I have been a Rombauer Chardonnay fan for 2 decades, and this 2021 is no different. The Rombauer Chardonnay is a “full sandwich” wine, full of flavor, robust oak and butter, and so yummy with food! This the definition of a full body Chardonnay! Definitely not for a light-body Chardonnay drinker😂
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
As always, this is a robust and luscious full-body chardonnay with lost of oak, butter and fruit! On of my favorites. I call it a "full sandwich" Chardonnay! Very robust.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rombauer has long been a favorite among those who like extra butter in their buttery California Chardonnays. To be fair, I don’t like buttery Chardonnay. I’ve had a few Rombauers over the years and disliked all of them, but they were in bounds for super buttery Chardonnay. This, however, didn’t taste like butter or butterscotch. Instead, it tasted heavily of movie theater “butter-flavored” popcorn oil, with the butter flavor straight from the New Jersey chemical flavoring factories, with notes of popcorn, butterscotch, and regret. And friends, this is how it is supposed to taste. As in someone chose New Jersey butter chemical flavoring agent as the goal. If you love this, blessings upon you, but I’d rather spend $50 on a Justin Bieber tattoo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
As much as keep trying to like it, I cannot get into this big, over-oaked, fruit-driven and vanilla spice bomb of a chardonnay. And, man, have I tried.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
While this wine may best represent my generation of Chardonnay's, it doesn't rise to the criticism I read here on CT. Lovely and enjoyable modern chardonnay which has gained its accolades and probably is the most profitable wine of the Rombauer portfolio. That said it should not have the negatives that I read here because people like me still like this wine. It's a 90 solid and deserves better. Mango, pineapple, some wood make these flavors and linger into the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Arrow creek pool with the grandparents. I was surprised at how awful this wine was when I tasted it, way worse than I remember it. It smells like coconut sun tan lotion. The fruit is hollow and surrounded by powdery acid with zero finish. Light it on fire and throw it at an enemy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa Walkabout Tasting @ Park 90 – this wine presented a very strange, chemical profile that I had never tasted before in chardonnay. Peter Koff MW may have been right. over-made and over-oaked?
Pear, apple and citrus on the nose, rich and inviting, the fill body expands on the palate with apple pie, toffee, kiwi and spice flavors, complex and notoriously consistent, delicious and appealing, had with pork chops with apple chutney
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium gold color. Oaky, tropical fruit aroma. Rich, ripe fruit flavor with lots of vanillin oak thrown in. Supple texture. Bare hint of acid in finish. Typical Rombauer Chardonnay style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good to see that Rombauer is back to being Rombauer, after that disastrous '20 version they decided to make. This is their quintessential flavor profile with oak and butter, barrel spice and light tropicals, but only if you allow it to get close to room temp. If pnp'd while really cold, it comes across as much more steely, clean and crisp in nature across both the nose and the palate. It would be hard to define it as a Rombauer, then. Warming it a bit allows it to blossom, if you are so inclined, to drink Rombauer for that very effect and if not, then why are you buying it in the first place? Any number of other steely CA chards will do. I say 93, Carol says 94, but I think that's because she's been forcing herself to drink a lot of 89-90 pt. KJackson chard recently. This lacks a tad of acidic backbone, so it doesn't quite get to a 94 for me, and since I'm the one writing the note, 93 it is..........
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We didn't like this vintage as much as the 2019 that was our house Chard... not as much Chard flavor. We tried this one to see if it could earn its way back on our list, but at $39 it fails. We are just as happy with Raymond or Lafond at half the price.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is not a wine to get philosphich about. This is just a fun and enjoyable wine to drink if you like a well made California style Chardonnay. This is big and buttery without going too far over the - meaning it still has good acidity and balance to make it go very well with a charcuterie board on a hot summer day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I’m not a Chardonnay fan, but this definitely doesn’t taste like one. More like a fume blanc due to the barrel aging. Quite good and subtle fruits, but way too pricey for what you get.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/23/2024 - AGELVIS wrote: 89 Points
PNP. Lemon, caramel, fresh sliced mushroom, and subtle burnt popcorn. Dry, slightly creamy palate. Soft back end acidity imparts a medium finish.
This is not what I expected. Not bad, but not engaging at all. Brought to dinner party by wine friends.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2024 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still our favorite chardonnay, rich and full-bodied, lots of butter and vanilla. Very reasonably priced.
Ric
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2024 - Charlie.Gail Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rombauer Chardonnay is very distinctive. I personally like it. Green apples and citrus.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2023 - Mary M. Likes this wine: 90 Points
Firm acidity to support the rich apple, pear and citrus flavors and toasty oak component.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2023 - Spth115 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I have been a Rombauer Chardonnay fan for 2 decades, and this 2021 is no different.
The Rombauer Chardonnay is a “full sandwich” wine, full of flavor, robust oak and butter, and so yummy with food! This the definition of a full body Chardonnay!
Definitely not for a light-body Chardonnay drinker😂
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2023 - Ann Bergen wrote: 96 Points
Lovely
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2023 - Spth115 Likes this wine: 91 Points
As always, this is a robust and luscious full-body chardonnay with lost of oak, butter and fruit! On of my favorites. I call it a "full sandwich" Chardonnay! Very robust.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2023 - Cellarseller Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not over oaked, nice complexity and long finish. Great with steamers! $$
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2023 - Spth115 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still one of my favorite full-bodied and rich Chardonnay's!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2023 - tomoem Likes this wine: 90 Points
Reiterating prior notes. These are literally in a class of their own for everyday chard's. Lovely
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2023 - Haystack Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Rombauer has long been a favorite among those who like extra butter in their buttery California Chardonnays. To be fair, I don’t like buttery Chardonnay. I’ve had a few Rombauers over the years and disliked all of them, but they were in bounds for super buttery Chardonnay. This, however, didn’t taste like butter or butterscotch. Instead, it tasted heavily of movie theater “butter-flavored” popcorn oil, with the butter flavor straight from the New Jersey chemical flavoring factories, with notes of popcorn, butterscotch, and regret. And friends, this is how it is supposed to taste. As in someone chose New Jersey butter chemical flavoring agent as the goal. If you love this, blessings upon you, but I’d rather spend $50 on a Justin Bieber tattoo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2023 - Baron Slick wrote: 87 Points
As much as keep trying to like it, I cannot get into this big, over-oaked, fruit-driven and vanilla spice bomb of a chardonnay. And, man, have I tried.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2023 - tomoem Likes this wine: 90 Points
While this wine may best represent my generation of Chardonnay's, it doesn't rise to the criticism I read here on CT. Lovely and enjoyable modern chardonnay which has gained its accolades and probably is the most profitable wine of the Rombauer portfolio. That said it should not have the negatives that I read here because people like me still like this wine. It's a 90 solid and deserves better. Mango, pineapple, some wood make these flavors and linger into the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2023 - Devlon Moore Does not like this wine:
Arrow creek pool with the grandparents.
I was surprised at how awful this wine was when I tasted it, way worse than I remember it. It smells like coconut sun tan lotion. The fruit is hollow and surrounded by powdery acid with zero finish. Light it on fire and throw it at an enemy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2023 - Isaac L Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Napa Walkabout Tasting @ Park 90 – this wine presented a very strange, chemical profile that I had never tasted before in chardonnay. Peter Koff MW may have been right. over-made and over-oaked?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
5/9/2023 - whits Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pear, apple and citrus on the nose, rich and inviting, the fill body expands on the palate with apple pie, toffee, kiwi and spice flavors, complex and notoriously consistent, delicious and appealing, had with pork chops with apple chutney
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2023 - BlytheFrench wrote: 90 Points
buttery, oaky, rich chardonnay, one of our favorite wines for sipping.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2023 - cweiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
A great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2023 - srogers1 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Apple or pear on the nose. A bit acidic, and finishes tart.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2023 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Creamy, well balanced and flavorful. A big California classic Chardonnay.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/30/2023 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 88 Points
Medium gold color. Oaky, tropical fruit aroma. Rich, ripe fruit flavor with lots of vanillin oak thrown in. Supple texture. Bare hint of acid in finish.
Typical Rombauer Chardonnay style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2023 - dkwins Likes this wine: 90 Points
Simple, but very pleasing. I am a fan of the buttery style.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/15/2023 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistently excellent. A bold, full body Chardonnay Always a great choice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/8/2023 - Frijole wrote:
light gold, touch green, lots of clarity, silvery hue
Nose: pineapple, apricot, overripe apple, pie crust, lemon pith, white pepper, butterscotch, limestone, sea salt, oak
Pal: pineapple, apricot, overripe apple, pie crust, white pepper, limestone, sea salt, chalk, oak
Feel: medium, savory, acidic
Finish: medium
TC7
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good to see that Rombauer is back to being Rombauer, after that disastrous '20 version they decided to make. This is their quintessential flavor profile with oak and butter, barrel spice and light tropicals, but only if you allow it to get close to room temp. If pnp'd while really cold, it comes across as much more steely, clean and crisp in nature across both the nose and the palate. It would be hard to define it as a Rombauer, then. Warming it a bit allows it to blossom, if you are so inclined, to drink Rombauer for that very effect and if not, then why are you buying it in the first place? Any number of other steely CA chards will do. I say 93, Carol says 94, but I think that's because she's been forcing herself to drink a lot of 89-90 pt. KJackson chard recently. This lacks a tad of acidic backbone, so it doesn't quite get to a 94 for me, and since I'm the one writing the note, 93 it is..........
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2022 - Blue Jay Likes this wine: 92 Points
Open and buttery Chardonnay. Consistently good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2022 - cweiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
House favorite
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2022 - srwingman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious ! Fruity, no oak, well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2022 - mcflytfc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pours straw yellow, unique nose that I can't nail down. Flavour is also interesting too, would have said tabacco.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2022 - bwb Likes this wine: 89 Points
I liked the 2019 better
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2022 - Calabasas Prophet wrote:
Gift to Alex Cornelius
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2022 - cweiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rarely disappoints.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2022 - Double-A Likes this wine: 93 Points
Creamy, apple, banana, buttered popcorn, and toast nose. Ripe and generous with good definition and balance; long, warming, spiced finish.
4.5/5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2022 - bbcc66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice fruity nose. Consistent lively fruity & minerally tastes. Well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2022 - Jeff Gray Likes this wine:
oak fermented then aged; grapes from 3 different vineyards in area
sl butter, sl oak, decent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2022 - seijaro Likes this wine: 90 Points
We didn't like this vintage as much as the 2019 that was our house Chard... not as much Chard flavor. We tried this one to see if it could earn its way back on our list, but at $39 it fails. We are just as happy with Raymond or Lafond at half the price.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2022 - lbrooks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Loved it! I've had it a few times and appreciate the nose with its sweet lemon and slight apple. It has that great feel to it and finishes so smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2022 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is not a wine to get philosphich about. This is just a fun and enjoyable wine to drink if you like a well made California style Chardonnay. This is big and buttery without going too far over the - meaning it still has good acidity and balance to make it go very well with a charcuterie board on a hot summer day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2022 - ayerscb Likes this wine:
I’m not a Chardonnay fan, but this definitely doesn’t taste like one. More like a fume blanc due to the barrel aging. Quite good and subtle fruits, but way too pricey for what you get.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment