8/14/2023 - fcxj wrote:

Won't wow you, but dependable.

10/25/2022 - KPB Likes this wine:

Needed a great deal of air (overnight); even three hours after opening the wine was still quite closed and difficult to read. Very dark, with a strikingly silky texture. Nose shows cassis / sour cherries / plums, menthol, hints of toasted brioche. Quite a strong wine from a producer I really love. Best at age 10-16. 95 now, certainly will improve in the future. A shame CT won't let me just enter 95-97 or 95+....

10/11/2020 - Deutsch Likes this wine:

Needs a lot of air. Initially it tastes a lot like a Caymus over-sweetened cabernet, but over the night, it started to blend a little better and gain a stronger structure. I’m no expert on cellaring, but it seems that it could lay down for a while.

6/14/2020 - mcromain1021 Likes this wine:

I think this could have had more potential and am suspicious about the storage as I bought 3 bottles on Winebid. Not saying Winebid is at fault as physically bottles were in good shape with good fill, just saying these seemed more aged than other Brunello I have had at this age in the past. Bottle 1 was borderline corked, bottle 2 was corked and bottle 3 was good. Brownish in color did not detract from taste. Chocolate, caramel, earth notes. Medium bodied finish. Drink now.

11/2/2017 - Deutsch Does not like this wine:

The tasting note before recommended allowing it to air out for an hour to shake the funk. Spot on! But I couldn’t shake the memory of the smell. I eventually had to discard. Couldn’t drink it.

9/30/2017 - WineGuyDelMar Does not like this wine:

I am literally speechless. I have been drinking Caymus and Napa Cabs since the 1974 Vintage. I met Chuck Sr at the winery many years ago. Caymus was one of the bright stars of the late 70's and 80's. How far they have fallen.

I'd honestly love to have a conversation with Chuck Jr to see what he was trying to do and what exactly went completely wrong. This wine is a hot mess. It honestly tastes like a sweet $15-$18 Syrah or Petite Syrah and I'm not sure if I would have identified it as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine is black/purple and is so sweet I literally had one glass and I was done. I can't even drink this. My remaining 3 bottles are going to some wine shop that I will trade for something else. We drank a 2013 Kobalt last night which was amazing that I gave 94 points to. This wine is not even in the same Universe. I would have never imaged a winery of this status could even release a wine like this. It's an utter embarrassment and if Parker gave this 96 he has sold out completely because this is garbage.

9/20/2017 - Ecbatana Does not like this wine:

This wine is apocalyptic. Imagine the product of the husband and wife team of Willy Wonka and Bjork, this is it. Utter swill with zero redeeming qualities. Thoroughly enjoy Caymus Zinfandel, but this is a toxic collision of fermented grape Hi-C, corn syrup, charcoal briquettes and aviation kerosene, just a syrupy mess and an affront to all senses. Is this what Caymus means by their 'signature style'? Good grief. Purposely keeping a bottle hidden for the future just for amusement and to see if it miraculously becomes drinkable by humans. Clearly generating polarizing reviews here on CT. 69 pts is flattering.

8/7/2017 - mreinitz wrote:

Rich red fruit and a little plum flavor with nice oak undertones. I don't get the reviews that say this is on the lighter side, but it certainly is tasty. Was just as good if not better the second night.

3/21/2014 - jazzwineman Does not like this wine:

Yes, before I begin, I am a wine snob and I started years ago as a teenager being taught to drink great wines. My favorite for years was 1970 BV PR and Mayacamas 1968 and 1970- so that is a point of reference.
---
The 2012 Rombauer is about as awful a chardonnay I have had in a number of years, beyond a bottle that might have been corked.
Next to nothing in the nose beyond the smell of sawed wood a very mild entry of some cantaloupe or melon based fruit. (and actually that disappeared in about 5 minutes) Mid palate was fairly thin, high acid with a mild spritz and attacked my upper mouth. No low or high palate notes and finishes with a transition to a thin wood endowed wine that had a hot finish all the way down the throat despite only 14.5. It also left a persistent sour and metallic aftertaste that indicated a highly manipulated, mass produced wine.

i have read comparisons and either someone is not experienced in wine drinking, smokes, or pops and drinks too cold or is not being honest and is working uncover for the winery- but to compare this wine to Peter Michael, Marcassin, Aubert, Dumol, Morlet or Martinelli does not hold water much less wine taste. This is like comparing a Kia (that has been wrecked) with a new Jaguar- humorous - if not sad.
I will not bother with details, but this may be a great wine with food as the food can add the flavor that is lacking or cover up the lack of any structure or flavor, much less balance.

As a lark. had a L'Oliveto chard from Brack Mountain and while that is an under $20 chard that I would not normally drink, it overwhelmed this mess of a chard that Rombauer wants to hold up as a wine of ANY quality. This is a great example of wines that people drink and then say- i don't like wine. If this is all I had to drink - I would say the same.

12/19/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote:

Big wine with lots of black cherry, plum, currant and obvious alcohol on the nose. On the palate big fruit with plum, black cherry, spice. Finishes with lots of heat that obscures everything else. Sorry I own more of this, will probably use it for cooking.