by Charles Neave
The hilltop location of Rombauer Vineyards is more than slightly emblematic of the wines this 26-year-old winery produces. It is not hyperbole to say that their wines are at the pinnacle of the bottlings produced not only in the Napa Valley, but anywhere in the world where fine wine is made.
The tasting room and winery are built over a mile of caves that reach into the hillside, and it’s there that the wine ages in the most advantageous conditions, protected naturally from variables such as humidity and temperature. The fact that the winery sits amongst some of the region’s most coveted vineyard real estate is not to be forgotten either.
And then there are the wines. Rombauer wines are always placed at the top in wine publications, and even more importantly in customer loyalty. If you have any doubt about this, visit the tasting room any day of the week, any time of day, and look at the wine lovers that fill the room. “Wine is something that truly should be enjoyed,” they say. And Rombauer puts a lot of care into making drinkable wines and that one word, “drinkable,” is key to their winemaking philosophy.
If you ever want to start a conversation with a total stranger, take a bottle of Rombauer to a local restaurant. Almost without fail someone nearby will remark on how they, too, are a fan of this wine, and it is also likely they will have a story to tell, an anecdote – perhaps even a glass – to share. It is also testimony to this “drinkability” commitment that you can, in fact, take virtually any wine available at the tasting room, purchase it at noon and enjoy it with dinner that night. Of course ageing is a wonderful thing, but with the wines from Koerner Rombauer’s family owned and operated winery, it is an option, not a written-in-stone necessity.
The winery’s director of winemaking, Greg Graham, works closely with the Rombauer family and with winemaker Rob Lloyd, and he has been instrumental in the development of the Rombauer wine style. A hands-on winemaker, he prefers to spend as much time as possible in the cellar with his wines. He also understands that grape quality is the essential ingredient in making the finest wines, and to insure that the winery always has the finest fruit available come harvest, he has worked hard, year-after-year, to establish long term contracts with highly respected growers in outstanding viticulture areas across the Valley.
The wines produced up there on the knoll top include outstanding Chardonnay, four Zinfandels, three different Merlots and a collection of five coveted Cabernet Sauvignons. There is also a very rare Late Harvest Chardonnay christened “Joy,” and a rich Napa Valley Port crafted from the Zinfandel grape. A special reserve blend called Le Meilleur Du Chai (‘Best of the cellar’) is highly prized by knowledgeable oenophiles worldwide. All of them are also what could be called “food friendly,” another hallmark of these wines, and one much appreciated by those who believe that good food and fine wine should stand as compliments to each other, to be enjoyed side-by-side.
For a chance to taste these very special wines in such a beautiful, lofty spot, take the drive along the Silverado Trail near the pretty Wine Country town of St. Helena. It is without doubt one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and one that is not to be passed up whenever you are next in the Napa Valley.
Rombauer Vineyards is located at 3522 Silverado Trail, St. Helena. The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; tours are by appointment only. For directions or for more information, contact them at (707) 963-5170 or look for them on the internet at www.rombauervineyards.com.