Review: Wines of Rodney Strong, 2025 Releases
Six new releases from Rodney Strong for early 2025, including a bevy of whites that includes three chardonnays. Two of the wines we’re looking at today come from Rodney Strong’s new Limited Tier Collection (ooof, call me if you want help with that branding), including a pinot noir and chardonnay from the Russian River Valley AVA.
Let’s dig in.
2024 Rodney Strong Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – Bright and pretty, this wine pours on notes of both blossoms and strawberries on the nose, a classic expression of rose. On the palate, a bold grapefruit note, touched by gentle sweetness, quickly comes to dominate. Sweet lemon curd and ample acidity combine to create a whole, rounded profile that finds nuance in touches of coconut and late-game raspberry. This is as good as a screwcapped rose gets, folks. A / $30
2024 Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley – Crisp and clean, and in the right light, nearly colorless, this sauvignon blanc is laden with heavy notes of fresh lime juice along with zested lime. Fiercely acidic and quite grassy, it ultimately scars the palate with its minerality and salinity, though hints of toasted coconut and green tomatoes add a little nuance to the finish. California sauvi, through and through. B+ / $16
2023 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma County – Ample oak leads the way on this vanilla-soaked chardonnay, though it features plenty of baked apple and guava character to mop up some of the dessert-like tendencies in the wine. There’s a surprising acidity that bursts late in the game — a punch of apple cider vinegar, perhaps — though this too finds a layer of vanilla cream tempering its impact. B / $11
2022 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Chalk Hill – Very bright and very lemony, with lemon curd overtones evoking a significant sweetness. The oaky vanilla here is ample but not overwhelming, with a crisp apple note emerging as the finish builds. Notes of buttery graham cracker pie crust and pastry dough give the finish some depth, followed by a touch of fruity guava. Not as mineral-laden as Chalk Hill’s Chalk Hill chardonnay, but it’s in the ballpark. A- / $25
2023 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Russian River Valley – A more austere expression of chardonnay, restrained and a bit leathery, its fruit decidedly dialed back. Time in glass helps some more expressive qualities to come into focus, though the lemon is laced with vanilla, the grapefruit strangled by oak. A traditional, blown-out California finish awaits on the fade-out, heavy with barrel-driven flavors of nutty almond, brown butter, and a light touch of florals. Ultimately a bit on the anonymous side, considering. B / $37
2023 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Russian River Valley – A curious expression of Russian River Valley pinot. Some classically dense, earthy notes kick things off, before the wine meanders its way into the garden. Cranberries and tomato leaf are both evident alongside a somewhat unripe cherry character, with a touch of rhubarb evident on the back end. Crushed slate and some mushroom notes add a bit of complexity late in the game. It’s a wine that needs some time to open up and showcase its charms more fully, but the investment eventually pays off. B+ / $37
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