95pts Decanter

94pts James Suckling

A classic, reserve-style wine made from the best barrels in the Rombauer cellar. It shows good tension in the texture, is barrel fermented and then aged in a combination of French and American oak. A blend of fruit from both the Napa and Sonoma sides of Carneros, Lush in poached pears, vanilla bean and green apple skin, with tension, minerality and spicy accents in the finish. Drink or hold.

93pts Wine Spectator

Juicy and plump, offering pineapple, peach and apricot flavors alongside generous and fleshy notes of marmalade and lemon curd. A distinctive orange detail comes in on the finish, with orange blossom and candied orange peel hints lingering on the long, fresh finish. Drink now. 3,756 cases made.

94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Rombauer's 2023 Chardonnay Proprietor Selection is a barrel selection performed in the winery by the winemaking team. It's toasty but subtly so, with pencil shavings and crushed stone accenting pineapple and white peach on the nose. In the mouth, it's medium- to full-bodied, plump and creamy in feel, with a long, mouthwatering finish.

Tasting Notes

Intense aromas of nectarine and peach, both yellow and white, mingle with high notes of lime, grapefruit, and honeysuckle on the nose. These continue to the palate where they meet candied ginger and rich chamomile flavors which will deepen as the wine ages. The creamy, full mouthfeel is lifted by stunning acidity which continues through the long and concentrated finish.

Our favorite pairings* for this wine include Crab Cakes, Barley Risotto, and Stuffed Peaches. Recipe pairings can be found on Rombauer.com.

About the Wine

The very best of all Rombauer Chardonnays, our Proprietor Selection is comprised of the top barrels of Chardonnay each year. Expect an elevated expression of our Carneros Chardonnay, with intense fruit flavors, a round body, and brilliant acidity. 

Proprietor Selection is the pinnacle of Rombauer’s Chardonnay portfolio, created by blending the best barrels from the finest lots hand selected by our winemakers based on the barrels’ exceptional quality. Like all of our chardonnays, this wine comes from Carneros where the cool climate and clay soils offer ideal growing conditions for Rombauer’s iconic Chardonnays. Head winemaker Richie Allen considers this to be one of the best Chardonnays he has ever made in his 21 years at Rombauer. This extraordinary wine is anticipated and revered by customers around the world.

Vineyard Notes

Fruit for this wine comes from elite estate-owned vineyards in the Carneros region and select growers including the Sangiacomo family, long-term grower partners who have farmed this land for three generations.