90pts Wine Spectator

A solid, direct style, with dark cherry and black currant preserves flanked by alder and cedar. Shows a swath of tobacco that coats the fruit on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 600 cases made.

90pts Wine Enthusiast

Vivid toasted oak aromas and rich clove and cinnamon flavors dominate this full-bodied and moderately tannic wine as blackberries and black cherries take a back seat. Sandy tannins and a smoky, chocolate note carry the palate. 

90pts Jeb Dunnuck

The third single vineyard selection, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers reveals an equally dark appearance, with spicy aromatics of licorice, graphite, cedar, and baked black cherry. Full-bodied and fruit-forward, it takes on more primary fruit through the mid-palate, with blackberry preserve, pressed flowers, and cocoa powder, and has a more balanced profile. Drink this over the next few years.

Tasting Notes

The 2018 Brothers is a deeply rich wine with complex flavors of dark berries and cassis. The wine is bursting with blackberry, plum and wonderful chocolate and mocha notes followed by a round and seductive mid-palate and a long lingering finish. Enjoy this wine now or cellar it for enjoyment in 8 to 10 years.

Vineyard Notes

In the hills to the east of the small town of Cloverdale, Brothers spans 141 acres, nearly all planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with a small amount of Malbec at the top. The vineyard is on well-drained loam underlain by sandstone, shale, and ancient greenstone. Its elevations, surpassing 1,000 feet, and its primarily western aspect perfectly situate the vines to capture the full warmth and light of the afternoon sun, ripening Cabernet well into the chocolate and black fruit profile, with exceptional richness.

Winery Notes

Our story begins over 60 years ago, when a celebrated American dancer named Rod Strong settled in Sonoma County to pursue a second lifelong creative passion: winemaking. Rodney Strong Vineyards was the 13th winery bonded in the newly discovered Sonoma County wine industry. A trio of winemaking paths crossed when Rick Sayre joined the team as Winemaker in 1979, and again when the Klein Family, 4th generation California farmers, purchased the winery in 1989 and initiated a renewed commitment of modern artisan winemaking. Through the years, Rodney Strong Vineyards has earned the reputation for critically acclaimed Single Vineyard and Reserve wines, stand out Estate releases and best-in-class Sonoma County varietal wines.