Winemaker Notes
Rich, lush, and structured, the 2014 vintage displays intense aromas flavors of blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis and crushed violet. This wine is velvety with a smooth, lingering finish of toasty baking spices, vanilla, and cocoa.
Enjoy this wine now with blue cheese crostini, grilled vegetables, braised beef short ribs or cellar it for enjoyment in years to come.
Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I Have tasted nearly all of the Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, and I have been waiting for the wine to hit the proverbial "sweet" spot. No, this is not a sweet wine—like some producers are making these days by leaving somewhere between 3 to 10 grams of residual sugar. The 2014 Reserve Cabernet is excellent because it hits of the bases—ripeness, textures, and dryness. The winery should be proud of this wine; it may be the best Cabernet under $50 in the marketplace. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up to play. Its aromas and flavors of blackberries, savory oak, and alluring spices should make it a delightful match with a grilled ribeye. (Tasted: November 14, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
From Sonoma County and a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve reveals a saturated purple/ruby color as well as a beautiful bouquet of crème de cassis, plums, cedary spice, tobacco, and bay leaf. It's medium-bodied, has a pure, polished, elegant style, no hard edges, and rock-solid balance. In short, it's a terrific Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Decanter
A high octane style with oak and intense black fruit on the nose. Shiny, posh and plush palate, with well-integrated oak and sweet ripe tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and scented of crushed blackberries, wild blueberries and warm plums with touches of underbrush, bay leaves and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied with an approachable frame of fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, the palate reveals plenty of crunchy black fruits, finishing with great purity.
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Wine Enthusiast
Juicy black cherry and blueberry wrap around big, expansive tannins in this hearty red that is sourced from several of the producer's best sites. With a backbone of structure and oak, it's toasty in character yet robustly fruity.
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.