Rombauer Vineyards spotlight
The official Rombauer Vineyards channel films the house Zinfandel program, the same grape and family behind this 2023.
2023 Rombauer Vineyards Zinfandel Napa Valley, USA
Richie Allen's California Zinfandel, cherry jam and nutmeg from old foothill vines, a 2023 you can open at thirty dollars.
The 2023 is 91 percent Zinfandel and 9 percent Petite Sirah from Amador, El Dorado, Lake, and Napa: cherry jam, blackberry, and nutmeg after a cold soak, basket press, and 14 months in American and French oak, now $30.
A Joy of Cooking Zin, not a jam bomb without a spine
Koerner and Joan Rombauer built a table winery. This 2023 Zinfandel is their California heritage bottle: 56 percent Amador, 25 percent El Dorado, 18 percent Lake, 1 percent Napa, some vines over 100 years old. Richie Allen cold-soaks, basket-presses, then ages 14 months in American oak (10 percent new) and French oak. The house called 2023 one of the best vintages in recent memory. This is the Zin you open with short ribs without a speech.
The house
Koerner and Joan opened in 1980. Irma Rombauer wrote The Joy of Cooking. Wine belongs at dinner here.
The wine
91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah. Optical sort, cold soak, basket press, 14 months oak. 15.9% ABV. Richie Allen.
The vintage
Rombauer called 2023 cool and consistent, with September warmth and a long night harvest for acidity.
The drinker
Serve near 65 F, slightly cool. Lamb kebabs or soy-garlic short ribs.
Cherry jam and blackberry, then nutmeg
The winery sheet writes cherry jam and blackberry underscored by nutmeg, then dark berry, a rich body, soft tannin, and lovely acidity. Decanter 92 found strawberry, cranberry, clove, vanilla, and off-the-charts freshness in 2023.
A cool, even year that finished with September warmth. Longer hang time, night picks, 27.2 Brix. The house wanted fruit intensity without losing the acid line that keeps this Zin a dinner wine.
Cherry jam, blackberry, nutmeg, raspberry, clove, vanilla.
Rich, 15.9% ABV, soft tannin, bright acidity, 14 months mixed oak.
Lingering dark berry. Serve near 65 F, slightly cool.
Cold soak, basket press, then a little new American oak
On the 2023 California Zinfandel fact sheet, fruit is destemmed and optically sorted, cold-soaked for color, fermented in tank, then gently basket-pressed. The wine finishes primary and malolactic in barrel and ages 14 months in American oak (10 percent new) and French oak. That is how cherry jam stays in front of toast.
91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah. Amador for the core, El Dorado and Lake for lift, a Napa thread. 15.9% alcohol.
Serve slightly cool, about 65 F. A few minutes in the fridge on a warm night keeps nutmeg and cherry from turning heavy.
Joy of Cooking, then California's heritage grape
Rombauer is a family table with a St. Helena address. Zinfandel is the California half of that idea.
Koerner and Joan moved to Napa in the early 1970s and opened the winery in 1980. Cabernet and Chardonnay were the first releases. Zin became the heritage bottle.
Koerner's great-aunt Irma wrote The Joy of Cooking. The house still makes wine meant to sit next to food.
The 2023 pulls old California regions, some vines past 100 years, into one generous glass.
Spice, char, and a slightly cool glass
Rombauer Zin wants browned edges, soy, garlic, and enough fat to catch the tannin. Short ribs or lamb kebabs.
Two plates. One short rib with soy and black garlic. One lamb kebab. Both can take plush Zin.
Serve near 65 F, slightly cool. No long decant. A short splash pour is enough.
Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs
Slow beef, glossy sauce, and Rombauer's dark berry core.
Why it works: The gelatin-rich braise softens Zin tannin while nutmeg and blackberry meet the sauce.
View Recipe for braised short ribs (opens in a new tab)
Garlic and Rosemary Lamb Chops
Lamb gives this Zin a savory, herbal lane without burying the jam.
Why it works: Rosemary echoes spice. Char wakes up cherry and blackberry.
View Recipe for garlic rosemary lamb chops (opens in a new tab)Put Rombauer Zinfandel on the next grill night
Richie Allen, cherry jam, old California vines. Thirty dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is the Rombauer Zin for a dinner that wants fruit and spice without a collector speech.
