I was at TJ’s (surprise surprise, right?) and I saw the Rodney Strong 2014 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc on the shelf for $12. Normally this runs for about $17 to $20 so I jumped at the chance to try it. My husband was home and he’s a big Sauv Blanc fan so I couldn’t wait to get it home.
The Rodney Strong 2014 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc hails from Sonoma county. The grapes come from Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley. You can taste the different aspects by location quite clearly in this wine. The ABV is 13.5% on this. I chilled the wine down to 45 degrees and this is one that needs to stay cold throughout drinking, so grab an ice bucket or a Corkcicle. We used stemless white wine glasses for tasting. Upon opening the wine, you got a little hit of melon. The wine was an exceptionally pale warm beige.
The Rodney Strong 2014 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc has a moderately perfumed nose. The main notes are melon, tropical fruits like passion fruit and pineapple, gooseberry, and peach. There is a hint of minerals in the nose as well. When you taste the wine, you can taste all the notes from the nose with a surprising amount of added citrus, lime blossom, and slight herbaceous tones. As the wine warms, the citrus becomes more distinctly lime and grapefruit in flavor. As it warms, the melon becomes slightly over ripe in flavor, bringing down the delicate balance it had when chilled properly. The finish is moderate in length with candied citrus peels, honeycomb, and lemon. The acid is moderate but it still works with higher fat foods like cheese. The wine as a certain richness to the body without affecting the crisp nature which is a really nice quality.
My husband and I really struggled to rate this one. I think when it’s perfectly chilled it’s about 88 points and 86 points when it’s warmed up. It loses a lot of nuances when it’s warmer. Keep it cold and only pour a few sips at a time to enjoy it at its peak. For $12 it’s a definite value.
Have you tried Rodney Strong 2014 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc? Let us know what you thought!
Sounds interesting. I have a girls getaway weekend coming up this weekend. Might have to consider this.
If you don’t have a way to keep it cold, it won’t taste as nice. I’d go for what I mentioned last week, the Josefina Rosé unless your friends are wine snobs. If they have more refined taste, I’d still probably go for a rosé but something a little more complex or dry like Acrobat Rosé or Miraval if they like Brad Pitt and you can afford $25 to $30 a bottle.