Rodney Strong and the Alexander Valley of Sonoma

I first laid eyes on the Alexander Valley of Sonoma a couple of years ago ( see accompanying photo) and when I did, I was astounded at its beauty, but more than that, it was the only place on earth that I had been to where the air was full of the perfume of grapes. It was a heady mix of cabernet sauvignon, cab franc, zinfandel and merlot.

The valley was carpeted with grapevines, ready to be picked and treated like royalty by the brilliant winemakers of Sonoma. The soil is well-drained and volcanic in color, ideal growing conditions for a Bordeaux style varietal.

Into this garden, the winemaker of Rodney Strong Vineyards, Rick Sayre, carefully chooses his crop and hand- harvests only the best for his premium blend: Symmetry Meritage from the Alexander Valley. The current release is the 2004, where it was recently showcased at the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park, San Diego. He also previewed the ’05 which was equally impressive. The ‘04 sells for $55. on the winery’s website. Rick was present and revealed that Rodney Strong next year would be celebrating its 50th anniversary in Sonoma. Rick himself will also be celebrating his 30th anniversary at the vineyard, next year. Rick is the consummate farmer. He brings grapes to their highest form of perfection and his signature triumph is the Symmetry blend, which can slightly change in ratio from year to year, depending on his expertise in judging which of his cab, merlot and cab franc grapes are best for a particular vintage. The layers of opulent blackberries, dark plum and sweet spices seem always to distinguish Symmetry no matter the year.

The Alexander Valley has helped produce world-class wines for Rodney Strong. Yet the winery sources from 12 estate owned vineyards from four appellations within Sonoma: in addition to the Alexander Valley, others include Chalk Hill, Russian River Valley, and Sonoma Coast.

Other wines paired with the wine dinner at the Prado included a divine 2006 Pinot Noir, a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, an exceptional 2006 Chardonnay, and a 2004 Port.

The vineyard headquarters in Sonoma is open for tours daily at 11am and 3pm. Tasting room hours are daily 10am to 5pm. For more, see their website: www.rodneystrong.com.

by Frank Mangio