2023 Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc
100% Sauvignon Blanc
3 stage fermentation: 54% in French oak barrels, 75% new; 45% in stainless steel; 1% in ceramic egg
This is a Brand New Wine for Rodney Strong. The first time they are making Sauvignon Blanc from Alexander Valley. Alexander Valley is usually reserved for Cabernet, a unique AVA for Sauvignon Blanc creating a cool, unique Sauvignon Blanc.
The 2023 vintage is one for the ages. A cool and wet winter led to a budbreak 2-3 weeks later than average. Daytime temperatures throughout the growing season continued to be unusually cool, with averages in the low 70s and the warmest days just reaching into the mid 80s. This led to an exceptionally late harvest - over a full month later than 2022, offering the grapes an extended hang time to develop extraordinarily complexity and concentration. The evening coastal breezes reaching inwards to the Alexander Valley AVA preserved fresh acidity and created beautiful balance with the season's generous ripe fruit flavors.
Bursting with generous ripe fruit and orange blossom aromatics, the wine offers juicy flavors of kiwi fruit, yellow peach, and passion fruit wrapped in bright refreshing acidity. A full and soft midpalate with notes of vanilla panna cotta are the outcome of aging sur lie in 400 liter French oak barrels. The wine finishes with subtle sweet citrus and mineral complexity. Pair with smoked salmon, chicken picatta, or a lemon mascarpone pasta dish.
$24
​
2018 Marques de Caceres Reserve Rioja
90% Tempranillo, 10% other varieties
Twenty months in French oak barrels divided equally between new barrels and barrels one and two years old, with racking every five months.
In 1970, Enrique Forner founded Marqués de Cáceres, a historic Alliance between the La Rioja Alta region in Rioja, Spain and an enterprising family that has been devoted to the wine trade for five generations. The concept: the best vine growers and vineyards in La Rioja and a Bordeaux wine thought process Enrique leaned while spending time in Bordeaux which then revolutionized the production and business model of Rioja. One single objective; obtain the best vineyard to great the best quality to obtain the best wines, an obsession that continues on to the present day.
The 2018 vintage was developed in a wet year with abundant rainfall in winter and spring, creating optimal water reserves to ensure a favorable wine cycle in the face of a hot and dry summer.
Bunches are destemmed with the utmost care. Alcoholic fermentation is at a controlled temperature. Prolonged maceration with the skins extracts deep color, elegant aromas, and a smooth, enveloping tannic structure. Malolactic fermentation is in oak barrels and stainless steel tanks for added complexity. Once the malolactic fermentation is complete, this wine is transferred to fine-grained French oak barrels for further complexity.
Marqués de Cáceres Reserva 2018 unveils a nose of cherry and blackberry aromas complemented by hints of vanilla and black pepper. On the palate, it manifests a sumptuous texture and a dense concentration of ripe fruit flavors, interwoven with undertones of cocoa and subtle spices. Its finish is enduring, disclosing the sophistication of a red wine that has gracefully matured. It is the quintessential choice for those in pursuit of a wine with distinctive character and harmony. Will age for the next 5-7 years. Pair with roasted chicken and vegetables, Semi-firm cheese and beef tenderloin.
$24
​