2023 Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros
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Tasting notes
From a terrific vintage, Rombauer's 2023 Chardonnay delivers a classic California rendition, with toasty, nutty accents to the pineapple and melon fruit; some vaguely floral notes sneak in as well. It's full-bodied, plump, creamy, lush and easy to drink, while the long finish is vanilla-stained but remains bright and fresh. To produce this volume (349,000 cases) at this level of quality is a remarkable feat.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This is a lush, ripe, relaxed classic with generous poached pear and peach pie flavors. Full-bodied, rich in fruit and spice flavors, with butter and caramel accents. All barrel fermented, with hand-stirred lees and full malolactic. Reasonable acidity and a super-relaxed texture.
The 2023 Chardonnay (Carneros) is the archetypal Rombauer Chardonnay, though it’s dialed back quite a bit since the early days The 2023 is a rich, voluptuous wine with an oily, hefty presence in the mouth. Ripe yellow plum, baked apple and toasted baking spices run through, accented by dill and coconut notes from the American oak. This is a stylized, oak-forward wine, that much is certain, but you can’t fault it for that. Fans of this style will be plenty satisfied with the consistency of this bottling.