Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Rockaway has wonderful, concentrated flavors of dark plum and red currant with notes of tobacco and cedar. The earthy minerality of the wine is balanced out by notes of baking spices with a rich, complex structure and a long lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from halfway up the valley, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockaway is more expressive, with a red-fruited profile of strawberry pie, rhubarb, dried herbs, and dried lavender along with a delicate minty feel. It’s more Grenache-like on the nose and is full-bodied on the palate, with a slightly more linear feel, ripe tannins, and a good deal of fresh acidity, with wild raspberry fruit. Drink over the coming 15 years. It’s become appealing a little earlier than the other two single-vineyard wines, and I like this one a lot more than the Alexander‘s Crown.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose of this deeply extracted Cabernet is redolent of sweet cinnamon and crushed blackberries, with aromas of cocoa and cassis mingling as the glass swirls. The palate is mouthwatering, with loads of raspberry-lemon acidity, plush tannin and waves of black plum, licorice and black pepper flavors across 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.