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The Joy of Wine
Founded by Koerner Rombauer (a relation of Irma Rombauer, author of the best-selling Joy of Cooking), Rombauer Winery is a successful, family-owned Napa Valley winery with sales of over 150,000 cases per year, six estate vineyards, and some of the most loyal fans of any winery anywhere. (Employees are loyal as well. Ritchie Allen, Rombauer’s Australian-born winemaker, began his career as a harvest intern in 2004). Yet becoming one of Napa Valley’s premier wineries did not happen overnight. In the 1970s, the Rombauers began as partners in the Conn Creek Winery, only establishing their own label and winery in 1980. It wasn’t until 1990, with Chardonnay from the Sangiacomo Vineyard in Carneros, that the transformation into a major winery truly began. The 1991 Carneros Chardonnay not only received rave reviews, it placed 68th on the Wine Spectator list of top 100 wines. As demand grew, Rombauer decided to begin farming. In 2002, Rombauer purchased the Buchli Station Vineyard in Carnernos to serve as a main source of Chardonnay. Other vineyards – on Atlas Peak and in St. Helena and Calistoga – produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their estate Zinfandel comes from the old-vine vineyard that surrounds the winery as well another in Amador County. The winery also maintains long-term leases with growers throughout Napa and Lake Counties and the Sierra Foothills.
Rombauer wines are unashamedly Californian; they are rich, opulent, luscious, fruit forward, and ready to drink upon release. Their complex spectrum of aroma and flavor includes not only the primary fruit but an amalgam of butter and spice notes from oak ageing, malolactic fermentation, lees stirring and other winemaking techniques. Though popular, they are not easy or inexpensive to produce. Vineyard managers use aerial photography to tailor their practices to individual vineyard blocks. Many tons of grapes must be harvested within a critical time window, when they have developed ideal ripeness while retaining enough acidity to undergo barrel aging. In order to make wine from only the best berries, Rombauer owns not one but two optical sorters, so that large quantities of grapes can be processed quickly. All the Chardonnay and many of the red wines go through primary and malolactic fermentation in barrel in order produce the flavors and textures so loved by the customers and critics alike. Some have said that Rombauer wines exemplify a powerful, “in your face,” style of California wine. Rombauer would respond that their legions of fans are more than happy with the winery continuing to refine its house style. While there is a role (and market) for leaner wines modeled on Chablis or Graves, Rombauer reminds us that we can take pleasure – and get joy – from the rich bounty of the Napa Valley.
Wine MakerRichie Allen
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
Pour your friends a glass of Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc, and smiles and appreciative murmurs are sure to follow. Aromatically exciting and with flavors so fresh, crisp, and layered, one sip leads to another. The winery is hailing the 2021 vintage because “the dry conditions delivered fruit full of flavor and bursting with aromas of lime zest, lychee, grapefruit, and white peach. It’s mouthwatering, thirst-quenching, and downright delicious.” A blend of Napa Valley and Sonoma County vineyards, it was fermented largely in stainless steel with about 10% fermenting in barrel and 4% in concrete. A taste starts with lively notes on the nose (lime, citrus, white flowers) and continues through the mouthwatering midpalate and long finish where flavors of pink grapefruit and tart apple evolve into secondary notes of lemon-lime and chalky minerality. This is an excellent food wine. It will rock with guacamole, teriyaki shrimp, or pad Thai.
While Rombauer Chardonnay is reputed to be juicy rich, ripe and buttery – i.e. a style that epitomizes “California” – it’s usually a hit with both critics and die-hard fans. For beyond the fruit forward notes of baked apple, citrus and spice, Rombauer’s Carneros Chardonnay is balanced, fresh and food-friendly. Rather than make a wine that will reach perfection in ten years, Rombauer suggests, “Why not make it taste good right off the bat?” As in previous years, the wine is attractive and smooth, with nuances of peach, citrus, pie crust, and a deliciously creamy texture. Recommended pairings include fettuccine with salmon and asparagus or even a roast turkey with herbs and gravy.
While Rombauer Chardonnay is reputed to be juicy rich, ripe and buttery – i.e. a style that epitomizes “California” – it’s usually a hit with both critics and die-hard fans. For beyond the fruit forward notes of baked apple, citrus and spice, Rombauer’s Carneros Chardonnay is balanced, fresh and food-friendly. Rather than make a wine that will reach perfection in ten years, Rombauer suggests, “Why not make it taste good right off the bat?” As in previous years, the wine is attractive and smooth, with nuances of peach, citrus, pie crust, and a deliciously creamy texture. Recommended pairings include fettuccine with salmon and asparagus or even a roast turkey with herbs and gravy.
This Zin is a richly-layered, exuberant, and full-bodied wine that zaps you with flavors that seem to go on for days. The 2020 growing season was long, dry, and mild, producing excellent Zinfandel, especially in vineyards in the Sierra foothills that were far from the fires in Napa County. Sourced from old-vine vineyards in Amador, (44%), El Dorado (43%), Lake, (8%), and Napa (5%) counties, this Zinfandel is so seductive, plush and velvety, you might not notice it also packs a punch with 15.9% ABV! As the winery puts it, “The wine bursts with bright fruit aromas of cherry and red plum, with notes of vanilla, holiday spices, and lavender all jumping out on the nose. Plum flavors continue to the palate, joined by layers of raspberry jam, mocha, clove, and white pepper. The mid palate is soft and creamy, framed by fine tannins and ending with a long, lush finish which will leave you wanting another sip.” Given the exuberant character of this wine, a few minutes on ice or in the fridge before serving will tone down the alcohol and enhance the complex aromas and flavors - especially on a warm afternoon or evening!
Purple-black in hue and brimming with bold cherry, blackberry and spice, Rombauer Cabernet is is about as “Napa Valley” as it gets. Sourced from vineyards in St. Helena, Calistoga, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, and Carneros AVAs, this Cab combines extraordinary terroir and exquisite craft. Each year, a significant portion of the wine is barrel-fermented, which, with red wines, is a difficult, labor-intensive, even risky process. Instead of punching down or pumping over, each barrel has to be rolled by hand throughout the maceration. However, the reward lies in the rich and silky mouthfeel and in the early-drinkability of the wine. That Rombauer barrel-ferments even this higher-volume bottling is yet one more example of the value the winery seeks to give its customers. Try this complex, fruit-driven wine with grilled steaks, rack of lamb, or braised beef shanks.