Rodney Strong Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2006
Region: Russian River Valley
Winery: Rodney Strong
Variety: Pinot Noir

Supple in texture, with rose petal and red fruit aromas, this lively, medium bodied wine is aged entirely in French oak, which adds a subtle, toasty vanilla character and a hint of spice. Ideal for current enjoyment, this pinot noir will hold nicely over the next two to three years.
Rod Strong was among the first modern wine pioneers with a vision to plant pinot noir in the Russian River Valley. In 1968 he planted our heritage River East Vineyard in the alluvial clay-loam soils adjacent to the winery in Healdsburg. Today the Russian River Valley is well established as one of the premier pinot noir growing regions in the world, and we continue to rely on the original River East Vineyard as a core contributor to our estate vineyard bottling.
The 2006 vintage began with a rather late bud break during an unseasonably cool and wet spring. March rains slowed shoot growth down considerably, and set the timer for a late harvest. After a fine May and June, much of July was a scorcher, including a 10 day stretch where every day saw temperatures over 90 degrees, and several days topped out at 110! Fortunately, the delayed development of the grapes kept sun scorch to a minimum. Harvest began the third week of September, and continued all the way into mid October. This extended ripening period was accompanied by mild weather and promoted excellent flavor development, with the last of the grapes harvested on October 17th.

2005 Acclaim:

Critic's Gold - Critic's Challenge, International Wine Competition, June 2007
87 - Wine Enthusiast, April 2007
Gold - Hilton Head Area Hospitality Association WineFest, April 2007
Gold - Tasters Guild International Wine Competition, April 2007

Posted by thewinery on February 26th, 2008 at 2:26pm | report comment