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What We Say 2006 Alexander Valley Reserve Petite Sirah
WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE ALERT:
The Wine Spies have done it again! We infiltrated today’s winery to bring you, our deserving Operative’s, Rodney Strong’s 2006 Estate Reserve Syrah – before it is available anywhere else!
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Mission Codename: The Secret Cache
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Rodney Strong Vineyards, this time to secure a private reserve wine that is so secret that nobody else in the world has it.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Rodney Strong Vineyards
Wine Subject: 2006 Alexander Valley Reserve Petite Sirah
Winemaker: Rick Sayre
Backgrounder: Petite Sirah’s California roots dates back to when it was believed to be a close relative of the Syrah grape. Later it would be found to be genetically identical to the Durif, named for its after French discoverer François Durif who found that the varietal was a Syrah grape pollinated with Peloursin flowers. Its smaller berries with higher skin to pulp ratio leads to more intense flavors. Another benefit of the smaller berries are tighter clusters that are more resistant to mildew. Currently Petite Sirah is less popular in France and increasingly popular in the United States.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Completely opaque wine, intense garnet and purple hues of black cherries all the way to the rim. Fairly slow-moving stained tears make their way down the sides of the glass.
Smell – This wine has a rich, warm nose full of ripe, round plum, black cherry, cassis, sweet black raspberry, smoke, smoked meats, bacon fat, and dried herbs.
Feel – Rich, smooth and full-bodied, it coats the palate at first and then the bright acid appears – and lightly drying tannins are felt along the front of the gum-line.
Taste – The warm black fruits appear first on the palate, after which the light smoked meatiness and herbs like oregano and thyme join them.
Finish – The fruits linger, as do the herbal and savory meaty notes. The acidity and tannins balance beautifully with the fruit so that no one element overpowers the other. The black fruits linger in the mouth for a long time.
Conclusion – This wine is smooth, balanced, warm and satisfying, with a lovely balance of fruit and savory aromas and flavors. Since the tannins and acid are so well integrated, this wine is very drinkable by itself, but it would also be delicious with lamb, steak or cassoulet.
Mission Report:
The call came in the middle of the night.
“Go for red,” I answered groggily.
“Do you recognize my voice?”
I perked up almost immediately. It was Teech, a great asset and local college professor. Teech is a respected professor of Wine Industry Marketing at the Sonoma State University, and a great friend to the company.
Without saying her name, I replied, “I do. Go.”
“If I can guarantee your anonymity, will you come and guest lecture to my students?”
“I would be honored. Transmit the date and details, and I’ll be there. Depending on my mission on that day, I may have to come in disguise. That’ll help me keep my cover.”
She agreed and we signed off. A few minutes later, my smartphone chimed. Coordinates and full details were revealed to me on the small screen. I confirmed the date.
The weeks passed and I eventually found myself in front of a class of college students. I was there as a ‘wine industry marketing insider’, and I gave a talk on ‘alternative sales channels’. Actually, it was more like an informal dialog, with a short presentation and a longer Q&A session. It was good fun and almost all of the students actually stayed awake.
One student, in particular, had the tougher questions for me. I did my best to answer him, but as the questions became tougher, I realized that he was testing me. Was he trying to punch holes in my cover? I wondered. I kept my cool and decided to subtly press back.
It was obvious, to us both, what was happening here, so I made it a point to encourage other students to ask questions.
The presentation now over, the young man approached me. He reached into his jacket pocket. I tensed, ready to spring. He withdrew his hand – to reveal a business card. the card read, ‘Rodney Strong Vineyard’ and contained his name, [REDACTED], and title, [REDACTED].
I took the card and then accepted his outstretched hand. He said in a whisper, “Agent Red, I’m codename King. I’m your newest asset. I’ll be acting as your mole at Rodney Strong. I’ll reach out when I can secure a fantastic RS wine.”
I don’t know how he knew my true identity – and it didn’t much matter; And so a valuable new asset was developed. And, now you know how I came to procure today’s delicious Syrah for you!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of Rodney Strong Vineyards (look for the the brick-colored, X-shaped building) can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Rodney Strong Vineyards
About This Wine:
Bold and rich, with layers of black berry, damp earth, crushed black peppercorns, and vanilla bean, this impressive, full-bodied wine is aged in 100% French oak, which adds a subtle smoky spice character. Enjoy this flavorful petite sirah now and over the next 3 to 6 years.
Philosophy: Introducing our first ever Reserve Petite Sirah! We have only been growing and making petite sirah since the 2003 vintage, but as the 2006 season developed we were certain that one of our petite sirah blocks was going to be special, and with the addition of a small amount of some of our better Syrah, it really shines. The Alexander Valley has developed a reputation as one of the premier red wine growing regions in the state, and we have been growing and making wine here for over forty years. This one small lot was vinified separately, aged in our finest barrels, and ultimately chosen by our winemakers for complexity, concentration, richness, and mouth-feel.
In the Cellar: We crafted our first Reserve petite sirah in our new “winery within a winery.” Techniques, such as cluster pre-sorting, berry sorting, cold soaking, and a free-run only protocol were accomplished in a truly state of the art facility, with small tanks and equipment sized for the most discriminating vineyard selection process.
In the Vineyard: The 2006 vintage began with a rather late bud break during an unseasonably cool and wet spring. March rains slowed shoot growth down considerably, and set the timer for a late harvest. After a fine May and June, much of July was a scorcher, including a 10 day stretch where every day saw temperatures over 90 degrees, and several days topped out at 110! Fortunately, the delayed development of the grapes kept sun scorch to a minimum. Our Reserve petite sirah fruit was hand picked between September 18th and October 13th, and was accompanied by ideal harvest conditions.
About The Winery:
Rodney Strong is one of Sonoma County’s most dramatic wineries. Visitors are invited to our hospitality center offering a sampling of the award winning wines of Rodney Strong. Enjoy wine tasting with balcony views, taking a tour of the winery’s working centers, attending special events, or just relaxing with a picnic and glass of wine on our lush lawn set among the beautiful vineyards of the Russian River Valley.
“Rodney Strong Vineyards was founded on the recognition of Sonoma County’s potential for excellence. Through decades of grapegrowing and winemaking, we continue to fulfill the promise of the fine land. Our approach is for the grapes from each vineyard and growing region to express their intrinsic character in the special wines we craft. Gentle handling, careful use of barrel and stainless steel fermentation and proper oak aging are guided and monitored to enhance the natural characteristics of our fruit.”
“Today the winery owns and farms many exceptional vineyards in Sonoma County’s prime grapegrowing appellations where our critically acclaimed Estate, Vineyard Designated and Reserve wines are grown.” – Rick Sayre, Winemaker.
About The Winemaker:
Rick Sayre – Vice President, Director of Winemaking – Rick Sayre began his winemaking career in 1970 at the age of 19 as assistant winemaker and cellar master at Simi Winery in Sonoma County. He joined Rodney Strong Vineyards in 1979 and since has been responsible for winemaking for the Winery’s Sonoma County, Estate, and Reserve wines.
As a practitioner of handcrafted wines, Rick is involved in all aspects of winemaking from vineyard management through final blending. In 1991, his hands-on approach paid off as Wine & Spirits Magazine named him “Chardonnay Winemaker of the Year”. Again, in 1999 Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences named him “Winemaker of the Year”.
Rick’s education in winemaking began in the 1970s under the direction of the world-renowned winemaster, Andre Tchelistcheff. It is to Tchelistcheff that he attributes his passion for the art and his desire to master the craft. Always a perfectionist with an eye for detail, Rick continues to apply these traits to making the fine wine of Rodney Strong Vineyards. “It’s so important to be aware of everything,” he says. “Andre taught me that a winemaker must live with his wine, from walking the vineyards, to the careful craft of guiding the wine into bottle. Even the smallest details can have an effect.”
Rick has expanded his winemaking expertise with several trips to France, where he studied the interplay of oak and wine. His voracious appetite for knowledge in winemaking from around the world also inspired journeys to Australia, New Zealand and Spain.
After visiting many of the French cooperage houses, he decided to bring their barrel toasting techniques back to the States and became the first winemaker in California to install an in-house cooperage, specializing in toasting of American oak barrels. In recent years, Rick has worked closely with World Cooperage, a renown American cooperage company, in an effort to perfect the American oak barrel for winemaking.
Since his arrival at Rodney Strong Vineyards, Rick has been instrumental in bringing worldwide notoriety to the Winery’s Estate wines. Alexander’s Crown Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Chalk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay have set standards of Sonoma County winemaking, and have become favorites to consumers all over the United States.
Rick lives in Windsor with his wife, Peggy. Avid gardeners, the two are often spotted at the local farmer’s market selling their fruits and vegetables. Rick enjoys cooking delicious comfort food to accompany his wines. He also finds solace in casting a line now and again for any of a variety of fish. And, while he enjoys a handful of other sporting activities, he admits bruises and broken bones are for days past.
Technical Analysis:
Winemaker: Rick Sayre
Alcohol: 14.3%
Appellation: Alexander Valley
Varietals: 88% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah
TA: 0.6gm/100ml
pH: 3.77
Cellar & Fermentation: 23 months in 100% French oak barrels
