I had an allotment to pick up at Rombi Wines in Carmel Valley Village. My Better Half said he had several questions he wanted me to ask Sal Rombi. I started to write down the list…then I just looked at him. I mean, if he really wanted all those answers, wasn’t he coming with me? I mean, the college basketball tournament was over, baseball is just starting. Was he worried he was going to miss…golf????
We were the first ones there on the Saturday before Easter. And the questions started coming out almost before our first pour. They mostly have to do with which wineries are located where in relationship to his and when they were planted. Some of the very best wines of Monterey County – and certainly the biggest reds – come from the Carmel Valley AVA and many of those vineyards are located in Cachagua. We also played one of our favorite games: guess which 5 tasting rooms were the only ones open in 1995. Most of the wineries we know today did not open their tasting rooms or even start operations until the 1980’s. Sal confirmed one of them for us.
I’ve written about Rombi Wines many times – just type “Rombi” in the search bar. As I have said before, the fruit from Sal Rombi’s Carmel Valley Vineyard is so flavorful, creating wines with up-front intense flavors. Rombi’s wines are very big and complex – highly recommend decanting to get the full fruit flavors. Actually, we have been double-decanting and double-aerating them for best results…unless you really want to wait a day after opening. Who can wait? I mean, it is not like we decide at noon that we will have one of his big Cabernet Sauvignons after dinner. It is usually an in-the-moment decision.
About Rombi Wines: “Carmel Valley Vineyard is at the pinnacle of the Carmel Valley Appellation located atop the ridgeline at an elevation of 1650 ft. its orientation captures cooling marine influences nightly. The vineyard is hand tended with sustainable practices. The well-drained rocky soil creates balanced vines with limited yields of superior fruit that produce exceptional wine. The vines were planted in 1998. The original planting was 1,000 vines 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 337 on 110R rootstock and 50% Merlot 181 on RG rootstock. It was trained to Vertical Shoot Positioning and is spaced meter by two. (4’X 8’). The vineyard has been expanded to 1850 vines and another 1,000 vines will be planted this year for a total of just over 2 acres. Other plantings are scheduled.”
In today’s post I will present 4 current releases available in his tasting room. The 2019 Merlot is the only wine I had not previously tasted. And we had a huge surprise: the 2017 Petite Sirah made from local fruit which was absolutely NOT ready 2 years ago is now drinking beautifully. We always recommend cellaring his wines and then the double decant. His wines do not disappoint!
Sal has always been generous to Decanting Monterey, whether it is replenishing my home stock or giving me new wines to try. I will always let you know when a winery has comped me the wine – which a few have done. Since this is an all-volunteer effort, it is small gestures like these that make operating my website affordable – in an indirect way!
2019 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (#974)
This was his 13th year of production.
My Review: Garnet, almost purple in the glass. Dusty raspberry notes on the nose. Tart smooth raspberry on the palate. I’m lacking words to describe how delicious this fruit is. For such a young Rombi wine, it is very drinkable now and has the structure to last. April 2023
2018 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#328)
My Review: Garnet in color. A warm nose with plum and cherry notes. Complex with lots of cherry and that delicious Cachagua fruit on the palate and chewy tannins. He makes undeniably the biggest, most complex Cabernet Sauvignon in the county. We liked this wine and it is still young. Can’t wait to see what this becomes. Cellar for the future. April 2023
2017 Rombi Petite Sirah, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#331)
This fruit comes from the Galante vineyards.
My Review: A rich, bright garnet in the glass. Cherry and berry notes on the nose. Thick on the palate with cherry and berry flavors. This is a “wow” wine. This wine has improved over the years, has finally come into its own and is very drinkable right now. April 2023
2018 Rombi Petit Verdot, Napa Valley, 14.4% ABV, $75 (#330)
This is Rombi’s first Petit Verdot, which I reviewed back in 2021 and liked very much. As I wrote before, Sal shared with us the small fact that Petit Verdot is the last fruit to ripen. I likely had commented that I used to think Petit Verdot was a touch vegetal. Perhaps others aren’t patient enough for the fruit to ripen fully!
My Review: Inky Garnet in the glass. A dusty, vegetal nose, which I often pick up from Petit Verdot, enhanced by some warm, brown sugar notes. The palate: super rich, smooth, with dark berry flavors. It’s packed with delicious, dark fruit with a slightly bitter licorice finish. This is one of my favorite Petit Verdots. April 2023
Visit the Rombi Tasting Room: If you have not yet had the opportunity to taste Sal’s wines, I highly recommend visiting him on a Saturday or Sunday, 12-5 at One Center Street, Carmel Valley Village. You can learn more about his wines online at Rombi Wines. You can also contact Kathy and Sal at kathy@rombiwines.com or sal@rombiwines.com for more information about buying their wines.
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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