2015 Rombauer Chardonnay, 3-bottle Lot

Rombauer Vineyards is a 10-acre estate in St. Helena, in the Napa Valley. It was founded in 1980 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer. Koerner was a commercial airline pilot for many years and is also the grand nephew of Irma Rombauer, who in 1936 wrote the Joy of Cooking cookbook, which is still considered a classic cookbook. In 1972 the Rombauers bought 40 acres of hilltop land on the Silverado Trail, establishing the winery eight years later. Today the family still owns and operates the estate, which produces Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and dessert wines. Rombauer is particularly known for its Chardonnay.

Carneros AVA, also known as Los Carneros, is at the southern end of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys at the top of the San Francisco Bay. The 8,000 vineyard acres are mostly planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both of which thrive in the district’s cool, marine climate. Carneros became an AVA in 1983 and it has attracted foreign wine companies along with local producers. It has been especially appealing to European producers of sparkling wines including the giant Spanish cava producers Codorniu and Frexinet, and the French Champagne house Taittinger. Codorniu in Carneros is called Artesa, and Frexinet’s Carneros brand is Gloria Ferrer. Taittinger calls its Carneros winery Domaine Carneros. The European producers also make still wines in Carneros.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.