Rombauer Vineyards, Joy Late Harvest Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Rombauer Vineyards · California › Napa Valley › United States of America

White · Chardonnay

Critics

92 /100

Reviews

professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

Community Reviews

Reviews

91.5

Avg Score

Highest

A stunning achievement for a late harvest chardonnay. For me this was more elegant and refined than a high end Sauternes. It has all the smoothness and finesse without the nutty notes. Peach, Apricot, Honey and a hint of Mandarin Orange. Amazing and dirt cheap for this quality.

2006 vintage

Explosive nose, deep amber color, full bodied mid palate with a moderate/long finish. Amazing it's a Chardonnay

2006 vintage

Wonderful sweet dessert wine

2005 vintage

Hard to believe this is Chardonnay, just perfect dessert wine.

2006 vintage

Desert in a bottle...bella

2006 vintage

Drinking very nicely - properly storaged since purchased at winery. Would recommend drinking now if you want the wine at peak. Carmel color and very rich. Reminded me of the 99 Rieussec. More fat than lemon curd flavors but nicely balanced. Thick and viscous.

2001 vintage

Still enjoyable, but probably losing a bit of it's original luster.

2005 vintage

Still rich and delicious, the acidity wasn't as in balance as it was last time, or at least how I remember it. Still a very nice desert wine though.

2006 vintage

Light caramel color, rich peach notes, melted in my mouth

2005 vintage

Consistent with prior notes.

1998 vintage

My first trip to Napa, Ca.; 7/9/2009-7/11/2009 : Hits just like a rich delicious Sauternes on the nose and palate, hard to believe this is 100% Chardonnay. Creme brulee, sweet breads, lemon custard, large on the palate from start to finish. Nice acids keep everything in check. This is a style of desert wine I love, so rich and soft on the palate. Very good stuff.

2006 vintage

Napa Valley, July 2009; 7/9/2009-7/11/2009 (Napa Valley, CA) : This wine blows me away with a nose full of rich apricots and lilac. I would probably get indignant if you poured this blind and you told me it wasn't a Sauternes. I'm stunned, and the experience continues through when tasted. Rich light peach flavors team up with brilliant lightness and acidity. This wine is just decadent as the juice flows across the palate. The finish lightens up, and the acidity …

2006 vintage

Is it delicious? Yes. But, very one-dimensional. Apricot and a bit of peach. That's it. A but cloying and viscous in the mouth. Just not much going on.

2005 vintage

Rich and creamy succulent late harvest wine. Wonderful

2005 vintage

Creme Brulee, orange marmalade. Clumsy sweet and lacking sufficient acidity to carry the residual sugar.

2005 vintage

Flock - Chardonnay Shoot Out (Dennis') : Golden color. Rich nose of orange, spice and botrytis. Palate is rich with a pop of nice acidity.

2005 vintage

Wineflock - Chardonnay Shootout (Dennis') : Medium caramel color. Lively interesting nose of orange rind and sweet tart. Wow - great concentration and richness of peach and apricot with lovely acidity and complexity. Very nice.

2005 vintage

Wine Dinner at Merion (Ardmore, PA) : A delightful dessert wine. Becoming a bit amber in color but a wonderful nose of butterscotch and tropical fruit. Delicious with balanced sweetness and acidity, and a long finish.

1998 vintage

Very, VERY sweet. I think it lacked a little bit of acidity. Had it by itself as a dessert after a Steak a poivre and a young Bordeaux (Les Trois Croix 2002), I was expecting much more after the complex flavor dinner. Maybe accompaining it with a sweeter dessert would have helped to bring the acidity back. Finished up the bottle the next day, it was even sweeter, my wife was impressed I was drinking it since I tend to …

2005 vintage