Rodney Strong 'Knotty Vines' Zinfandel - $22.99

Wine Details

Price: $22.99
Producer: Rodney Strong Vineyards
Region: Northern Sonoma
Varietal: Zinfandel
Container Size: 750 ML
Flavors: berries, berry, cedar, cherry, chocolate, nut oil, spice, tangerine
  • Award Winning
  • Red Wine
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Product Description

  • Fresh, bright berry fruit from our heritage Russian River vineyard combined with the ripe peppery jamminess from our Alexander Valley vineyards make for wonderful diversity of flavor showcasing the best that zinfandel can offer in one wine.
  • Rodney Strong Vineyards was founded on the recognition of Sonoma County's potential for excellence. Through decades of growing and winemaking, they continue to fulfill the promise of the fine land. Gentle handling, careful use of barrel and stainless steel fermentation and proper oak aging are guided and monitored to enhance the natural and intrinsic character of the wine.

Expert Ratings

Ratings   Vintage Source Flavors
Tastings - 89 Details: soft aromas of baked berries, cedar, and clay. A soft and sensual entry leads to a very round and dryish medium-full body of tangy dark berry, nut oil, and spice. Finishes with a chocolate covered cherry and tangerine peel fade with a wave of dusty spice. A rock solid food zin. 2005 Tastings berries, berry, cedar, cherry, chocolate, nut oil, spice, tangerine
Tastings - 90 Details: Garnet violet color. Melted milk chocolate, pistachio and berry pie aromas. Rich, supple entry leads ripe, fruity medium-full body of red and dark berries, chocolate and spice flavors. Finishes with a long, tangy berry, pink peppercorn, and orange marmalade fade with fine tuned tannins. A nicely structured Zin for spicy grilled pork dishes. 2005 Tastings berry, chocolate, dark berries, marmalade, orange, spice, spicy, violet
Tastings - 86 Details: Garnet purple black. Dried cherry and buttery nut aromas. Rich entry and nice texture with black cherry flavors. Chewy, tannic, dusty mineral fade. 2004 Tastings black cherry, buttery, dried cherry, mineral
CGCW - 85 Details: As ripe in tone and direction as its "reserve" cellarmate, this full and fleshy Zinfandel is not so convincingly fruity, and its frontal flavors gradually give ground to puckery tannins and heat. It will benefit from a year or two of softening, but its potential for real growth is modest at best. 2004 CGCW
CGCW - 85 Details: The first smells suggest a ripe, rich and well-fruited wine with plenty of berryish concentration and pleasing notes of chocolate and creamy oak. Even on second pass, the nose holds up well despite a turn to ripeness that submerges its fruit a bit. It is on the palate, however, that the fruit finally falls off the radar screen with tannin and alcohol ultimately keeping the wine from commendation. 2003 CGCW chocolate, oak
WineEnthusiast - 90 Details: Balanced and elegant, yet with all the briary, wild character of Zin, this wine, a blend of Russian River and Alexander Valley, captures the spirit of Sonoma Zin. It’s nice and dry and balanced, with polished blackberry, blueberry, mocha and spice flavors. 2003 WineEnthusiast
Tastings - 86 Details: Garnet color with a lavender rim. Sweet jammy blackberry and brown spice aromas. A brisk, lightly tannic entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium-bodied palate with tangy dark berry fruit, brown spice, and firm tannins. Finishes with a tannic, berry jam fade with light white pepper and alcohol peeking through. 2003 Tastings blackberry, blueberry, mocha, spice
CGCW - 86 Details: An "almost" wine, this one is ripe and rich, full on the palate and fairly supple at entry with sweet berryish and oak flavors. Only at the finish does it run into an extra bit of acid and hard tannin but both of those elements conspire to cut it off at the end and limit its usefulness with the softer, tomato-based foods that go so well with Zin. Try it with savory pork roasts, and it will show to good advantage. 2001 CGCW oak
WineSpectator - 83 Details: Dominated by toasty oak character of cedar and vanilla, with modest tannin framing berry and plum notes. Drink now through 2006. 22,008 cases made. 2000 WineSpectator berry, cedar, plum, toasty oak, vanilla
CGCW - 84 Details: Hinting at caramel, brown sugar and a bit of raspberries along its way, this thick, relatively big-bodied, hotter-than-needs-be wine bows more deeply to ripeness than to any specific fruit, but its scant sprinkling of berries manages to keep it within the varietal realm. 2000 CGCW berries, brown sugar, caramel, raspberries
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Food Pairings

Category Pairing
Cheese Feta, Goat Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Soft Pungent Cheese
Red Meat Hamburgers, Minestrone, Beef Stew, Ham, Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Lamb Stew, Game, Wild Game - Elk, Caribou, Moose, Venison, Sausage
Pasta & Grains Lasagna, Pasta with Peppery Mushroom Sauce
Poultry & Eggs Coq Au Vin, Roast Chicken with Herbs, Herb Marinated Chicken, Roast Turkey, Spicy Chicken Dishes, Game Birds
Fruits & Nuts Citrus Fruits
Vegetables Lentils, Tomato
Sauces Red Wine Sauce
Herbs & Spices Anise, Fennel Seed, Tarragon, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Clove, Mint, Oregano, Pepper (black, white, green)
Spicy Food Beef Stir Fry
Cheese Aged Cheddar

Awards and Accolades

  Name Vintage
Award Winner Bronze - 2008 San Diego Int'l Wine Competition 2006

Wine Terms

Name Value
Sonoma Like its neighbor Napa, Sonoma is a small area filled with independent wineries and characterized by microclimates that vary according to the topography. The coolest parts of Sonoma are the fog-filled south, where the grape varieties are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Northwards up the valley the climate warms and provides a good base for Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. In general Sonoma wines are less dramatically flavorful than those of Napa. Cabernet Sauvignon is relatively soft, with blackcurrant fruit, minty and eucalyptus perfume, and some soft buttery oak. Zinfandel ranges from soft and gulpable to massive bramble and pepper styles. Chardonnay is rich and juicy, especially from the Russian River, and Sauvignon Blanc can be zingy and grassy. Most Sonoma wines have a freshness and a soft edge which makes them very suitable for drinking on their own, however they partner well with strongly flavored fish and meat dishes. The old-style Zinfandels are delicious with spicy cuisine.
United States Wineries exist in all fifty states, but the most predominant (and best) wine comes from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State, with New York gaining a foothold in the industry. American wines make up about 75% of all wine sales in the US. The appellation system uses the term AVA (American Viticultural Area) to determine where wines were produced, but grape varieties can be planted anywhere in the country. American wineries generally use varietal labeling, and government regulations require that the variety on the label must make up at least 75% of the blend (in Oregon it’s 90%). The words reserve, special selection, private reserve, classic, and so on have no legal definition in the US. Some wineries use these terms to indicate their better wines; others use the words as a marketing tool to move lower quality wines off the shelf.
Zinfandel One of California’s oldest varietals, this grape actually hails from Croatia. Red Zinfandel makes rich dark wines that are high in alcohol and medium to high in tannin. The can have a blackberry or raspberry aroma, a spicy character and even a jammy flavor. Some Zinfandels are relatively light-bodied and meant to be enjoyed young, while others benefit from aging.
California California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.

Tasting Notes

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