Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Well what do you know? The 2012 Rombauer Merlot is playing like it is supposed to: ripe, fruity and smooth. This wine is that and more, the wine really defines the category: Carneros Merlot, this is gentle, yet formidable red. Medium to dark ruby color; enticing red fruit aroma, medium depth; medium bodied, pleasing lushness on the palate; dryish, medium acidity, well balanced; medium finish, pleasing, kind of satiny aftertaste. (Tasted: August 24, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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.