Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Brothers is a deeply rich wine with bold, 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. Enjoy this wine now or cellar it for enjoyment in 8 to 10 years.
Professional Ratings
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The Somm Journal
The vineyard from which this wine is sourced spans 141 acres and rises to 1,000 feed above sea level near Cloverdale, where it's gifted with the warmest temperatures in Alexander Valley. Its western-facing slopes enjoy plenty of sunshine. Relative to Rodney Strong's two other single vineyard expressions, Brothers is the most powerful, with notes of black cassis and a Napa-esque density. From its pecan pie nose to its dollop of dark fudge and splash of Worcestershire, it's powered by ripeness-and engine purring with graphite, used saddle leather and blackberry in aspic. If Alexander's Crown is a cashmere sweater and Rockaway a leather bomber jacket, Brothers is a tuxedo.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Sourced from a western-facing site on red volcanic soils, located the furthest north of the three single vineyards, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers is a more reserved wine in the glass, with a darker aromatic profile of blackcurrant and sappy earth that opens to reveal more layers of dark berries and woodsy pine. Full-bodied, it’s broader and expands through the palate, taking on more sappy herbs and a darker mineral profile on the finish, with a hint of espresso crema. It’s long on the palate and is going to improve with time in cellar. Drink over the next 20 years.
Rating: 96+ -
Decanter
Brothers is the most tannic of the three single-vineyard Rodney Strong Cabernets, with a structured, slightly austere edge upon release. It comes from a vineyard over 1,000 feet up on the northernmost edge of Sonoma County, just outside Cloverdale, a warm growing site that you can notice through black pepper and ripe black and blue fruit notes. Rich and full-bodied, the mid-palate brings flavours of chocolate and blackberry compote, giving it a bold, serious character.
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James Suckling
The nose is rich and powerful, with aromas of mulberries, black cherries and cassis. The palate is full-bodied and structured, with firm tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of mocha, black olives, cured meat, iron and earth. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich blackberry compote, vanilla and caramel aromas drive the nose of this easy-drinking Cabernet. The palate brings rich cassis, cherry and toasty barrel-spice flavors that linger on the back end ,with whispers of anise, tobacco and leather.
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.