Intensely colored and blowing banana-peel, hot vanilla, and spicy alcohol on anyone standing near the open bottle or glass. A heavy decant rewards with a bit more fruit and herb development, but the dark, brooding, rather simple and un-forward fruity profile dominated with lush oak is well-engrained–not only with this brand, but also this wine.
The 2016’s are gonna start comin hot & heavy. Most of the cabs of this nature are going to have a 24-mo oak programme, so they’ve only been in the bottle a few months. Do the math. Speaking of hot & heavy, this one, understandably, checks those boxes.
In the mouth, much more of a classic Cabernet situation reveals itself, giving off limited dark stewed berry, with a nice chalky middle you have to practically chisel out of the tannic and alcoholic grip of the finish.
A super-market top-shelfer looking more and more affordable in today’s Napa cab stratosphere.
2016 ROMBAUER VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.5
