When I hear Rombauer, the first thought I usually have is, “Jeff’s favorite chardonnay”. On one of our recent trips to Napa, we had a chance encounter with their tasting room manager and were encouraged to pay them a visit. My thoughts now no longer immediately jump to their buttery chardonnay. I also think about their excellent reds.  One new discovery during that tasting room visit was their 2009 Napa Valley Zinfandel.

This wine not only looks great in the glass, it tastes great, too. It is bright purple, with aromas of dark fruit to match it.  A jammy zin with rich blackberry flavors, and a splash of pepper.  The berry flavor stays strong throughout the lingering, smooth finish. You’d never know it was 15.9% alcohol.

We enjoyed this wine with honey glazed pork chops, sweet potato mash and a fig & goat cheese salad. The wine notes recommend pairing with a rib-eye steak with bleu cheese, or Cajun spiced sausage. Sounds good to me ~ where’s that second bottle?