ROWEN Wine Company, the latest label from Sonoma County’s iconic Rodney Strong Wine Estates (RSWE), has received three perfect 100-point scores for its ultra-luxury, high-elevation wines. The SOMM Journal reviewed ROWEN’s 2018 and 2019 vintages, awarding perfect scores to the 2018 “600R,” 2019 “600R,” and 2019 “600L,” as rated by Meridith May. The reviews will be featured in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of the magazine. These wines, crafted in the Bordeaux blend style, are hand-picked and meticulously produced in 600-liter French oak barrels, where they are both fermented and aged. The “R” in 600R represents Right Bank Merlot and Cabernet Franc blends, while the “L” in 600L signifies Left Bank blends, primarily based on Cabernet Sauvignon.
This achievement marks a milestone for RSWE, as it is the first time the winery has received a perfect 100-point score in its 65-year history. The winery, currently owned by third-generation farmer and businessman Tom Klein, has been under the Klein family’s ownership for 35 years.
ROWEN Wine Company, launched in 2019, showcases the unique terroir of its 200-acre vineyard planted on The Cooley Ranch, a historic property high in the mountains above Lake Sonoma, at the northern edge of Sonoma County. “The Cooley Ranch, with its red metamorphic soils and high elevation above the fog line, yields grapes with concentrated flavors and ripe tannins, resulting in extraordinary wines,” says ROWEN winemaker Justin Seidenfeld.
The name ROWEN refers to an old Anglican term for a second harvest in one season or an “unexpected windfall,” a nod to the brand’s early success. Seidenfeld views the scores as validation of their goal to establish a legacy brand. He credits Tom Klein for challenging him to produce the best wines in RSWE’s history, empowering him to create a state-of-the-art winery facility called “The Boneyard,” where custom fermenters were designed to elevate the quality of the Cooley Ranch grapes.
Seidenfeld also initiated a multimillion-dollar replanting of RSWE’s top vineyards, such as Alexander’s Crown, Rockaway, Brothers, and River West, starting in 2018. This effort improved wine quality while reducing water usage across the entire RSWE portfolio.
“In the words of Pablo Picasso, ‘We learned the rules like a pro so we could break them like an artist,’” Seidenfeld reflects on his 15th vintage at RSWE in 2024. “ROWEN allows me to explore new ideas to surprise and delight our customers, resulting in some truly special wines.”
The production of ROWEN wines is extremely limited, with fewer than 800 bottles of each wine made. Seidenfeld personally hand-numbered each bottle, which was aged for 24 months in custom-made 600-liter barrels of new French oak. While the wines offer distinct flavor profiles, they share a common structure, density, balance, complexity, and purity of fruit, making them the pinnacle of the RSWE portfolio.
