Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel

In my last post, I highlighted my walk through Rodney Strong’s vineyards along with a review of their Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc.  In this post, I’m sharing a review of another Rodney Strong wine from that trip, the Knotty Vines Zinfandel.

Before I get into the review, I want to touch on sustainability.  When I was in California, I heard a lot of producers talk about organic farming, and even beyond that I heard a lot about bio-dyamic farming.  One person described bio-dynamic farming to me as organic farming plus Wicca.  Anyway, I’m all for environmentally friendly farming practices, and I’ll often buy organically produced products—but at the same time, I’m not very paranoid about chemicals in my food (or wine).  I eat plenty of food that’s not organic, but I still think it’s safe.  Personally, I’m not apposed to the use of chemicals in farming techniques as long as it’s done in a smart way.

Rodney Strong was one of the few producers I met on this trip that didn’t claim to employ organic farming practices.  And I’m OK with that.  Although they don’t produce their wine organically, they do employ sustainable farming practices.  In fact, they are certified as fish friendly, which is important as vineyards can create a lot of runoff into streams and rivers if not properly managed.  I have some confidence that while they are not organic, their use of non-organic techniques is reasonable.

2006 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel

Similar to my last review, I need to add a disclaimer that I did not taste this wine in my typical environment and this may have some impact on the results.  And to be honest, I hope that I enjoy this wine as much in the future as I did at this tasting.

The wine is made up of 99% Zinfandel, with 1% Petite Syrah.  It was aged for 10 months in a combination of American and French oak.

This wine has everything that a Zinfandel should have.  On the nose I found raspberry and blackberry aromas softly carried by an undercurrent of cedar.  The palate is bursting with berry flavors.  It doesn’t come across jammy, but fruity.  In addition to the blackberry and raspberry flavors, there is a bit of cocoa.  Of course as any good Zinfandel, there is plenty of spice in this one.  The finish is very long, and very enjoyable.

This is a great Zinfandel.

Wine: Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14.8%
Rating: 91
Price: $20.00