A little bit of oak and slightly buttery however very pleasant with seared scallops in butter with a truffled orzo. Not a big Chardonnay fan or judge of character, but paired really well with the meal. A little bit of toffee on the lingering finish. Would not be my first choice in purchasing, but this was won in an auction along with a package of wine from this winery. Pleasantly surprised with this offering. Would buy if on a wine list at a restaurant if no other white wine favorites are available
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A pleasant Chardonnay! It starts off so light and airy with a little oak and some apple. The middle loses some of the sweet and the oak is great. It finshes very smooth and has a little apple to finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What to say about the consistent Rombauer style--it remains the same vintage to vintage. Big, creamy lush chard that handled a rich salmon dish topped with codfish soufflé,
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hardly recognizeable as Chardonnay. There is some decent fruit underlying this but it’s cloaked by heavy oak treatment and consequent vanilla spice flavors.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Solid as usual. One of the most consistent Chardonnays from Napa. Some consider it too buttery. We think has just the right balance between fruit, oak and acid to make it enjoyable with food or on it's own. Our go to Chard.
Still the one! I have been enjoying this wine for over 20 years (1997), when I discovered it in a restaurant in LV, when I was asked to choose the wine for a dinner party. At the time, I chose it because of the Carneros designation. Little did I know, the entire table (20 plus) would be raving about it all night long. Today, I chose the wine for the distinctive spicey oak flavor and finish. It has real nice acidity and balance, too. Many describe this wine as buttery. I don’t really get the butter. Vanilla and spicey oak, yes, just not buttery as others experience and describe. Time after time, vintage after vintage, this wine just does it for me. Do not drink too cold. Drink slightly chilled and just enjoy every sip. Yum!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What to say? Rombauer Chardonnay remains "the bomb," consistently providing a smack you in the face, year after year, Creme brulet creamy elixir. You either like it or you don't--subtlety is not it's forte. We enjoyed with last night's take away Mardis Gras meal highlighted by shrimp remoulade, blackened salmon and jambalaya...I must confess, though, that over time, my appreciation for more subdued "elegant" burgundy wines, in the French style, has increased, while not dampening my occasional taste for a big Rombauer...
Melon, butter, croissant and some floral notes on the nose. A medium weight body, very buttery with plus acidity, toning down since last tasted. Still too hot on the finish...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We don't drink a lot of chard, so this is usually our go to bottle with poultry dishes. Nice balance of crisp fruit and oak, but the oak is not over done like so many big chards tend to be. And a decent QPR to boot.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This has been our favourite chardonnay for several years. It's not overly oaky or buttery, with a smooth finish. We are not huge fans of the citrusy style chardonnays so we find the Rombauer has a great balance for our tastes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium bodied with palpable oak but not overbearing. Pleasant Aroma of lemon, vanilla, caramel/toffee with flavors of vanilla and desert (creme brulee).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice consistent and somewhat basic California chardonnay. Ripe apple and peach with oak notes on the nose. Good body and acid on the palate. Drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Currently our favorite chardonnay and we drink a ton of chardonnay. Smooth, nicely oaked, and with a bit of classic buttery finish. Always a crowd pleaser.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I read through all of the CT reviews. As happens with some varietals which present in an array of styles, these scores between 89-94. are all “right”. No one can deny this chardonnay is well crafted: rich, balanced, delicious, clean, no off notes. So, that gets us to 89/90. The 4 or 5 points after that are subjective. Regular consumers of great chablis may find Rombauer vulgar, a heavy breathing body builder invading a gentle vegan yoga class. I went through a ten year stage of frequently drinking CA monsters like this: Kistler, Marcassin, Patz and Hall, The Judge, etc, but grew palate weary. I just stopped buying and drinking them regularly. But like a titillating short term encounter with an ex you haven’t seen in years, when you’ve been away then come back, you are well reminded of your faded passion. I love the intense fruits: tangerine, coconut and pear, and that lingering finish of warm toast slathered in remarkably fresh butter, so comforting and decadent. That orange citrus acidity carries through to the end, try this with sole, turbot or lobster and a citrus beurre blanc. Romby, you’re a little fat, but I missed you.
This is a wonderful Chardonnay. Rich and elegant with nice acidity and balance. Opened up after 30 minutes in the glass and offered aromas of citrus, pear and apple. Flavors were the same with a touch of honey. Not a fan of the typical overly oaky and buttery Cali Chardonnays. This is a nice example of how good a Chardonnay can be when those traits aren’t overdone. Will be buying more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We have a bottle every week, still our favorite chardonnay. We like the touch of sweetness and the oak quality. Goes very well with all seafood, from lobster, crab, shrimp, fish. Our house chardonnay. Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We're trying to remain partial on this tasting despite some prejudices against this wine :)
Tart apple and pear. Lighly oaked with medium butter, strong acidity (maybe too much?), packs a strong first punch but falls a tad flatter on the finish. It has some minerality to it - just a hint of rocky fizz.
This wine was a nice pairing for some scallop scampi with heaps of lemon.
The wine continues to evolve and though still young seems to be entering a good period when opened for more than 6 hours. The fruits are vivid with tropical notes both on the nose and in mouth. The mid palette has cedar wood and vanilla in the mix. First sipping is acidic and closed so let sit for a couple of years or decant for 6 hours.
This is really an exceptional wine for Rombauer Chard's. I have tasted them for at least 18 years and this vintage seems up there with some of the best. Raising score !
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind White Burgundy: The single blind lineup was: - 2011 Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - 2016 Louis Jadot (Duc de Magenta) Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot - Clos de la Chapelle" - 2014 Xavier Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres - 2012 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon - 1990 Fabien Coche-Bouillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres - 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros - 2013 St Innocent Shea Pinot Noir (Bonus Red)
This wine was thrown in as the rube of the bunch. This wine was very upsetting to the 5 of us, because it garnered 3 first places, including mine, and was wine of the night by the group. Again, this was single blind. I don't know if this wine stood out for being different, or some other factor. For myself, I loved the acidity, it had gorgeous golden yellow fruit and the palate was explosive compared to the other bottles. Wines typically lose points when they're tasted blind, and I'm scoring this bottle significantly higher than I've ever scored a Rombauer chardonnay. I'm also going to buy more.
Virtual White Burgundy Tasting (Home): Light gold color. PNP and poured into vessels at 4:15, sealed and poured into glasses around 6:30 or in my case a bit after 7pm; drank a glass single blind over 2.5 hours. This was the ringer, and while it fit the mold realatively well, it didn't really fool me. I had this as the Rombauer after the first pass through the wines. I really appreciate the transformation of Rombauer's style over the previous few years - much more elegant and restrained with everything dialed back in a most positive way to my liking. The changes really do stand out, particularly when drank next to a flight of White Burgs. Go ahead and dis Rombauer if you must, but know that you're missing out on a pretty nice wine these days. This was too young to be hitting its sweet spot, but still showing pretty well. The tip off for me was this had the most fruit, but it certainly was not opulent. The fruit was more to pear with a little tropical note and then citrus with just a hint of floral notes. The palate is medium plus bodied, pear, pear panna cotta, nice texture, light vanilla bean, just a touch of sweetness to the fruit. There's still nice mineral notes both on the nose and palate. I like these with more like 4 to 5 years to really sing. Correctly identified. 91(+)pts.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Zooming through Burgundy and Chablis!: The theme for this Zoom tasting was white Burgundy/Chablis. The host also threw in a Rombauer Chardonnay to keep us honest. The wines were poured in jars for transport around 4:00-4:30 and then transported and poured into glasses at 6:15, and drank over the next couple hours. Pours were approx 5 oz. The line-up included the following:
- 2011 Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - 2016 Louis Jadot (Duc de Magenta) Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot - Clos de la Chapelle" - 2014 Xavier Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres - 2012 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon - 1990 Fabien Coche-Bouillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres - 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros - 2013 St Innocent Shea Pinot Noir (Bonus Red)
The wines were served single blind and results were as follows: Group's top 3: Number 1 was the Rombauer (huge surprise); number 2 was the 2011 Fevre Les Clos; and number 3 was the 2012 Dauvissat Chablis. My order was: (1) 2018 Rombauer; (2) 2014 Xavier Monnot Les Folatieres; (3) 2011 Fevre Les Clos; (4) 2012 Dauvissat Chablis; (5) Jadot Morgeot - Clos de la Chapelle; and (6) 1990 Fabien Les Folatieres. All wines were very good, except the 1990 Fabien was oxidized, but still drinkable.
- 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay: This was a pleasant surprise...and I do mean SURPRISE! Not only did I have a difficult time picking out the Rombauer (Kudos to RocknRoller, he was the only one who picked correctly, and even tried to warn us!), but I picked this as WOTN! This was mine and the groups number 1 wine with a very good line-up of white Burgundies.
The palate was intoxicating with floral and fruit notes, as well notes of limestone and hints of oak. On the palate, this was a well integrated wine that showed depth and complexity, with pear, apple, sea shell, and honey suckle, followed by toasted bread and sweet oak, all balanced perfectly. The wine could not have been drinking any better. It has been a while since I had Rombauer, and it was difficult to pick out of the group (I confused it with the 2016 Jadot). I was pleasantly surprised how balanced and integrated this wine was drinking....a huge improvement over their older vintages (going back to 2012...and I liked those wines too, but not as much as this). While I fully expect most of the Burgundies to surpass this wine eventually, they certainly did not this night! Kudos to Rombauer and a well-made Chardonnay!! 92+ tonight!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Always good, warm presummer night with pan roasted halibut, roasted yellow squash and arugula salad.
Every time I open a bottle the first sip takes me back to the tasting room overlooking their flowers and walking trail. Consistantly good, year over year, and its exactly what you pay for.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar notes to recent tasting. I want to add that tonight this bottle has been opened for 1 week. It is better now than it was 1 week ago. Time is improving this wine and I would recommend holding them for a year or more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Year-in, year-out you either love this wine or hate it. I would drink it in a pinch but would rather eat movie theater buttered popcorn or peanut brittle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is subtle and delicately crafted that, at this time, is overtly acidic, unfortunately detracting from the citrus and tropical fruit insinuations which may well not ever progress to more prominence. There is a tight grained and non-toasted oak appearance imparted on the terminal finish, without diacetyl (buttery) identity, but having a persistent dominance of vanilla. The 90 rating is from my wife, I however am less impressed by at least three rating points. More aging may diminish the acidity, but will the shy and retiring fruit survive? Is this a vintage affliction. 04/22/2020 I was under the impression this forum served to share our tasting impressions with like-minded fellow wine enthusiasts. While we all express our oenophile reflections in our most sincere communications, and drawing upon our past descriptive modifiers to honestly convey our unique respective experiences, it regrettably attracts those who only wish to find fault in our style of vocabulary (or typing errors committed after consuming several glasses of wine) rather than focusing on our substance and true intention of mutual discovery. Perhaps shelter in place brings out this unfortunate tendency, to unnecessarily critique an earnest contributor and sadly contribute nothing to the true spirit of respectful dialogue. Luckily this is an aberrant outlier in the population of generously sharing contributors.
The wine has an aromatic presence of citrus and lemon nose. In mouth and right from the start I found a sharper Rombauer Chardonnay than I am used to. Vibrant acidity which I find a little strange for these wines. Mid palette softens but not much as I believe this wine needs to settle.
This wine should be held For more time before drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Always intriguing enough to keep me coming back. Had with homemade spicey tuna rolls. Enough body to balance the heat of the tuna rolls, and enough complexity to entice me for another sip. Always glad to have this around. Good, not great, perfect for most at home meals requiring a Chardonnay.
Get more every few months and will continue to. Bravo Rombauer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose - very vibrant. Lemon curd. Medium plus. Butter. Popcorn.
Palate - medium plus intensity. Flavors include lemon, ripe pear (those Harry and David Sun Gold ones), cedar, acidity is medium, alcohol feels integrated (lists as 14.5), body is medium/medium plus. Buttery. Finish is medium. Youthful and on its way up.
It’s a winter chard, one that can hold its own with something heavier and the buttery Side makes me think this could pair nicely with lobster, escargot, or other shellfish that plays well with a butter sauce.
I’ll be curious how this evolves. At the moment it’s a bit “in your face” but with a finesse that feels curious.
With a bit more air, getting effervescent qualities, cinnamon is emerging and other baking spices, getting more apple, baked apple, apple pie. Feeling heavier in body. I preferred it more out of the gate with the lemon curd.
Just read a bunch of past reviews. It’s opened into more of a big oaky Cali chard. It’s either your style or not. To my palate, for the winter fine, but in general I prefer something more acidic, fruity, and unoaked. Unless it’s with lobster or something in a garlicky butter sauce. Just had it with a chicken, lemon, and rosemary stew, and this paired nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well balanced. Just enough butter and creaminess to give it depth and body but enough acidity to keep it lithe and composed. Normally prefer Chablis over CA style but this is great. Paired with creamy pumpkin soup w celery leaves.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine has an aromatic presence of citrus and lemon nose. In mouth and right from the start I found a sharper Rombauer Chard. Vibrant acidity which I find a little strange for these wines. Mid palette softens but not much as I believe this wine needs to settle. Thinking That its drinking needs a year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Disappointing immediately out of the bottle but after a long time decanting the flavour in this wine came alive. Lots and lots of buttered toast and banana on the nose. Full bodied white with creamy, pineapple flavour. A touch too acidic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good acidity. Yellow-Lemon in color. Medium legs and long finish. This is definitely one of my favorite Chardonnays. If you like butter and oak you will love this Chardonnay. I will definitely buy again. I decanted the wine for about two hours after pouring it through a Venturi. The wine looks yellow gold colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like lemon and orange. The body is medium/full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
To my taste, this is a little over-oaked. A little unbalanced on the oak side. The mouthfeel is creamy and lucious. It is a good example of a Oaked Napa Chardonnay. I preferred the DuMol, which we tasted side-by-side. The DuMol, from Sonoma, was more balanced in my opinion. Not as Oaked and a little more acidic.
Good easy-drinking wine, and it checks all the boxes you want for a big buttery Cali chardonnay. Not memorable or special though, and not worth $35. There are numerous options for good grocery store chardonnay for a lot less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Retailer tasting. Medium lemon colour. Ripe stone fruit notes, toasty oak and vanilla, with well-handled oak, just enough acidity, a touch of residual sugar and very good persistence. Sneaky winemaking. This wine would probably become too sweet and broad for me if I had more than one glass, but I can see this appeal to many palates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great acidity, overall better than the 2017s. More complexity, less butter bomb than 2016. Smooth and easy with tart fruit notes. Looking forward to more of these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rombauer Five Course Dinner (Flemings, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Flemings Rombauer Dinner, nose of citrus and spring flowers, same on the palate, medium body, tasty, simple, mouth filling fruit, less butter and oak than in the past, unexciting, medium/long finish. Paired with Tuna Crudo which was delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 08/16/19 + 5 Shared Bottles (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Harvested Sept. 8-Oct. 23, 2018 @ 23.7° ave Brix; "The grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed while the fruit was still cool. The juice was pumped to tank to cold-settle overnight before it was racked to barrel for primary & malolactic fermentation. The lees were stirred every 2 wks to give the wine rich flavors & a creamy texture. Aged 9 mos in AM & FR oak barrels (1/3 new); 14.5% ABV;"
N: Flowers, spice, with hints of butter? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; VERY RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish oak/frt (threshold R.S.?) with acidity SUBTLY balancing into the LONG, almost creamy, yet "pleasant" finish with POSS a HINT of incipient quasi-bitter flatness? Drink now & through '20. Not my style, so one should take my VG+ (88,89/100 using that metric) with a grain of salt. [DO check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price!]
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
To be upfront, we are big Rombauer Chardonnay fans. Can't think of a vintage that has disappointed us. And although still very young, the 2018 is outstanding. Perfect balance between butter and acid. Paired excellent with a smoked salmon app and shrimp scampi main course.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At the top of our House Whites list of regular drinkers... the 2018 continues the string of past success for us. It's a lovely mid-weight Chard that is full of the classic flavors, and the oak is perfectly balanced. Buttery but crisp... what a lunch wine!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Okay, here we go! We used to drink Rombauer Chardonnay by the case about ten years ago. Since then we've become all wine-woke and, like good AFWE oenophiles, we wouldn't deign to sully our lips with this syrupy, supersaturated fruit elixir. Or would we?
This is the 2018 product, apparently fresh off the vine, stuffed into bottles, and delivered straight to Whole Foods Market.
On visual inspection, this wine is much less concentrated than I remember. It used to be nuclear waste yellow. Now it's more of a pretty lemon color. Very clear, very bright.
On nose, this wine is also different than I remembered it. Yes, memory is fallible, but the scent is so tightly associated with personal history that any difference is noticeable. This is much more restrained than it used to be. Less melon, less caramel. More white fruit, passionfruit, a hint of butterscotch, and some smokiness. Even a bit of dustiness - is Rombauer turning into Chablis?
One sip and it's clear that the answer is no. It's a return to form on the palate. Very full bodied, bold new oak, buttery finish, melon, smoke, vanilla. Pow!
Two glasses of Rombauer before the art opening and that's a good night right there.
At the end of the day, this is actually a pretty okay wine (that's okay, not "oaky", which it also is). It is a great exemplar of a style which I once loved and which I will not admit still liking - no, never, never will I admit such a thing. But it's clearly a deliberately and well-crafted product, and I am appreciating every sip.
9/25/2023 - CaptBmann Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pale gold full body Granny Smith touch of sweet buttery smooth
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2022 - Duce wrote: 93 Points
Still drinking very well
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2022 - Chill51 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A little bit of oak and slightly buttery however very pleasant with seared scallops in butter with a truffled orzo. Not a big Chardonnay fan or judge of character, but paired really well with the meal. A little bit of toffee on the lingering finish. Would not be my first choice in purchasing, but this was won in an auction along with a package of wine from this winery. Pleasantly surprised with this offering. Would buy if on a wine list at a restaurant if no other white wine favorites are available
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2022 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent vintage. Rich and creamy with a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2022 - Greythorne Cellars Likes this wine:
Excellent as usual
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2022 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Seemed a bit over extracted. A little too oaky. May be just a little too much bottle age. Drink up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2022 - lbrooks Likes this wine: 89 Points
A pleasant Chardonnay! It starts off so light and airy with a little oak and some apple. The middle loses some of the sweet and the oak is great. It finshes very smooth and has a little apple to finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2022 - TastesGoodToMe wrote: 90 Points
Starting to fade. Time to drink up
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2022 - Fudgie wrote:
Ugh!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2022 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still going well but time to drink up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2022 - Eslotnick.es@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
What to say about the consistent Rombauer style--it remains the same vintage to vintage. Big, creamy lush chard that handled a rich salmon dish topped with codfish soufflé,
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2022 - ItalianoWino Likes this wine: 91 Points
The citrus and buttery flavors Paired nicely with the grilled salmon with a lemon butter dill sauce
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2022 - Crusty Reader Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mild, light acid, not very sweet, creamy finish, lightly oaked Chardonnay. Drank over three or four days with chicken and salmon dinners.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2021 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still going well. Currently better than 2019.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2021 - M.M. Likes this wine: 83 Points
Not as full bodied as the ones we love but good acidity, good fruit, well balanced, a little not delicate but light for our style
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2021 - mclanew Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Hardly recognizeable as Chardonnay. There is some decent fruit underlying this but it’s cloaked by heavy oak treatment and consequent vanilla spice flavors.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2021 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid as usual. One of the most consistent Chardonnays from Napa. Some consider it too buttery. We think has just the right balance between fruit, oak and acid to make it enjoyable with food or on it's own. Our go to Chard.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
4/19/2021 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Super riche et ample mais fort complexe.
Fleurs, amandes, citrons Meyer et des amandes.
Long et persistant, délicieux.
Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2021 - StaceyK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth , delicious.one of my favorites.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2021 - Thebigbaby Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still the one! I have been enjoying this wine for over 20 years (1997), when I discovered it in a restaurant in LV, when I was asked to choose the wine for a dinner party. At the time, I chose it because of the Carneros designation. Little did I know, the entire table (20 plus) would be raving about it all night long. Today, I chose the wine for the distinctive spicey oak flavor and finish. It has real nice acidity and balance, too. Many describe this wine as buttery. I don’t really get the butter. Vanilla and spicey oak, yes, just not buttery as others experience and describe. Time after time, vintage after vintage, this wine just does it for me. Do not drink too cold. Drink slightly chilled and just enjoy every sip. Yum!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2021 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit better than the 2019 vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2021 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with past vintages. Quite good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2021 - Eslotnick.es@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
What to say? Rombauer Chardonnay remains "the bomb," consistently providing a smack you in the face, year after year, Creme brulet creamy elixir. You either like it or you don't--subtlety is not it's forte. We enjoyed with last night's take away Mardis Gras meal highlighted by shrimp remoulade, blackened salmon and jambalaya...I must confess, though, that over time, my appreciation for more subdued "elegant" burgundy wines, in the French style, has increased, while not dampening my occasional taste for a big Rombauer...
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/13/2021 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 90 Points
Melon, butter, croissant and some floral notes on the nose. A medium weight body, very buttery with plus acidity, toning down since last tasted. Still too hot on the finish...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2021 - H. Eugene Likes this wine: 93 Points
If you like a buttery Chardonnay, it does not get any better than this. Damn! This wine is terrific.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2021 - H. Eugene Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great Chardonnay, especially if you like a buttery tasting Chardonnay
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2021 - Johnnycakes30 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Delicious. Almost better at room temp. Crisp
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2020 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth, full-bodied
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2020 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
We don't drink a lot of chard, so this is usually our go to bottle with poultry dishes. Nice balance of crisp fruit and oak, but the oak is not over done like so many big chards tend to be. And a decent QPR to boot.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2020 - M&AWines wrote: 93 Points
Tasted like Nilla wafers with a little acidity. Very drinkable. Went great with lobster rolls.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2020 - curtex Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful toasty/bready aroma. Creamy/buttery on the palate with just a hint of oak. Very enjoyable on its own or with food!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2020 - Reelgolfer4951 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This has been our favourite chardonnay for several years. It's not overly oaky or buttery, with a smooth finish. We are not huge fans of the citrusy style chardonnays so we find the Rombauer has a great balance for our tastes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2020 - Dr. Wine MD PhD ;) Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium bodied with palpable oak but not overbearing. Pleasant Aroma of lemon, vanilla, caramel/toffee with flavors of vanilla and desert (creme brulee).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2020 - SB5784 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice consistent and somewhat basic California chardonnay. Ripe apple and peach with oak notes on the nose. Good body and acid on the palate. Drinking well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2020 - KFloveswine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Currently our favorite chardonnay and we drink a ton of chardonnay. Smooth, nicely oaked, and with a bit of classic buttery finish. Always a crowd pleaser.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2020 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
What can I say that OENOED has not? Well done. Had this with a well prepared salmon steak. Perfect pairing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2020 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Always delivers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2020 - OenoEd wrote: 92 Points
I read through all of the CT reviews. As happens with some varietals which present in an array of styles, these scores between 89-94. are all “right”. No one can deny this chardonnay is well crafted: rich, balanced, delicious, clean, no off notes. So, that gets us to 89/90. The 4 or 5 points after that are subjective. Regular consumers of great chablis may find Rombauer vulgar, a heavy breathing body builder invading a gentle vegan yoga class. I went through a ten year stage of frequently drinking CA monsters like this: Kistler, Marcassin, Patz and Hall, The Judge, etc, but grew palate weary. I just stopped buying and drinking them regularly. But like a titillating short term encounter with an ex you haven’t seen in years, when you’ve been away then come back, you are well reminded of your faded passion. I love the intense fruits: tangerine, coconut and pear, and that lingering finish of warm toast slathered in remarkably fresh butter, so comforting and decadent. That orange citrus acidity carries through to the end, try this with sole, turbot or lobster and a citrus beurre blanc. Romby, you’re a little fat, but I missed you.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/17/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Always an excellent choice for a full body California Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistently excellent. My go to California Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, creamy flavor. Buttery oak.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2020 - jyensan Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a wonderful Chardonnay. Rich and elegant with nice acidity and balance. Opened up after 30 minutes in the glass and offered aromas of citrus, pear and apple. Flavors were the same with a touch of honey. Not a fan of the typical overly oaky and buttery Cali Chardonnays. This is a nice example of how good a Chardonnay can be when those traits aren’t overdone. Will be buying more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2020 - Caltexfla Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always delivers that 'old school' California chardonnay flavor profile: fruit, butter and oak elements woven together beautifully.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
We have a bottle every week, still our favorite chardonnay. We like the touch of sweetness and the oak quality. Goes very well with all seafood, from lobster, crab, shrimp, fish. Our house chardonnay.
Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2020 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 90 Points
We're trying to remain partial on this tasting despite some prejudices against this wine :)
Tart apple and pear. Lighly oaked with medium butter, strong acidity (maybe too much?), packs a strong first punch but falls a tad flatter on the finish. It has some minerality to it - just a hint of rocky fizz.
This wine was a nice pairing for some scallop scampi with heaps of lemon.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/24/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, full body and elegant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, buttery with hints of oak. Went well with seared scallops.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2020 - tomoem Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine continues to evolve and though still young seems to be entering a good period when opened for more than 6 hours. The fruits are vivid with tropical notes both on the nose and in mouth. The mid palette has cedar wood and vanilla in the mix. First sipping is acidic and closed so let sit for a couple of years or decant for 6 hours.
This is really an exceptional wine for Rombauer Chard's. I have tasted them for at least 18 years and this vintage seems up there with some of the best. Raising score !
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2020 - rsct2001 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Apple, pear and lemon blended seamlessly with a buttery oak creaminess that never ever disappoints. A excellent chardonnay.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2020 - GroveChe Wine Tasting Likes this wine: 92 Points
Absolutely fantastic oak Chardonnay. Fantastic finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2020 - agsdlswine wrote: 91 Points
Great hot afternoon in the shade wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2020 - Pegreenwald Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2020 - DSterling wrote: 99 Points
A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2020 - erwanlemoing Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely Rombauer Chardonnay. Youthful. Pear, some acidity, not too oaky, some minerality.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2020 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Blind White Burgundy: The single blind lineup was:
- 2011 Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
- 2016 Louis Jadot (Duc de Magenta) Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot - Clos de la Chapelle"
- 2014 Xavier Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres
- 2012 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon
- 1990 Fabien Coche-Bouillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres
- 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros
- 2013 St Innocent Shea Pinot Noir (Bonus Red)
This wine was thrown in as the rube of the bunch. This wine was very upsetting to the 5 of us, because it garnered 3 first places, including mine, and was wine of the night by the group. Again, this was single blind. I don't know if this wine stood out for being different, or some other factor. For myself, I loved the acidity, it had gorgeous golden yellow fruit and the palate was explosive compared to the other bottles. Wines typically lose points when they're tasted blind, and I'm scoring this bottle significantly higher than I've ever scored a Rombauer chardonnay. I'm also going to buy more.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
6/18/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Virtual White Burgundy Tasting (Home): Light gold color. PNP and poured into vessels at 4:15, sealed and poured into glasses around 6:30 or in my case a bit after 7pm; drank a glass single blind over 2.5 hours. This was the ringer, and while it fit the mold realatively well, it didn't really fool me. I had this as the Rombauer after the first pass through the wines. I really appreciate the transformation of Rombauer's style over the previous few years - much more elegant and restrained with everything dialed back in a most positive way to my liking. The changes really do stand out, particularly when drank next to a flight of White Burgs. Go ahead and dis Rombauer if you must, but know that you're missing out on a pretty nice wine these days. This was too young to be hitting its sweet spot, but still showing pretty well. The tip off for me was this had the most fruit, but it certainly was not opulent. The fruit was more to pear with a little tropical note and then citrus with just a hint of floral notes. The palate is medium plus bodied, pear, pear panna cotta, nice texture, light vanilla bean, just a touch of sweetness to the fruit. There's still nice mineral notes both on the nose and palate. I like these with more like 4 to 5 years to really sing. Correctly identified. 91(+)pts.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Zooming through Burgundy and Chablis!: The theme for this Zoom tasting was white Burgundy/Chablis. The host also threw in a Rombauer Chardonnay to keep us honest. The wines were poured in jars for transport around 4:00-4:30 and then transported and poured into glasses at 6:15, and drank over the next couple hours. Pours were approx 5 oz. The line-up included the following:
- 2011 Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
- 2016 Louis Jadot (Duc de Magenta) Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot - Clos de la Chapelle"
- 2014 Xavier Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres
- 2012 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon
- 1990 Fabien Coche-Bouillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatieres
- 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros
- 2013 St Innocent Shea Pinot Noir (Bonus Red)
The wines were served single blind and results were as follows: Group's top 3: Number 1 was the Rombauer (huge surprise); number 2 was the 2011 Fevre Les Clos; and number 3 was the 2012 Dauvissat Chablis. My order was: (1) 2018 Rombauer; (2) 2014 Xavier Monnot Les Folatieres; (3) 2011 Fevre Les Clos; (4) 2012 Dauvissat Chablis; (5) Jadot Morgeot - Clos de la Chapelle; and (6) 1990 Fabien Les Folatieres. All wines were very good, except the 1990 Fabien was oxidized, but still drinkable.
- 2018 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay: This was a pleasant surprise...and I do mean SURPRISE! Not only did I have a difficult time picking out the Rombauer (Kudos to RocknRoller, he was the only one who picked correctly, and even tried to warn us!), but I picked this as WOTN! This was mine and the groups number 1 wine with a very good line-up of white Burgundies.
The palate was intoxicating with floral and fruit notes, as well notes of limestone and hints of oak. On the palate, this was a well integrated wine that showed depth and complexity, with pear, apple, sea shell, and honey suckle, followed by toasted bread and sweet oak, all balanced perfectly. The wine could not have been drinking any better. It has been a while since I had Rombauer, and it was difficult to pick out of the group (I confused it with the 2016 Jadot). I was pleasantly surprised how balanced and integrated this wine was drinking....a huge improvement over their older vintages (going back to 2012...and I liked those wines too, but not as much as this). While I fully expect most of the Burgundies to surpass this wine eventually, they certainly did not this night! Kudos to Rombauer and a well-made Chardonnay!! 92+ tonight!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Paired well with crab cakes. Consistently excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2020 - Redfish Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Cali style Chard. Buttery and oaky but done right. Apple and pear notes along with toasted brioche. Nice finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2020 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Typical Romnauer Chard, though not as buttery as they used to be. Still good body and creaminess.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2020 - ralaspech wrote: 89 Points
Ripe fruit with a heavy dose of burnt sugar/banana. Not my style.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2020 - zanzabar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Always good, warm presummer night with pan roasted halibut, roasted yellow squash and arugula salad.
Every time I open a bottle the first sip takes me back to the tasting room overlooking their flowers and walking trail. Consistantly good, year over year, and its exactly what you pay for.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Balanced, rich and creamy. Always an excellent choice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Our favorite chard, consistently
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, creamy and balanced. My go-to California Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2020 - PierreBrusso Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best buttery chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2020 - tomoem wrote: 90 Points
Similar notes to recent tasting. I want to add that tonight this bottle has been opened for 1 week. It is better now than it was 1 week ago. Time is improving this wine and I would recommend holding them for a year or more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rich, creamy and well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2020 - bbcc66 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mild fruity nose. Consistent, refreshing tastes of minerals, citrus fruits and lighter tropical fruits. Didn't get too much butter & oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2020 - St. Emilion wrote: 88 Points
Year-in, year-out you either love this wine or hate it. I would drink it in a pinch but would rather eat movie theater buttered popcorn or peanut brittle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2020 - Josch48 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is subtle and delicately crafted that, at this time, is overtly acidic, unfortunately detracting from the citrus and tropical fruit insinuations which may well not ever progress to more prominence. There is a tight grained and non-toasted oak appearance imparted on the terminal finish, without diacetyl (buttery) identity, but having a persistent dominance of vanilla. The 90 rating is from my wife, I however am less impressed by at least three rating points. More aging may diminish the acidity, but will the shy and retiring fruit survive? Is this a vintage affliction.
04/22/2020
I was under the impression this forum served to share our tasting impressions with like-minded fellow wine enthusiasts. While we all express our oenophile reflections in our most sincere communications, and drawing upon our past descriptive modifiers to honestly convey our unique respective experiences, it regrettably attracts those who only wish to find fault in our style of vocabulary (or typing errors committed after consuming several glasses of wine) rather than focusing on our substance and true intention of mutual discovery.
Perhaps shelter in place brings out this unfortunate tendency, to unnecessarily critique an earnest contributor and sadly contribute nothing to the true spirit of respectful dialogue. Luckily this is an aberrant outlier in the population of generously sharing contributors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/18/2020 - SMZ wrote: 95 Points
I love the wine...big and buttery...sorry Anna.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2020 - Phillip.Panda wrote: 90 Points
Just off dry, pear, peach and citrus, with banana, minerality and slight butter. Med acid.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2020 - UrbanaAnna wrote: 80 Points
Very buttery - almost too much so for my taste
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2020 - SuzyR wrote: 90 Points
Quintessential MLF oak-y California Chardonnay
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2020 - tomoem wrote: 90 Points
Repeating notes from earlier this year.
The wine has an aromatic presence of citrus and lemon nose. In mouth and right from the start I found a sharper Rombauer Chardonnay than I am used to. Vibrant acidity which I find a little strange for these wines. Mid palette softens but not much as I believe this wine needs to settle.
This wine should be held For more time before drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistently excellent. Balanced and r. Oak and butter.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2020 - Tahlequahdave1972 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consistently excellent vintage to vintage. Competes with similar wines costing twice as much. Especially enjoyable with seafood. Yum!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2020 - Wine tonight wrote:
Love it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent, as always. Our favorite chardonnay.
Ric
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Always our favorite chardonnay, rich, full, buttery. Always consistent.
Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2020 - LucieLH Likes this wine: 80 Points
Very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2020 - zanzabar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Always intriguing enough to keep me coming back. Had with homemade spicey tuna rolls. Enough body to balance the heat of the tuna rolls, and enough complexity to entice me for another sip. Always glad to have this around. Good, not great, perfect for most at home meals requiring a Chardonnay.
Get more every few months and will continue to. Bravo Rombauer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2020 - Ellen5181 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Appearance - clear, medium, straw
Nose - very vibrant. Lemon curd. Medium plus. Butter. Popcorn.
Palate - medium plus intensity. Flavors include lemon, ripe pear (those Harry and David Sun Gold ones), cedar, acidity is medium, alcohol feels integrated (lists as 14.5), body is medium/medium plus. Buttery. Finish is medium. Youthful and on its way up.
It’s a winter chard, one that can hold its own with something heavier and the buttery Side makes me think this could pair nicely with lobster, escargot, or other shellfish that plays well with a butter sauce.
I’ll be curious how this evolves. At the moment it’s a bit “in your face” but with a finesse that feels curious.
With a bit more air, getting effervescent qualities, cinnamon is emerging and other baking spices, getting more apple, baked apple, apple pie. Feeling heavier in body. I preferred it more out of the gate with the lemon curd.
Just read a bunch of past reviews. It’s opened into more of a big oaky Cali chard. It’s either your style or not. To my palate, for the winter fine, but in general I prefer something more acidic, fruity, and unoaked. Unless it’s with lobster or something in a garlicky butter sauce. Just had it with a chicken, lemon, and rosemary stew, and this paired nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, creamy and luscious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2020 - TessaJC Likes this wine:
Well balanced. Just enough butter and creaminess to give it depth and body but enough acidity to keep it lithe and composed. Normally prefer Chablis over CA style but this is great. Paired with creamy pumpkin soup w celery leaves.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2020 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 91 Points
At Le Petit in LA. Excellent for what it is. Low acidity hardly any Oak very delicate fruit. Went very well with escargots.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, creamy and oak. Consistently excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2020 - SMZ wrote: 93 Points
Still the king
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/29/2020 - timtom Likes this wine: 89 Points
Buttery, balanced, beautiful. Not an outstanding vintage, but still consistently my favorite Napa Chardonnay.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2020 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rich buttery flavor with lemon and oak.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2020 - tomoem wrote: 90 Points
The wine has an aromatic presence of citrus and lemon nose. In mouth and right from the start I found a sharper Rombauer Chard. Vibrant acidity which I find a little strange for these wines. Mid palette softens but not much as I believe this wine needs to settle. Thinking That its drinking needs a year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2020 - RJWallis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good albeit predictable offering from Rombauer. Oak and butter cream, but not overdone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2020 - Bertdecab wrote:
Very oaky, some bitterness from the wood, not much fruit ... full body, some acidity ..heavy wine....
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2019 - VinoMike59 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice touch of oak and minerality- touch of citrus- really love this wine
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2019 - MS86 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Disappointing immediately out of the bottle but after a long time decanting the flavour in this wine came alive. Lots and lots of buttered toast and banana on the nose. Full bodied white with creamy, pineapple flavour. A touch too acidic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2019 - H. Eugene Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good acidity. Yellow-Lemon in color. Medium legs and long finish. This is definitely one of my favorite Chardonnays. If you like butter and oak you will love this Chardonnay. I will definitely buy again. I decanted the wine for about two hours after pouring it through a Venturi.
The wine looks yellow gold colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like lemon and orange. The body is medium/full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2019 - csnyder612 wrote: 88 Points
To my taste, this is a little over-oaked. A little unbalanced on the oak side. The mouthfeel is creamy and lucious. It is a good example of a Oaked Napa Chardonnay. I preferred the DuMol, which we tasted side-by-side. The DuMol, from Sonoma, was more balanced in my opinion. Not as Oaked and a little more acidic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/4/2019 - chrischap01 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Good easy-drinking wine, and it checks all the boxes you want for a big buttery Cali chardonnay. Not memorable or special though, and not worth $35. There are numerous options for good grocery store chardonnay for a lot less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2019 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Retailer tasting. Medium lemon colour. Ripe stone fruit notes, toasty oak and vanilla, with well-handled oak, just enough acidity, a touch of residual sugar and very good persistence. Sneaky winemaking. This wine would probably become too sweet and broad for me if I had more than one glass, but I can see this appeal to many palates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2019 - zanzabar Likes this wine: 91 Points
First of the 2018s.
Great acidity, overall better than the 2017s. More complexity, less butter bomb than 2016. Smooth and easy with tart fruit notes. Looking forward to more of these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2019 - RJWallis Likes this wine: 92 Points
I found this to have a nice balance between warm buttery notes and acid. Paired beautifully with a wonderful vegan Pho.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
Rombauer Five Course Dinner (Flemings, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Flemings Rombauer Dinner, nose of citrus and spring flowers, same on the palate, medium body, tasty, simple, mouth filling fruit, less butter and oak than in the past, unexciting, medium/long finish. Paired with Tuna Crudo which was delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2019 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consistent and excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2019 - tcarter Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Butter bomb
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 08/16/19 + 5 Shared Bottles (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Harvested Sept. 8-Oct. 23, 2018 @ 23.7° ave Brix; "The grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed while the fruit was still cool. The juice was pumped to tank to cold-settle overnight before it was racked to barrel for primary & malolactic fermentation. The lees were stirred every 2 wks to give the wine rich flavors & a creamy texture. Aged 9 mos in AM & FR oak barrels (1/3 new); 14.5% ABV;"
N: Flowers, spice, with hints of butter? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; VERY RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish oak/frt (threshold R.S.?) with acidity SUBTLY balancing into the LONG, almost creamy, yet "pleasant" finish with POSS a HINT of incipient quasi-bitter flatness? Drink now & through '20. Not my style, so one should take my VG+ (88,89/100 using that metric) with a grain of salt. [DO check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price!]
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2019 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 93 Points
To be upfront, we are big Rombauer Chardonnay fans. Can't think of a vintage that has disappointed us. And although still very young, the 2018 is outstanding. Perfect balance between butter and acid. Paired excellent with a smoked salmon app and shrimp scampi main course.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2019 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
At the top of our House Whites list of regular drinkers... the 2018 continues the string of past success for us. It's a lovely mid-weight Chard that is full of the classic flavors, and the oak is perfectly balanced. Buttery but crisp... what a lunch wine!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2019 - tak4 Likes this wine:
Okay, here we go! We used to drink Rombauer Chardonnay by the case about ten years ago. Since then we've become all wine-woke and, like good AFWE oenophiles, we wouldn't deign to sully our lips with this syrupy, supersaturated fruit elixir. Or would we?
This is the 2018 product, apparently fresh off the vine, stuffed into bottles, and delivered straight to Whole Foods Market.
On visual inspection, this wine is much less concentrated than I remember. It used to be nuclear waste yellow. Now it's more of a pretty lemon color. Very clear, very bright.
On nose, this wine is also different than I remembered it. Yes, memory is fallible, but the scent is so tightly associated with personal history that any difference is noticeable. This is much more restrained than it used to be. Less melon, less caramel. More white fruit, passionfruit, a hint of butterscotch, and some smokiness. Even a bit of dustiness - is Rombauer turning into Chablis?
One sip and it's clear that the answer is no. It's a return to form on the palate. Very full bodied, bold new oak, buttery finish, melon, smoke, vanilla. Pow!
Two glasses of Rombauer before the art opening and that's a good night right there.
At the end of the day, this is actually a pretty okay wine (that's okay, not "oaky", which it also is). It is a great exemplar of a style which I once loved and which I will not admit still liking - no, never, never will I admit such a thing. But it's clearly a deliberately and well-crafted product, and I am appreciating every sip.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)