Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This may be a little obvious, but it shows pretty, ripe cooked-apple, vanilla and praline character. Full-bodied, creamy and delicious. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay is one of the most consistent wines to be found. The 2018 vintage stays true-to-form. TASTING NOTES: This wine is attractive, classy, and has a soft touch on its crisp finish. Its time-honored aromas and flavors of ripe apples, a hint of peach fuzz, and a suggestion of minerality make it a perfect first-course wine. (Tasted: August 2, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.