Why Rombauer Vineyards Traveled To Monterey To Source Grapes For Its New Pinot Noir

As the producer of one of the most famous Chardonnay wines in the U.S., it was only a matter of time before Rombauer Vineyards in Napa Valley was expected to offer its red Burgundian counterpart – Pinot Noir – or so people thought. Instead it took over 40 years before the well-known winery decided to expand its portfolio to include a Pinot Noir wine.

And when they did, they traveled to the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA of Monterey County to source their grapes, rather than stay in Napa Valley and use grapes from their expansive vineyards in the Carneros AVA. In a recent in-person interview at their Napa Valley tasting room, Rombauer’s President and CEO, Bob Knebel and VP of Viticulture and Winemaking, Richie Allen, explained why.

“When the winery was founded in 1980 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer (now deceased), they liked to keep things very classic,” stated Knebel. “Therefore, they started making Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, before expanding to Chardonnay. They didn’t believe in producing different varietals, unless it made sense.”

But with loyal customers begging for years for Rombauer to produce a Pinot Noir, they decided it was time, and this Spring 2023, they finally released the first Rombauer Pinot Noir. The vintage is 2021, and the wine is filled with notes of black cherry, plum, black tea and spice, with some complex earthy notes. Aged for 10 months in 30% new French oak, it is elegant, yet approachable, and priced at $65 per bottle.

Traveling to the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey for Pinot Noir Grapes

The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in Monterey County, California was established in 1992, and is well-known for its rich, seductive pinot noirs with a signature note of black tea. Situated along an 18 mile bench of the Santa Lucia mountain range, it is inland from the ocean-side towns of Carmel and Monterey. Therefore it receives the cooling fog and wine from the bay, which moderates the temperature and creates a perfect climate for delicate Pinot Noir grapes.

Riche Allen, Rombauer’s VP of Viticulture and Winemaking, who has been with the winery for more than 20 years explained why they decided to travel to this special appellation to purchase grapes.

“After deciding we would make our first Pinot Noir, we started our research tasting up and down the west coast from Oregon to Santa Barbara County,” stated Allen. “But we kept coming back to the Santa Lucia Highlands. The decision was made based on our customer’s preference. We knew that the region would resonate with them, and we’ve never looked back.”

Rombauer hired consulting winemaker Adam Lee, well-known for his successful Pinot Noir focus brands such as Siduri (now owned by Jackson Family Wine) and Clarice. Lee knew the vineyards of Santa Lucia Highlands well, since he had been sourcing his own grapes from there for years. Therefore, he introduced Allen and Knebel to the vineyard owners, and the final blend was assembled from grapes grown in five renowned Pinot Noir vineyards: Garys’, Sierra Mar, Lemoravo, Rosella’s, and Soberanes.

The Pinot Noir grapes are picked at night and transported immediately to the Rombauer winery and tasting room in Napa Valley. Here they handcraft the majority of their red wines, including Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and now the Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. Rombauer also has a winemaking facility and tasting room in the Sierra Foothills AVA, at the former Renwood winery, where they make some of their Zinfandel and other varietals.

Rombauer Carneros Vineyards Focused on Chardonnay

Given that Rombauer owns extensive vineyard acres in the Carneros sub-AVA of Napa Valley, known for its excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir production, many people were puzzled as to why Rombauer didn’t just plant Pinot Noir grapes in Carneros.

The answer is that Rombauer wants to devote its Carneros vineyards primarily to Chardonnay. In fact, they are so devoted to Chardonnay that they have built a separate winemaking facility in Carneros only for white wines. Given that Rombauer Chardonnay is the #1 selling luxury priced Chardonnay in America, according to IRI data, it makes sense that they would devote special vineyards and a winemaking facility for this wine.

We discussed the misperception that Rombauer Chardonnay is sweet, but apparently this only occurred in some of the earlier vintages. “Now, it actually only has 2.5 g of sugar,” stated Allen. However, it is very fruit-forward with notes of fresh peach, apricot and melon, but with crisp refreshing acidity. Allen said this is partially due to the special Chardonnay clones in the vineyard, the cooler Carneros climate, and potentially the “house” yeast that permeates the winery.

Allen joked that one of his favorite things to do was to put Rombauer Chardonnay in a blind tasting with other Chardonnay brands. “Almost everybody picks it as their favorite, and then they are really shocked when it’s Rombauer,” reported Allen.

Rombauer actually produces five different Chardonnays, including the classic Carneros Chardonnay, two vineyard designates, one sweet late harvest wine, and the $80 per bottle Proprietor’s Selection Reserve Chardonnay.

“The Proprietor’s Selection Reserve Chardonnay is only produced from our very best barrels,” explained Allen. “Only a small amount is made every year. It has been mistaken for a Grand Cru Burgundy in blind wine tastings I’ve done with Las Vegas sommeliers.”

This wine is voluptuous and sensual, with notes of nectarine, grapefruit, baked pastry, and spice. Aged for 9 months in both American and French oak, it is very concentrated with an extremely long finish. The 2019 vintage was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

Rombauer Winery Focuses on Sustainability and Giving Back

Allen and Knebel were both proud to describe Rombauer’s sustainability efforts in their vineyards and wineries. “All of our vineyards are certified Fish Friendly Farming, and California Sustainable Winegrowing, and we just received our Bee Friendly certification,” reported Allen. In addition, all of their winemaking facilities are certified by Evergreen.

Rombauer Vineyards gives back to communities and charities by donating $250,000 annually to four causes: health and human services; education; agriculture; and active military/veterans and first responders. They also established the Rombauer Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund in memory of founder Joan Rombauer, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2002.