Wine Recommendation
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Wine Recommendation

Rodney Strong Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon  (Sonoma County)

Rodney Strong Vineyards

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Sonoma County)



Winery founder Rodney D. Strong was born in 1927 during Prohibition. Before making wine, he was a professional dancer. Career highlights include dancing with Martha Graham and George Ballanchine at the American School of Ballet, and performing as the lead dancer at the Lido in Paris. While in Paris, he discovered the appreciation for the sensual pleasures of wine and food that are not yet a normal part of American life. Knowing that a career in dancing would only last so long, he decided to pursue wine as his Act Two.

This wine is opaque ruby and viscous with notes of burnt wood, tar, underbrush, rubber, cassis, blueberry, hearth, caramelized onions, and pipe smoke. It is rich, with a sweet burst of bright berry fruit and chewy tannins. Tannins give grip and a bit of bite on the finish so age or aerate before serving. This is the kind of wine that is delicious with hearty dishes such as grilled beef tenderloin with this Cabernet as the base of the sauce, braised oxtail with carrots and onions, or a Brie and wild mushroom fondue.

Reviewed February 20, 2008 by Catherine Fallis.

The Wine

Winery: Rodney Strong Vineyards
Vintage: 2003
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Sonoma County
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: 750ml $19.00

Review Date: 2/20/2008

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.