Not to mention, more like the opposite.
P Hickner
This thread took a weird turn.
Well done!
Now I feel like I should go get a Bloody Mary flavored wine.
I have tried the Mondavi Bourbon Barrel Cabernet and I throughly enjoyed it. Getting past the somewhat unusual nose the flavor was there. Considering that it was less than $15 I would pour it for friends when the burgers were coming off the grill.
Ha! Yeah, it’s always easy to crack on Rombauer Chard, isn’t it? It’s certainly not the type of Chardonnay I prefer to drink and not in the style of Chardonnay that I make for myself or others, but you know what? Their 2013 (I think) got 93 points from Wine Spectator and they made 100,000 cases of that wine. Personally, that blows my mind and I consider it a remarkable wine making achievement. The SRP for that wine, is what $36? Let’s say they sell all 100k cases at FOB pricing (obviously low considering their market presence and retail opportunities) that’s approximately $21.6 Million (conservatively) in gross revenue per year for that single bottling. I suspect they take all the jokes about their wine and laugh all the way to the proverbial Bank. ![[welldone.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/fc9709a841aa9379fd892a9cf0b535b05f473b86.gif "[welldone.gif]"){kind=small}
I have been wondering for the last couple of hours where to put this comment. So, after a search, I will put it here.
Koerner Rombauer came in to the hair salon today while I was there. My friend Cheryl cuts his hair. He is frail, now, after being known around town as such a robust, large man. A generous man, who thinks nothing of raising his paddle at a local auction to add tens and tens of thousands of dollars to a call for charity. He moved in his walker to hand Cheryl a bottle - it was that iconic bottle which caught my eye - a bottle of Rombauer Chardonnay. That bottle with the well known blue and yellow label - a label seen in many an ad for resorts or restaurants. If I had not known it was Koerner, that bottle still would have caught my eye. What a magnificent job of marketing - a label recognizable by people who do not buy it nor drink it. Well done, Mr. Rombauer.
Here’s my recent note from the Cabernet:
-
2014 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Private Selection Aged in Bourbon Barrels - USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County (10/29/2017)
The nose greets you with hard liquor. On the palate, some hard liquor alcohol burn gets you started. Then you get the vanilla and oak. No sign of fermented grapes in this concoction. Not sure this should even be called wine, as it’s more of a wine-like beverage than dry red table wine. What a monstrosity. (65 pts.)
Any wine lover who enjoys this stuff needs to seriously ask themselves if it is wine that they really love - there is very little resemblance between this and fermented grape juice.
I’m looking forward to Chardonnay aged in used butter churns.
A few years ago, Woodford Reserve released a limited edition bottling of Bourbon aged in barrels that formerly held Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay*. I guess it was inevitable that the corporate geniuses of marketing would eventually flip it around to offer consumers a new gimmick. 
Isn’t there a story of Mr Joseph Swan having once used barrels that had been used as whiskey recepticles - to unfortunate results?
*Of course, Sherry-cask-finished Scotch from Balvenie Scotch is hardly a new thing.
I’m a wine lover and a bourbon lover, but can’t fathom a mashup of the two so I’m not surprised by your note. Thanks for taking one for the team ITNOS. How much are they selling this stuff for?
This was a gift (would never buy this for myself), but CT shows avg price around $13.