Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2008, $19.99

OK. Here we go again, people. I said I wasn't a fan of Rodney Strong, so Bruce at Stew Leonard's insisted I try this one. I'm actually a little prejudiced against pinot noir too. Blame it on the whole Sideways phenomenon. Not that I ever saw the movie, mind you. But even so.

So back to the wine. This is very pretty in the glass, reminiscent of a deep, dark cranberry juice. The organic, unfiltered type. It smells really pretty in the glass - the back of the bottle claims that it contains "rose petal, red cherry and pomegranate flavors" with a "silky" texture. And this is all true. I can smell all the aforementioned flavors as I take a sniff, which is not an easy feat, considering this wine's alcohol content is a 14.4% powerhouse punch and it doesn't even smell like there's any alcohol in my glass. There are some legs noticeable down the side of the glass, which is impressive because this heavy-bodied wine tastes really light & clean in my mouth.

This taste is making me really, really happy. To me, it doesn't taste like a straight-up pinot noir, it tastes like a light, luscious 79% cabernet blend with the remaining 21% being pinot. There is a really nice aftertaste going on, with the pomegranate & cherry flavors definitely shining through, though the cherry is not as strong.

Bruce recommends chilling this wine - sticking it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to opening - and I concur. I can totally see this wine tasting better slightly chilled. It would be completely delightful. So a big hooray to Rodney Strong, who has finally, finally gotten me on board with his camp's wine-making skills. Please find out more at www.rodneystrong.com.

I would like to dedicate this blog to my friend's grandma Vaughn, who lost her valiant 5+ year battle with cancer on 6/17/10. Thinking on it, she was very much like this wine: strong, smooth, silky. She was a class act right up to the very end. I will miss her tremendously.

Cheers!

Kate