Tom Klein
Proprietor
A fourth generation California farmer, Tom earned a business degree from Stanford and spent the first part of his career as a management consultant at the San Francisco office of the prestigious global management firm McKinsey & Company. One project during this time was evaluating a small winery in the Russian River Valley called Rodney Strong Vineyards and, in a chance meeting, he was introduced to founder Rod Strong and winemaker Rick Sayre. Already developing an interest in wine, this encounter planted a seed that would grow into a lifelong passion.
Rick Sayre
Head Winemaker
Rick began his winemaking career at the age of 19 as an assistant winemaker and cellar master at Simi Winery in Sonoma County. He had the opportunity to train under the world-renowned winemaster André Tchelistcheff, who instilled in his young trainee a deep passion for the art of winemaking and a desire to not only master his craft, but continually push the boundaries of creativity. “André taught me that a winemaker must live with his wine,” Rick recalls, “from walking the vineyards to the careful craft of guiding the wine into bottle. Even the smallest details can have a lasting effect.”
When Rod Strong decided to take a step back from the demanding role of winemaker, he called upon Rick Sayre, who joined the team at Rodney Strong Vineyards in 1979. In more than three decades in the cellars, Rick has guided the wine collection to include world-class Reserve, Symmetry and Single-Vineyard releases, an outstanding line of Estate wines and best-in-class Sonoma County wines that continue to please vintage after vintage. His voracious appetite for new winemaking knowledge has taken him around the world, including trips to the wine regions of France, Australia, New Zealand and Spain
Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia) Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina". Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins. The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled. In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting. Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy. Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid. As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries. A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced. In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid. If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyRussian River Valley Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia |
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