Winemaker Notes
Rich with dark cherry, plum, and baking spices. The palate has medium tannins, lingering spicy oak flavors and a lush finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Brawny blackberry, dark cherry and raspberry make for an inviting entry into this impressively likable wine. It is smooth, rounded and rich in feel. Touches of vanilla and baking spice season the whole, building to a velvety finish. Editors’ Choice.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Just order me a "Cab!" Even with an increasingly diverse selection of grape varieties in the marketplace, Cabernet still drives the truck. The 2016 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon is straightforward and just what everyone expects to have in a glass. TASTING NOTES: This wine is fulfilling, easy-to-drink, and lasting on the palate. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit and oak accents make it an excellent choice for large events and lots of food. (Tasted: October 17, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.