Rodney Strong Alexanders Crown Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 750ml

The 2014 Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown exhibits flavors of black and red cherry, blackberries, dried herbs, and violets. The wine is elegant, with a rich mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a long lingering finish with a touch of mocha. Enjoy this wine now or cellar it for enjoyment in 8 to 10 years.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander’s Crown Vineyard Estate opens with notions of freshly crushed red and black currants with touches of black cherries and mulberries plus a waft of fallen leaves.

Medium to full-bodied, it has a good firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of juicy black fruits, finishing long and refreshing.

A very grippy, youthful, and tight example with bay leaf and blackcurrant aromas. The palate is tannic with bold oak and cassis characters. A lovely food wine.

Established in 1971 and recognized as the first vineyard in Sonoma County to produce a single vineyard cabernet sauvignon, Alexander’s Crown is perched on a hill in the south center of the Alexander Valley just west of Jimtown.

It rises to about 350 feet at its peak with a soil composition of predominantly well-drained gravelly loam derived from both river sediments and volcanic activity. The top of the hill, block 1, is red in color and tends to produce the most intensely flavored wine.

The first part of the valley to feel ocean air in the afternoon, the Crown expresses cabernet in an almost Bordeaux-like style, with ripe flavors centered on red fruit, soft tannins, and balanced acidity.