Brit's Corner June 201

Brit's Corner - June 2013
I've been searching for great bottles of red wine under $15 lately, and have been partially successful. Two cabernet sauvignon's have come to my attention. First was our wine club selection for Friday, June 14th, Rodney Strong 2010 from Sonoma County. Rodney Strong has a good reputation of producing good wine at a reasonable price and this selection was no exception.  Priced at $12-15 this was a good value.  I also sampled a Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2010 cabernet sauvignon, about same price.  Robert Mondavi also has a similar reputation and also did not disappoint.

First, bear with me for a geography lesson... both Sonoma and Napa are about equi-distant from the northernmost end of the San Fransisco Bay area, which is called San Pedro Bay.  They are about 20 kilometers north of the bay and about the same distance from each other (east to west).  One could expect the grapes in these two areas to be very similar as they have the same soil, weather, etc...  And they were. 

The Rodney Strong cab had quite a bite at first, with pepper and smokey oak overpowering any other flavors, in the initial sips (also a buttery taste).  This subsided with each sip giving way to a nice, pleasant taste where one could taste the fruits better and a typical Cabernet flavor; very enjoyable. 

The Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon was very similar, but perhaps just a bit less bite initially, but also it didn't seem to fade as quickly.  By the end of the first glass both wines had pretty much lost their bites and the dark fruits shone forth. Rodney Strong had maybe a cherry hint while the Mondavi was maybe more of a plum, but otherwise very similar.  I rate both a 3 on the Brit scale, although maybe a weak 3 and admitedly, I tasted the Rodney Strong on an empty stomach.  I had no cheese or other food to sample with the wine to get a better culinary experience.  The Robert Mondavi was a different story, as I had lasagna for lunch before tasting it.  That probably impacted the tasting.

In summary, both wines are from generally the same region, same grape, same vintage, and very similar in flavor.  I like them both!  Up next, I'll share some Merlot experiences!

Until next time, here's wishing you good eats, and good wine treats!

- Brit