Rombauer Chardonnay, a wine with an “Elvis-like” following, is about to face off against Ramey, a formidable competitor from the same region.
Why did we pick these two?
Rombauer vs Ramey Chardonnay Tasting
First, both wines hail from esteemed producers and are similarly priced at around $40 – making it a fair comparison.
Second, Rombauer comes from Napa, and Ramey from Sonoma—two competing premier wine regions of California. While Napa is long considered the best place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon, many specialists consider Sonoma’s cooler micro-climate vineyards a prime location for Chardonnay.
Third, after tasting each wine separately, we wanted to pit Ramey and Rombauer and see who came on top.
Lastly, we were uniquely qualified to judge these two because we can hardly call ourselves California-style Chardonnay fans and prefer wines from the Chablis and Burgundy regions for our cellar.
Still, while tasting professionally, we must set our preferences aside and focus on the objective characteristics of the wine to ensure an unbiased and comprehensive comparison.
Our affinity for a different wine style added objectivity and made it even more fun because we didn’t have “a dog in a fight.” We purchased wines ourselves for the professional, independent review.
One of the intriguing aspects we pondered was whether we could discern their Californian origin and its hallmark feature – the pronounced buttery and sometimes oak aromas and flavors. This question set the stage for our tasting experience.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Rombauer’s buttery character jumped right out, which explains the dedicated following among those who prefer this style. Still, it’s way more complex than one might expect from a typical Californian Chardonnay. Its buttery, rich palate was complemented by mango, baked apple-lemon tart, and roasted pignoli nuts flavors.
While we can hardly add ourselves to Rombauer’s “groupies,” we might have it on occasion and understand why it has so many fans.
Ramey Chardonnay
Ramey has shown its Californian roots in a more tempered way than Rombauer, with more rich, heavy-cream notes rather than butter. The tropical fruit notes came through with dried pineapple and were complemented by crispy Granny Smith apple and Meyer lemon flavors. It had a noticeably brighter acidity compared to Rombauer.
And the Winner Is…
Do we have to pick a winner of Rombauer vs Ramey Chardonnay tasting?
Each wine has its strengths, and both were unapologetic about their Napa roots with their rich, creamy, buttery profiles.
We liked Rombauer’s more substantial, almost oil-like mouthfeel and its potential to complement even a ribeye steak dinner. On the other hand, Ramey’s acidity balanced the creamy richness and brightened up the wine’s profile. And this balance is what Ramey to topple the Rombauer Chardonnay in our tasting.
Your Opinion?
What are your thoughts on comparing these wines?
We would love to hear from you whether you’re a Rombauer, Ramey fan, or another Napa producer. What would you suggest comparing them with?
You can always invite us for a bottle of Rombauer so we can give it another try if you think the outcome should’ve been different.