Pale yellow-straw color; kiwi fruit, yellow peach, passionfruit, pineapple, grapefruit, orange blossom, vanilla, almond, oak, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; no discernible tannins; very bright, refreshing acidity (3.18 pH; 6.8 g/L TA). Light-medium body. Blend of 90% sauvignon blanc (including musqué clone), 5% viognier, 5% semillon. Three-stage fermentation: 63% in 400L French oak barrels, 85% new; 36% in stainless steel; 1% in ceramic egg. Wine aged sur lie, contributing to its pleasing texture and depth. 13.5% ABV
Part of the distinctiveness of this effort comes from use of the musqué sauv blanc clone. The term “musqué”—a French designation meaning both perfumed (“musky”) and Mascat-like. In the cooler California plots, the clone expressed less vegetal character while developing more aromatics. Californians struggled in the 1980s and 1990s to learn best practices with the clone, eventually abandoning the “California sprawl” trellising system and adopting a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellising. In addition to tropical fruits, musqué delivered more weight, roundness, and creaminess compared to standard sauv blanc. The wine also suggested oak aging even when fermented in stainless steel.
The Rodney Strong story began in 1904 with the planting of the River West Vineyard, just south of Healdsburg, where the Rodney Strong winery is located. Winery founder Rodney D. Strong was born in 1927 in Camas, Washington. In addition to being a three-sport athlete, musician, and senior-class president, “Rod” was a dance prodigy. He served in the Navy in World War II, then studied at the American School of Ballet under legends George Balanchine and Martha Graham. He danced on Broadway, then produced shows at The Lido in Paris, where he fell in love with fine wine.
In 1959, Rod retired from dancing, married his dance partner, Charlotte Ann Winson, and began a new career in wine. “I knew I couldn’t be an old dancer,” he quipped, “but I could be an old winemaker.” After consulting with UC-Davis scientists, Rod and Charlotte settled in Sonoma. In 1962, he purchased a vineyard planted in “mixed grapes,” which he replanted mostly in chardonnay, the first chardonnay in what would become the celebrated Chalk Hill AVA. In 1968, he bought land and planted some of the first pinot noir in the Russian River Valley.
Rod handed off winemaker responsibilities to Rick Sayre in 1979. At the same time, Tom Klein completed his Stanford MBA and began working for an international management consulting firm hired to evaluate the potential of Rodney Strong Vineyards. Klein met Rodney Strong and Rick Sayre. Ten years later, in 1989, the Klein family purchased Rodney Strong Vineyards and began an ambitious program of expanding and modernizing. In 2003, that included installing the largest solar array of any winery in the world.
In 2009, Rodney Strong celebrated its 50th anniversary, Rick Sayre’s 30th year as its winemaker, and the Klein family’s 20th year of ownership. In 2014, Wine Enthusiast named Rodney Strong American Winery of the Year. In 2019, Rick Sayre became the winemaker emeritus and Justin Seidenfeld became director of winemaking with Olivia Wright as assistant. Wright produced this wine.
Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley, Sonoma County 2024: made in fumé style using musqué clone. The wine has excellent texture and emphasis on distinctive orange blossom aromatics and tropical fruit with a downplay of lemon and grass flavors and aromas. While musqué accounts for only a fraction of sauv blanc plantings in California, it has carved out a cult market where it is prized for its exotic, tropical fruit and floral aromas.
Pairing—chicken piccata; roast chicken or turkey with creamy sauce; chicken tarragon; pork loin. Scallops, shrimp with lemon butter sauce; crab, lobster; halibut, sole with herbs and citrus; sushi. Lemon mascarpone pasta; creamy risotto with herbs; flatbreads with roasted vegetables and feta cheese. Cheese—goat cheese (chèvre) is classic; gruyère; sheep’s milk cheese; mild, soft cheddar; asiago, havarti, gouda. $20