Tagged: Rombi Wines

Get the Scoop Here: A Preview of Rombi New Releases!

THE STORY

A little birdie told me that Sal Rombi will be showcasing some new releases in his tasting room THIS WEEKEND (August 24-25)!  And guess what?  I had a special box in our wine room given to me by Sal with these wines! After the fun we had guessing the Mystery Wine in July, we got the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod back together to preview the Rombi new releases.  It’s a tough job – somebody’s got to do it.

ABOUT ROMBI WINES

“Since 2006, hands-on winemaking that reflects a unique sense of place”

“Wine is a gift from nature, and every bottle produced at Rombi Wines tells a story of the land, the geography, the climate, and the hands-on philosophy of one man. Salvatore Rombi takes winemaking personally, obsessing over every detail — from harvest to barrel aging — to produce a unique range of elegant yet bold and complex red wines from the Carmel Valley Appellation. Rombi’s small vineyard and intimate tasting room provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable wine journey. With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a strict allegiance to sustainable farming practices, Rombi creates award-winning, limited-production vintages. As an ode to terroir — the rock and soil, but also the land and legacy, culture and commitment, time and tradition — the wines from Rombi are always bottled poetry.”

THE WINES: Rombi New Releases

Today I’m bringing you 4 wines, 3 new to this website.  Of these 4 wines, only 3 of them will be part of the Rombi new releases this weekend.  These wines were gifted to me. I will always tell you when a wine has been gifted to me. As a not-for-profit blog that I fund myself, the occasional gifted bottle means a lot to me.  Thank you, Sal.

In addition to Monday’s post on the 2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, I have written up Rombi Wines several times in Decanting Monterey – just type “Rombi” in the search bar.

All of these wines (except for the Petite Sirah) were opened early and single decanted. We sadly did not decant the Petite Sirah.  That makes twice we’ve tried this wine without decanting.  One must always decant or even double decant a Rombi wine! The Decanting Monterey Wine Pod collaborated on the reviews.  Any errors are mine and mine alone.

2021 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (#1424) (new release!)

My Review: Deep purple in color with cedar, blueberry, blackberry and violets on the palate.  So good: a big blue punch with graphite notes on the finish. This wine was not fruit forward, soft yet stubborn in the middle (“brooding”) with lingering tannins. Leather and cigar paper flavors on the finish, along with lingering fruit and nutmeg notes.  It reminds us of a Languedoc. “It taste like Carmel Valley smells.” Very drinkable now, but think how great this wine will be in five years! August 2024

2021 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#1425) (Sadly, this wine will not be among the new releases.  We will all have to be very patient to taste this beauty!)

My Review: This wine is so good. It’s darker red in the glass than the Merlot. Has a nose of plum and allspice with a hint of cedar and dried orange peel. The palate has notes of pepper and herbes de Provence with a round mouth feel. At this young age, the tannins leave a very dry palate. It finishes with fig and cassis flavors. This wine is stupendous. It will age into one tremendous wine. August 2024

2019 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#1426) (new release!)

My Review: The nose has a touch of barnyard (we had a debate about this descriptor), a little woody with some pepper and blackberry notes. The palate is mouth-filling with blackberry and pepper flavors and a hint of licorice. This wine is tight, but opens up into a rich wine – a classic Rombi. This will age into a really good wine. Buy now and HOLD. August 2024.

2018 Rombi Petite Sirah, Napa Valley AVA, Napa County, 14.1% ABV, $75 (#1128) (new release!)

My Review: This was the evening’s bonus wine, so it was not decanted. Always a mistake. Rombi wines must be decanted.  Late in the evening, our notes were not as extensive: Very dark purple in color. Dried fig, cigarettes and a touch of barnyard on the nose. Super rich, big palate. This wine comes off a little hot, yet is an extremely tasty wine. Next time I get my hands on one of these, we are decanting it! August 2024

THE TASTING ROOM

If you are around, be sure to stop by this weekend and taste the Rombi new releases!

Taste Award-Winning Vintages at Rombi Wines:

“At Rombi Wines, our unique tasting room provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable experience. Salvatore Rombi is most often on hand to guide you through the winemaking process and your tasting experience. Step off the beaten path and discover Rombi, where every bottle tells a story.

“Rombi Wines Tasting Room is at 1 Center St., in the charming Carmel Valley Village. We are open Saturdays and Sundays from noon–5 p.m., although appointments can be made for weekday visits.”

(831) 659-7200

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

“Mystery Wine” Stumps Wine Pod with a Sensational Rombi!

THE STORY -The Mystery Wine Game!

A fun, little bonus post for your Monday morning! After many spring and summer travels, the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod was finally reunited in late July. And what would a Wine Pod gathering be if we didn’t have a Mystery Wine? This is a game we play regularly.  Here’s the usual format:

  • Old World or New World?
  • Which Country or Region?
  • What varietal or blend?
  • What winery?
  • What vintage?  (yes, sometimes we can even guess the vintage)

So, on this particular evening, the Mystery Wine game went like this:

  • Old World or New World: Our friend guessed Old World and I was convinced it was New World.
  • From which region and what varietal? Our friend guessed French Bordeaux; I guessed Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or Cab blend.
  • What vintage? He guessed an older vintage and I thought it was younger than that.

Our impressions of this mystery wine were much more aligned – a fantastic nose – filled to the brim with dark fruit and lusciousness.  The palate was quite rich with forest floor and cedar, finishing with some tannins – nicely structured.We all agreed that this was an amazing wine.

The Big Reveal:  The mystery wine was the 2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon from the Carmel Valley AVA! We were stunned and amazed at how wonderful this wine is drinking! I often say we shouldn’t be tempted to drink Sal Rombi’s wines too early – they need to be held – and double decanted. And it was marvelous.

I’ve written up this wine twice before, but, when Sal Rombi gifted us another bottle, who could resist? Yes, I will always tell you when a wine has been gifted to me. As an all-volunteer blog that I fund myself, the occasional gifted bottle means a lot to me.  Thank you, Sal.

I have written up Rombi Wines several times in Decanting Monterey – just type “Rombi” in the search bar. The most recent post is here: Sal Rombi’s Big Reds Impress the Monterey AWS!  

ABOUT ROMBI WINES

Since 2006, hands-on winemaking that reflects a unique sense of place

“Wine is a gift from nature, and every bottle produced at Rombi Wines tells a story of the land, the geography, the climate, and the hands-on philosophy of one man. Salvatore Rombi takes winemaking personally, obsessing over every detail — from harvest to barrel aging — to produce a unique range of elegant yet bold and complex red wines from the Carmel Valley Appellation. Rombi’s small vineyard and intimate tasting room provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable wine journey. With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a strict allegiance to sustainable farming practices, Rombi creates award-winning, limited-production vintages. As an ode to terroir — the rock and soil, but also the land and legacy, culture and commitment, time and tradition — the wines from Rombi are always bottled poetry.”

THE MYSTERY WINE

In today’s post I will present a single Rombi wine. I’ve written up this wine a couple of times before:  Rombi: Bold, Distinctive Fruit Wrapped in Elegance  and more recently here: At Rombi, It is More than Just the Exceptional Wine!  Any errors are mine and mine alone. Any quotes come from the winery’s website.

Sometime back, I asked Sal about the 2011 growing season.  He indicated it was a good season – one in which “nothing weird” happened.  This was also his 5th year of production, so he felt he was really hitting his stride.  He also reminded me that one must always decant his wines!

I am posting 3 different impressions/experiences of this wine – the recent one first!

2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#100) (Home Library)

My Current 2024 Review: This wine was opened before the event and was decanted. We smelled cassis, stewed prunes, black pepper, Coca Cola and some tobacco on the delightful big nose of darkness. On the palate: forest floor and cedar mingle with the rich, dark fruit palate. Finishes with some tobacco – the tannins holding up to give this wine a nice structure.  We single decanted this wine and tasted it blind.  It pays to hold onto these wines!  His carefully-tended, tiny vineyard produces fabulous fruit, followed by Sal’s expert winemaking. We all thought this mystery wine was beautiful. July 2024

My July 2020 Review: Beautiful deep ruby color. After it opened up, plum and cassis backed by complex tannins on the nose.  Cherry and some tartness on the palate, with the acidity balanced out by lovely round, dark berry fruit flavors. It finishes dry, dotted with spearmint and tobacco notes. Next time, we will decant this wine as he recommends!  This is an excellent Carmel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – delicious fruit. July 2020

My Comments from My September 2022 Tasting: Tasting notes remained the same. However, we only single decanted and aerated this wine, but it would have benefited from being double decanted and double aerated. We really had to let this wine open up before we experienced the delicious, distinctive fruit we remembered from his 2015 vintage.  Sal reminded me that one must always, always decant his wines. We should know better by now!  After it fully opened up and also on day 2, this was still drinking deliciously. September 2022

THE TASTING ROOM

Taste Award-Winning Vintages at Rombi Wines:

“At Rombi Wines, our unique tasting room provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable experience. Salvatore Rombi is most often on hand to guide you through the winemaking process and your tasting experience. Step off the beaten path and discover Rombi, where every bottle tells a story.

“Rombi Wines Tasting Room is at 1 Center St., in the charming Carmel Valley Village. We are open Saturdays and Sundays from noon–5 p.m., although appointments can be made for weekday visits.”

(831) 659-7200

© Decanting Monterey 2024

*FOLLOW ME ON CELLAR TRACKER: Central Coast Sharon

Sal Rombi’s Big Reds Impress the Monterey AWS!

THE STORY

I never knew we could fit a crowd in Sal Rombi’s small tasting room in Carmel Valley Village, but when he offered to host the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society for one of their first Friday WinedUP events, I jumped on the opportunity.  We had about 18 members and the intimate setting lent itself to us all getting to know Sal, his wines, and each other a bit better.  Thank you, Sal, for opening up just for us – we are grateful!

I’ve dotted this post with pictures of our group having a great time at the Rombi Tasting Room.  We are always looking for new places to try, so if you are a local winery and interested in hosting our group, just let us know! The Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society enjoys learning about new places and our members BUY WINE!  And *BONUS* – there is usually a writeup in Decanting Monterey about our experience!

At this event, we tasted wines Decanting Monterey has written up before. I’ve written about Rombi Wines several times – just type “Rombi” in the search bar. To get his full story, check out a couple of them here:  Decant Rombi: Release Your Full Cachaguan Experience and At Rombi, it is More Than Just the Exceptional Wine.

I have to say that his 2018 Petit Verdot from Napa Valley continues to be  stunner – it was a crowd pleaser that evening and continues to be a house favorite.  I recently texted Sal that we have a huge problem at our house:  Lots of Rombi Wine but zero (zero!!) Petit Verdot.  The Decanting Monterey Wine Pod headed to his tasting room on Saturday to rectify the situation.  While we were there, Sal gave us a couple of not-yet-released wines to try at home.  We tasted his 2018 Petite Sirah that night, which I have just added to this post.

“Sal, we have a problem! We are out of your 2018 Petit Verdot!!”

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. Like Friday night, when we opened his 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is drinking beautifully, by the way.

THE WINES

In today’s post I will present 9 Rombi wines. The 2015 Merlot, 2018 Petite Sirah and 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon wines are presented here for the first time. The Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon came from our home stock, along with the 2012 Merlot, which was gifted to me. The 2018 Petite Sirah was just gifted to me this weekend to try in advance of its release. The rest are the current releases we re-tasted with the Monterey AWS in early August, with slightly updated tasting notes, as applicable.

2012 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14% ABV, $65 (#836)

*This bottle was given to us –  I will always tell you when I am presenting a wine any winery has gifted to me.*

My Review: We blind-tasted this wine at home. Almost purple in color. Nose of lean dark fruits – plum, blackberry, cassis and a touch earthy. Palate is intense, concentrated jamminess, fruity.  I guessed it was an older, fine Bordeaux. Not too far off, eh? Dark berries, oak, cassis and a dry finish. Showing well. Lean yet big yet intense. Good to the last drop. March 2023

2015 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA , Monterey County, 14.1% ABV  $65 (#1126)

My Review: This is the first time I have presented this wine. Inky in the glass. Rich dark, warm berries on the nose, perhaps a touch of licorice, herbs, and alcohol. Brown sugar on the front end, followed by a delicious, mouth-filling palate. A little spice – cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, followed by a slight tang on the finish. We double-decanted this wine, as we do with every Rombi wine. June 2023

2019 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (#974)

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

2014 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#1127)

My Review: We blind tasted this wine at home – this is the first time I have presented this wine. Purple in the glass. Dark nose of cedar, dark plum, and blackberry. The palate was just “wow.” It was palate-coating rich from beginning to end, loaded with big and brooding dark fruit. I had guessed it was a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was nothing short of amazing. It was decanted and double aerated about an hour before serving. July 2023

2016 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#837)

My Review: Affected by the Soberanes Fire, Sal fondly refers to this wine as “Smokey.” Dark ruby in the glass, tastes a bit like BBQ ribs with some ash on the finish. I like BBQ ribs…just sayin’. Yeah, it is smokey! August 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, cherry and mocha notes. Complex with lots of cherry on the palate and chewy tannins. Can’t wait to see what this becomes. Cellar for the future. Updated August 2023  

2017 Rombi Petite Sirah, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#331)

This fruit comes from the Galante vineyards, supplemented with some of Sal’s own grapes.

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 and is very drinkable right now. April 2023

2018 Rombi Petite Sirah, Napa Valley AVA, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#1128) (pre-release)

Sal gifted me a bottle of this wine to try it pre-release.

My Review: Very dark purple in color. Dried fig and cigarettes on the nose. Super rich palate of blackberry and blueberry, very different from the redder fruit flavors of the Carmel Valley fruit. Our enjoyment was enhanced by not having to guess what wine this was.  Very nice, Sal. September 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: Purple in the glass. A very jammy nose, enhanced by some warm, brown sugar and mocha notes. The palate: super rich, smooth, with dark berry flavors. It’s delicious, dark fruit with a slightly bitter finish. This is one of my favorite Petit Verdots. Blows my socks off. I’m sad we are out of this wine at our house! Updated August 2023

THE TASTING ROOM

Taste Award-Winning Vintages at Rombi Wines:

“Taste winemaker Salvatore Rombi’s award-winning limited-production vintages of Rombi Estate-grown Carmel Valley Vineyard Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Also, taste our outstanding Carmel Valley Petite Sirah and Napa Valley fruit Petit Verdot.

“Since the winemaker and owner Salvatore Rombi will be pouring in the tasting room, you will enjoy firsthand knowledge and education, from growing the fruit to producing the wine. Sal does it all! Truly a very unique tasting room experience.

“Rombi Wines are only available directly from our tasting room, and each previous vintage released has sold out.”

Located in the Carmel Valley Village at 1 Center Street, 11 3/4 miles from Highway One, Right Off Carmel Valley Road (831) 659-7200. Hours of Operation: Only Saturday – Sunday, 12 pm to 5 pm.

© Decanting Monterey 2023

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Monumental Third Year, Decanting Monterey!

Today marks the third anniversary of Decanting Monterey, A Central Coast Wine Blog! And what a year it has been! With 291 wines presented and reaching over 10,000 views, we have a lot to celebrate. Please read to the end for today’s small ask.

OUR HISTORY

Deep in the unvaccinated period of the pandemic in July 2020, Decanting Monterey was founded on wines from our own collection sampled at home, with or without our neighboring friends and our daughters, who quickly became known as the COVID Wine Pod. It was 2 posts per week and, mostly, one wine at a time. Back then, some wineries had just reopened with their COVID procedures and we still weren’t venturing out much. I also established the @decantingmonterey Facebook page.

During Year 2, as we became fully vaccinated and boosted – and double boosted, we were able to get out to more local wineries at a more deliberate pace. And the COVID Wine Pod was renamed the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod! I also moved to a single post per week and presented a single wine class to my old DC wine group. Most of the posts were based on event-driven or winery tastings and fewer individual, cellar-driven posts.  And I started the @decanting_monterey Instagram feed.

During Year 3, I began to get recognition as an entity with some stature behind it:

OUR STATS

I have some high-level stats to share with you about Year Three of Decanting Monterey!

  • www.decantingmonterey.com hit the 10,000 “views” mark! This statistic is very important to me.  If you are seeing my blog on social media or via email, please be sure to click the link and open it!
  • 291 wines were presented on Decanting Monterey for the first time.
  • 207 red wines were presented, as well as 62 whites, 20 rosés, and a couple of oranges – including 6 sparkling and 2 fortified wines.

  • Over 39 distinct varietals were presented with Pinot Noir topping the list thanks to the SLH festival I attended, followed closeky by Red Blends, and Syrah – no surprise if you know me!
  • 8 Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society events and 2 private tastings conducted at home were presented.
  • Wines from 12 California counties are represented, with 181 from Monterey, 30 from Santa Barbara, 20 from San Benito, 15 from Santa Cruz, 11 from San Luis Obispo, 9 from San Benito – and more! Plus 12 wines from Italy!

  • Wines from 6 of the 9 Monterey American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) were covered, capturing 39 varietals!

  • I Brand was the most represented family of wines, followed by Parsonage. I attribute that to the steady and wonderful release events offered by I Brand & Family wines. Parsonage was one of the first local wineries to put Monterey wines squarely on our consumption radar way back when. Their wines match my palate perfectly – what else can I say?

While I have some posts already queued up for Year 3, let me ask my mighty readers:  Where should I visit next?  Please leave me a comment on this post and let me know what some of your favorite, local places are to wine taste that I should not miss in Year 3! I have a list of not-yet-covered wine tasting rooms and other wine venues to check out – happy to add to it.  I don’t know what I don’t know. 

SUBSCRIBE

And, if you have not signed up for my free, weekly blog email, I encourage you to do so – the subscription button is on the right-hand side of each page of the Decanting Monterey website. I judge how well I am doing by how many views, subscribers, and comments I receive.  Please help me spread the word and please feel free to comment on my posts! And follow my Facebook (@decantingmonterey) and Instagram (@decanting_monterey) sites.

OUR SUPPORTERS

I am grateful to Chesebro, Bernardus, Bunter Spring, Idle Hour, Pierce Ranch and Rombi for their generosity this year in donated wines or discounts. Grateful to Kim Stemler and the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association for their support – what a great resource! And to Erin O’Reilly of tèr·ra·ve·nos for her partnership and advice as we navigate this world of wine.  I remain grateful to those vintners who have comped me wine tastings, given me discounts, and especially those who have comped me bottles of wine! And, of course, the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod!

DONATE

Now, to my ask:

As my avid readers know, Decanting Monterey is a self-funded labor of love to help educate others about our local vintners and their wines.  The only “compensation” I receive is free tastings (most places), discounted purchases, an occasional comped bottle, and, most importantly, the appreciation of our vintners. While I do this, I protect your data from being sold or used by anyone other than for my own website statistics.  Here is my Privacy Policy.

As I come up on my 3-year renewal of my website, I am asking my readers to consider making a small donation to keep this effort going. I donate my time, energy, knowledge, and to date personally have funded this website and my wine education travel expenses. 

Here is what it takes to make Decanting Monterey run:

  • $13/month for website expenses
  • $20/year for domain registration
  • $40/year for CellarTracker
  • $42/month for Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association membership (an aspiration!)
  • $50/year for codeguard
  • $1200-2400/year in travel expenses (airfare, car rental only)

While this blog is open and free, donations to this not-for-profit effort are always welcome in any amount!  You can donate here: Donate to Decanting Monterey. All donations go toward the operation of this website and to offset travel expenses for out of area wine classes.  Even the smallest amount would be greatly appreciated.

So, here we go – Year 4!  This should be an even better one! Thanks for your support to me on this crazy journey.

Central Coast Sharon

Rombi: The Most Complex, Big Reds in the County Are Drinking Magnificently!

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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At Rombi, It is More than Just the Exceptional Wine!

A visit to Rombi Wines in Carmel Valley is always a good time.  Sal Rombi treats everyone like a best friend – he is full of stories and such a gracious host while we enjoy some of the biggest wines made in all of Monterey County.  And our visit with him in July was no different.  We were fortunate to have him all to ourselves.  We were able to catch up, hear some stories, and taste his current releases, most of which I have had the fortune to taste before.

 In May of 2021, I gave you a preview of Rombi wines to come here: https://decantingmonterey.com/rombi-a-preview-of-wines-to-come/.  Back in the tasting room in July 2022, I am happy to find these wines are now available for everyone to try!  I’ll be re-presenting those wines here, but also adding a few others – including some wines which would now be considered “library” wines from my own collection. 

The fruit from Sal’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.

I exchanged a few dog-related texts with Sal in September. The last time we visited him in July, our dog messed up the extremely difficult dancing dog puzzle we had been working on. Separation issues. While we knew almost immediately he had eaten a few blue pieces, we didn’t know until we competed this now even more difficult puzzle that he had eaten 68 pieces. 68!!

But what I learned in our brief exchange of texts is the concern of our local vintners regarding this heat wave we’ve been having throughout the west. Harvesting at 115 degrees is not good. I found this informative article about Central Valley grapes from 2020. Fresno State Winemaker Tom Montgomery is quoted in that article as saying this: “Above about 90 degrees …the vines — the metabolism — starts to shut down. And that’s a protective measure for self-preservation. So they’re conserving water and not transpiring and not ripening fruit. Sometimes we see them stall in very hot weather.” We are all hoping for the best outcomes for the 2022 vintage. Sal did tell me later that everything is looking good for his grapes! I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground from our other local vintners as we make the rounds.

In today’s post I will present 8 wines past and present! These include what he is currently pouring in the tasting room plus some wines from our home collection. I think we started collecting Rombi Wine with the 2010 vintage. I’ve presented Rombi Wines to you several times before – just type “Rombi” in the search bar!

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 blog affordable – in an indirect way! One example is that I now possess the 2019 Merlot, which is not yet released – we’ll wait for the right occasion to open this one for a review. Another donation is noted below. These gifts don’t change my reviews – they are opportunities to taste unreleased wines, share with me more of a wine I really like, replenish my stock, or in some cases wines to present in my all-volunteer classes.

2018 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (#326) (Tasting Room)

This was his 12th year of production.

My Review: Beautiful dark ruby, raspberry swirling in color. Intense berry and a little must on the nose. Mouthfilling tart dark berries on the dry palate. Very good and well balanced. If the 2012 is any indicator, I’ll try to put this away for years to come! March 2021/July 2022

2012 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, 14% ABV, $65 (#836) (Home Library)

We shared this wine with our wine pod partners in early August. I have to say, these “library” Merlots are drinking incredibly well. I think we all were extremely impressed. Just proving that it pays to hold onto these wines!

My Review: Super dark and beautiful in the glass. Nice bouquet of dark plum, cherry, sagebrush and graphite on the nose. Rich palate of dark cherry, dark black raspberry, olive tapenade, tarragon and some tannin. Drinking great, but could last another 10 years. July 2022

2017 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#328) (Tasting Room)

My Review: Deep ruby in color. Distinctive, intense berry, Cassis and caramel and vanilla on the nose. A classic Cabernet nose. Intense flavors on the palate. Graphite, lean “St Estèphe-like.” Dark, intense fruit on the palate. That’s pretty good. Tongue-coating. March 2021/July 2022

2016 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.1% ABV, $ (837) (Tasting Room)

My Review: This was the first time we had tasted this new release, affected by the Soberanes Fire. Dark ruby in the glass, tastes a bit like BBQ ribs with some ash on the finish.  I like BBQ ribs…just sayin’.

2013 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, $65 (#838) (Home Library)

My Review: Dark ruby in the glass. Rich dark raspberry on the nose. Pretty rich and smooth dark berries on the palate with a very dry finish. While I retain a special spot for the 2015 vintage, the 2013 is one of his best we have tasted. We double decanted and double aerated this wine before tasting. January/May 2022

2011 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (#100) (Home Library)

Sometime back, I asked Sal about the 2011 growing season.  He indicated it was a good season – one in which “nothing weird” happened.  This was also his 5th year of production, so he felt he was really hitting his stride.  I told him we really had to let this wine open up before we experienced the delicious, distinctive fruit we remembered from his 2015 vintage.  He reminded me that one must always, always decant his wines. 

My Review: Beautiful deep ruby color. After it opened up, plum and cassis backed by complex tannins on the nose.  Cherry and some tartness on the palate, with the acidity balanced out by lovely round, dark berry fruit flavors. It finishes dry, dotted with spearmint and tobacco notes. For our recent September tasting, we only single decanted and aerated this wine, but it would have benefited from being double decanted and double aerated. We should know better by now!  After it fully opened up and also on day 2, this was still drinking deliciously. July 2020/September 2022

2014 Rombi Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, 14.6% ABV, $75 (#260) (Tasting Room)

My Review: Deep purple-red in the glass. A very different nose with a touch of barnyard. Delicious, chalky, deep plum and cherry on the palate with a leathery finish. Drinking well. August 2020/July 2022

2018 Rombi Petit Verdot, Napa Valley, 14.4% ABV, $75 (#329) (Tasting Room)

This is Rombi’s first Petit Verdot! He 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 ruby/purple. Great nose of mocha and blackberries. Full bodied, with rich, dark berries and so smooth on the palate. Blackberry and blueberry with a touch of menthol tobacco mid-palate. Licorice dry long finish. Still the best Petit Verdot I’ve ever had! I like this wine. Sal gave me one to take home. March 2021/July 2022

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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Rombi: A Preview of Wines to Come!

When Sal Rombi gave me the opportunity to preview some future releases, I jumped in my car and drove to his tasting room in Carmel Valley Village.  Sal had a box of wine for me to take home – I am a lucky girl!  I fund this blog out of my own pocket, so I deeply appreciate the occasional donation of wine for the purpose of the blog – and I will always tell you when that happens.  We tasted most of these with the COVID Wine Pod and tasted/retasted some with the Bailey-Houy clan! I’ve presented Rombi Wines to you several times before – just type “Rombi” in the search bar!

Rombi’s Generous Support to Decanting Monterey!

Rombi’s fruit from his Carmel Valley Vineyard is so flavorful, creating wines with up-front intense flavors. His wines are very big and complex – resist the temptation to open them too soon! And we highly recommend decanting to get the full fruit flavors.  (I’ve said this before…)  In today’s post I will review five wines –most not yet released!

2018 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (327*)

The 2018 Merlot is not yet released – but highly recommended!!

This was his 12th year of production. 

My Review: Beautiful dark ruby, raspberry swirling in color. Intense berry on the nose. Very good. Well balanced. I’ll put this away for years to come! March 2021

2018 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (328*)

Sal Rombi considers his 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon on par with his 2015, my favorite vintage!

My Review: We decanted this wine just before drinking. It needed much more time to breathe. It is a very young wine – almost a crime to even open it for this tasting! Dark ruby in the glass. Dark berry and pencil lead on the nose. Rich dark berries on the palate – black cherry, blackberry, chocolate and a very dry finish – the tannins are still very present in this wine – a big finish. I get hints of that berry fruit so distinctive from Carmel Valley Vineyard, woven into this big, structured wine. Needs more time. Resist the temptation to open early! We all agreed this might be his best Cabernet Sauvignon yet. April 2021

2017 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $85 (329*)

This 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has been released and is currently available from Rombi Wines!

My Review: Garnet in color. Intense berry, cassis and caramel and vanilla on the nose. A classic Cabernet nose. Intense flavors on the palate. Graphite, lean “St. Estèphe-like.” “Like biting into a poached pear.” That’s pretty good. Tongue-coating. Highly recommend picking some of this up now! March 2021

2018 Rombi Petit Verdot, Napa Valley, 14.4% ABV, $75 (330*)

This exceptional 2018 Petit Verdot can be purchased in Rombi’s tasting room now!

 My Review: Inky purple. Great blackberry nose. So smooth. Blackberry blueberry with a touch of menthol tobacco mid- palate. Licorice dry long finish. It did taste a bit like we were drinking it “while sitting in a freshly mowed field.” Best Petit Verdot I’ve ever had! March 2021

2017 Rombi Petite Sirah, Carmel Valley AVA, 14.6% ABV, $75 (331*)

The 2017 Petite Sirah won’t be released for a couple of years!

The fruit for this wine comes from Galante Vineyards in Cachagua, thusly relocating Rombi’s sourcing from Napa to Carmel Valley! 

My Review: We decanted and tried this wine twice.  On the first try, the COVID Wine Pod declared it not ready for consumption and we didn’t drink it.  On the second try, with a different audience, we got the following: Berry and alcohol on the nose. A bit sour on the palate at first, later smoothing out into big berry fruit flavors as it opened up further in the glass. Went well with our celebratory meal. Even Sal says it is way too soon to sample this wine – it won’t even be released for a couple of years! March & April 2021

You can learn more about and purchase 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 wine.  The tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  Come on out and spend some time with Sal. 

Sal Rombi, outside his tasting room in Carmel Valley Village, March 2021

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.    

Squeaking in a Rombi Tasting Just Before the Stay-at-Home Order!

On a lazy Saturday, I get a call from Sal Rombi asking if we’d like to come out for a tasting – like RIGHT THEN!  A quick text to our COVID Wine Squad and we were all in – lucky that our adult daughters could join us on this mission.  It was SO GOOD to see Sal, after what seemed like a very long time.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time together, as well as the outstanding wines. Yes, these are wines tasted in 2020 that slipped through the wine blog cracks – plus a recent tasting of his 2014 Merlot!

  • Sal, always a welcoming host – photo taken July 2020!
  • A treat to taste his big, elegant wines!

I’ve presented Rombi Wines to you twice before:  Rombi: Bold, Distinctive Fruit Wrapped in Elegance and  Decant Those Rombi Wines: Release Your Full Cachaguan Experience!  Please take a look there for more details about Sal and his wines. 

In today’s post I will review the 2014 and 2017 Rombi Merlots, and the 2014 Rombi Petite Sirah.  We also tasted 2 wines I’ve reviewed before – updated reviews from our recent tasting are here:

  • 2015 Rombi Cabernet Sauvignon (one of my favorites): Garnet in color. Deep plum sage and wood scent on the nose. Puckery rich intense blackberry & dried currant on the palate. December 2020
  • 2016 Rombi Merlot (Soberanes fire year): Garnet in color. Sweet ham hock on the nose. Rich underlying fruit, and a smokey finish. If it hadn’t been for the smoke taint, this would have been his best Merlot yet.  Hats off to vintners gutsy enough to still make these wines – appreciate them for what they are! December 2020

2014 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (258*)**

This wine reflects the intense, delicious fruit fruit from Sal’s tiny Carmel Valley Vineyard.

This was his 8th year of production.  His fruit from this 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.  (I’ve said this before…)  Sal described this wine as “wonderful” – so wonderful he only has a few bottles left in his personal stash!  I still have at least one more – lucky me.

My Review: Garnet/purple in color. Rich bramble berry and cassis on the nose.  Huge palate of blueberry, blackberry and a touch of acidity, with at first a very dry finish. As it opened up, lush fruit enveloped the palate with a licorice finish. Very big, very complex, very nice wine. January 2021

2017 Rombi Merlot, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County, 14.1% ABV, $65 (259*)

My Review: Rombi’s 11th vintage of Merlot! Pretty, ruby color with some earth on the nose. This wine might have just been opened and not decanted.  Awfully young and a bit tannic with cherry flavors.  I will need to taste this one again! December 2020

2014 Rombi Petite Sirah, California, 14.6% ABV, $75 (260*)

My Review: Most of these grapes are sourced from Napa.  Deep purple-red in the glass. A very different nose with a touch of barnyard. Delicious, chalky, deep plum and cherry on the palate with a leathery finish. December 2020

You can learn more about and purchase 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 wine.  The tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons for an outdoor tasting.  Come on out and spend some time with Sal. 

Our daughters staying socially distant in the comfy outdoor seating at Rombi Wines!

*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.

**I have a standing offer from Sal Rombi to replenish my cellar with any of his wines I review. 

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