Wine Enthusiast:  While the 2006 has not yet been rated, it is worth noting the Wine Enthusiast review of the 2005 vintage:   "Rodney Strong�s Symmetry has complex flavors from being a blend of all five Bordeaux varieties. It shows a deep streak of dark stone fruits, black and blue berries, cassis, carob, violets and smoky cedar. Fine and elegant now, and it should develop nicely over the next decade."  Dec 2008

Winery:  "The 2006 Symmetry greets you with a generous bouquet of blackberries, ripe dark plums, sweet spices, and a hint of chocolate. It opens boldly on the palate with layers of blackberry, cassis, smoky dark chocolate and brown spice. This mouth-filling wine is rich, silky in texture, expansive, and quite long on the finish, and manages to be at once harmonious, powerful, and elegant. Intended to be enjoyable on release, Symmetry is destined for years of further evolution in the bottle. Savor it!

Select areas within each vineyard are hand harvested individually, fermented separately, and aged in the finest French oak barrels. After about six months, each lot is tasted and graded, and only the highest graded wines are considered for Symmetry. The blend is then assembled, and the wine is returned to barrels to facilitate flavor integration. The wine is aged an additional 12 to 18 months, depending on the vintage, before bottling."

Wired For Wine:  Brace yourselves for the Symmetry winelovers; it's a masterpiece.  The careful and meticulous crafting of this wine has resulted in a gorgeous Meritage which will bowl you over with its powerful elegance.  The dark red, juicy notes in the Symmetry are perfectly suited to lamb, beef, duck and grilled salmon.  Before we get to the food, though, we highly recommend having a glass of this ruby stunner by itself to start off your evening.  After you've revelled in that delicious glass, we suggest one of our favorite comfort foods: braised lamb shanks with lentils.  They will bring out even more of the magic of the Rodney Strong.  A roasted filet of beef with an herbed crust, accompanied by a brocolli,/potato/leek puree is a great alternative that's a little dressier.  Or, if you've been waiting for a chance to show off  your duck confit recipe, this is the wine for you.  To cap off what will no doubt be a memorable meal, we recommend a ripe, earthy Brie to bring it all to a close.  Forget the visions of sugarplums; you'll be dreaming of the Symmetry!

Size:  750 ml
Vintage:  2006
Varietal:  79% cabernet sauvignon, 10% malbec, 8% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot
Alcohol:15.3%
Development:  21 months in French oak
Region:  Alexander Valley, Sonoma Country, California
Production: 3,400 dozen