Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Brothers is a deeply rich wine with complex flavors of dark berries and cassis. The wine is bursting with blackberry, plum and wonderful chocolate and mocha notes followed by a round and seductive mid-palate and a long lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The third single vineyard selection, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers reveals an equally dark appearance, with spicy aromatics of licorice, graphite, cedar, and baked black cherry. Full-bodied and fruit-forward, it takes on more primary fruit through the mid-palate, with blackberry preserve, pressed flowers, and cocoa powder, and has a more balanced profile.
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Wine Enthusiast
Vivid toasted oak aromas and rich clove and cinnamon flavors dominate this full-bodied and moderately tannic wine as blackberries and black cherries take a back seat. Sandy tannins and a smoky, chocolate note carry the palate.
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Wine Spectator
A solid, direct style, with dark cherry and black currant preserves flanked by alder and cedar. Shows a swath of tobacco that coats the fruit on the finish.
Founded by wine industry pioneer, Rod Strong, in 1959, Rodney Strong Vineyards is now owned by the Kleins, a farming-based family that prides itself on land stewardship and a relentless push for superior wine quality from Sonoma County. After purchasing the company in 1989, Tom Klein began the endeavor that today brings together excellent vineyards, the industry's finest winemaking equipment, and exceptional talent. The winery farms and sources grapes from vineyards throughout Sonoma County, focusing on Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill. Rodney Strong Vineyards is best known for its estate-bottled and vineyard-designated wines, and is also recognized for their sustainable and Fish Friendly Farming, dedication to solar energy production and becoming carbon neutral in 2009.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.