A plush, fresh and juicy red that's so comfortable and easy. Made from grapes grown in both mountain and valley vineyards, and blended with 6% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc. A large 30% of the fruit is barrel fermented, a labor intensive practice that helps deepen the color and improve the layering of fruit and oak nuances. Full-bodied and moderately tannic. Drink now or hold.
93 points, Jim Gordon, James Suckling (Jan 2025)
Always a classic expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from Rombauer, sourced from Calistoga, a site in St. Helena, Stags Leap, and Atlas Peak and built with a bright spearmint freshness, layered with blackberry and cassis fruit, and hints of vanilla and clove. Vivid and expressive, with a medium-bodied palate, this wine showcases bright, lifted fruit that is never overpowered by toasty oak. Instead, it’s elegantly layered with baking spice, currant liqueur, liquorice, wet slate, and cedarwood. Pure blackberry fruit, baking spices, crème de cassis, and red currants carry through to a long, lingering finish. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, aged for 17 months in French oak (70% new). Koerner Rombauer moved to Napa Valley in 1972 with no intention of entering the wine business. He became a partner in Conn Creek Winery in 1976, but had his garage bonded as a winery. Officially bitten by the wine bug, Koerner sold his interests in Conn Creek in 1980, made the first Rombauer wines at Shafer, and stored them in his bonded winery garage. Oklahoma-born and raised, Andrew Holloway began his winemaking journey as an intern at Rombauer in 2010.
93 points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter (Feb 2025)
Though famous for Chardonnay, Rombauer's first wine was this same cuvée of Cabernet. Dark currants, plum, and cherries spun through with oak spices creating layers of flavor. Velvety tannins coat the palate through a lengthy finish.
92 points, Elaine Chukan Brown, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2025)
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