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Wine Recommendation
Rodney Strong Vineyards
2005 Pinot Noir, Estate Vineyards(Russian River Valley)
Well ahead of the curve and considered a pioneer, Rodney Strong first planted Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley in 1968. At that time he planted the River East Vineyard in the alluvial clay-loam soils adjacent to the winery in Healdsburg. Today the Russian River Valley is home to some of the finest Pinot Noirs in the world.
Vice President and Director of Winemaking Rick Sayre’s tenure with the winery began in 1979. He counts the illustrious Andre Tchelistcheff as his mentor, and was the first winemaker in the USA to set up a cooperage within the winery, a practice that is fairly common around the world today with cutting edge winemakers who prefer full control of this important facet of their jobs.
Along with Winemaker Gary Patzwald, and Director of Grower and Vineyard Operations Douglas McIlroy, Sayre crafts this unusually well-priced wine with fruit primarily from the River East Vineyard site.
Bright clear ruby in color, the wine has notes of strawberry, hay, funk, and earth. It is clean, straightforward, medium in body, and has very subtle oak, fresh, soft acids, and a slightly pithy sensation that develops on the finish.
Reviewed December 12, 2006 by Catherine Fallis.
Other reviewed wines from Rodney Strong Vineyards
The Wine
Winery: Rodney Strong Vineyards |
The Reviewer
Catherine Fallis
Founder and President of Planet Grape LLC, a company committed to bringing the joy of wine, food, and good living into the lives of everyday people, Catherine is creator of the “grape goddess guides to good living,” a series of books, television presentations, seminars, and e-learning programs. The fifth woman in the world to become a Master Sommelier, grape goddess Catherine Fallis is still very much down-to-earth. |