Shocked I say. Shocked.

[David M. Bueker]

Chain restaurant dinner on a business trip tonight. Had a couple of glasses of Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was actually quite enjoyable. It had a nice smoky edge that gave some complexity to the dark fruit. It wasn't goopy, and worked with food and on its own. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Chain restaurant dinner on a business trip tonight. Had a couple of glasses of Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was actually quite enjoyable. It had a nice smoky edge that gave some complexity to the dark fruit. It wasn't goopy, and worked with food and on its own. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Ohhhhhh...how the mighty have fallen...drinking RodneyStrong Cabernet in a chain restaurant!!

It's actually fun to go back and revisit some of these wines we once held in awe. Rombauer Chard, the punching bag
for over-everything Calif Chard is actually pretty decent these days.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

At least I did not have to pay for it.

Rombauer Chardonnay is decent now? If so, and it hasn't been proved, I am shocked. Rombauer has made a lot of money establishing itself as the leader in over-everything chardonnay; at this point it would so devastate their core buying group to NOT get that signature style that it would drive the faithful away.

And it's not even the Chard that appalls me. That's a conscious decision to make chardonnay in a certain (heavily over-manipulated) style that I don't care for. That's okay. It's the Zinfandel that appalls me. I remain amazed that anyone pays for that wine. It's just crappy wine.

Rombauer Chardonnay is decent now? If so, and it hasn't been proved, I am shocked. Rombauer has made a lot of money establishing itself as the leader in over-everything chardonnay; at this point it would so devastate their core buying group to NOT get that signature style that it would drive the faithful away.

And it's not even the Chard that appalls me. That's a conscious decision to make chardonnay in a certain (heavily over-manipulated) style that I don't care for. That's okay. It's the Zinfandel that appalls me. I remain amazed that anyone pays for that wine. It's just crappy wine.

My God, why would they change the style of Rombauer chard? Or as in the trade known as Cougar Juice.

Rombauer Chardonnay is decent now? If so, and it hasn't been proved, I am shocked. Rombauer has made a lot of money establishing itself as the leader in over-everything chardonnay; at this point it would so devastate their core buying group to NOT get that signature style that it would drive the faithful away.

And it's not even the Chard that appalls me. That's a conscious decision to make chardonnay in a certain (heavily over-manipulated) style that I don't care for. That's okay. It's the Zinfandel that appalls me. I remain amazed that anyone pays for that wine. It's just crappy wine.

My God, why would they change the style of Rombauer chard? Or as in the trade known as Cougar Juice.

Listen to me, guys. The Rombauer Carneros Chard, at about $34/btl, is not over-oaked, over-blown stuff. It has good acidity and restrained oak. They may have a bottom-line Chard that panders to their old base...I don't know. But the Carneros Chard
is decent stuff..if a bit overpriced. I ain't makin' this up.
Tom

It's the Zinfandel that appalls me. I remain amazed that anyone pays for that wine. It's just crappy wine.

It can't be a lick on Martinelli. That Jackass Vineyard bottling stands out as one of the worst wines I have ever tasted.