I have only followed Dehlinger for a short while, so the library wines are really exciting. I wish more wineries did this.
August 2014 Release Wines (allocated):
2011 Estate Chardonnay
2011 Altamont Syrah
2012 Goldridge Pinot Noir
2012 Goldridge Old Vines Pinot Noir
Library Wines (First Come - First Served):
2008 Claret
2009 Goldridge Syrah
All in…as always.
I don’t miss Dehlinger. I’ll probably focus on the old vine Pinot (I think 35 year old vines) and the Syrah. Maybe jump on a couple of 08 Clarets.
Probably taking a pass this offering as I am on moratorium, however Claret is such a bargain made in a unique style.
This will be my first time. Which ones are “can’t miss”?
I am a consistent Chard buyer. Despite my avatar I have ramped down on PN.
The 2011 is a little bit lighter than typical but a good Chard worth buying. Notes of earth, lemon and nuts with moderate oak and ample acid are what you get.
The star of their portfolio is the Altamont Pinot Noir (until a couple of years and a significant price hike ago, the “Estate Pinot Noir”), which comes out in the spring. The Goldridge and Goldridge Old Vines are very good, too.
The syrahs are made in very much of a “syrah made by a pinot producer” way. Velvety smooth, pure, rather feminine. Rather the opposite of your huge Paso syrahs or your brawny masculine Alban type syrah. Again, I think the Altamont Syrah (formerly the Estate Syrah) is a tiny level better than the Goldridge one? And 2011 should be a great vintage for it.
I like the chardonnay, but I don’t love it, and I’ve found it getting rather hot for my tastes in some recent vintages (alcohol getting into the high 14s, I think). But it’s well loved by many Dehlinger customers with excellent taste, so I’m probably in the minority. And I’d guess the 2011 won’t be too high in alcohols.
The thing with all the Dehlinger reds is that they age extremely well, coasting to 15+ years from the vintage date and probably beyond. They don’t need to be aged, but they can be a little big and primary in their youth, which is better or worse depending on your personal preferences.
I hope that helps.
Yes Chris, that helps, thanks.
I’ve wondered about Dehlinger for a long time. What are the prices on these wines? Do people consider them a better value than Rochioli or Williams-Selyem?
Pinots are the best in RRV IMHO. After gravitating toward SLH these are almost the only RRV Pinots I still buy.
They’ve always been a good value, although less so now as prices have continued to creep upwards.
I think they have crept slower than some neighbors!
Everything from them is the best, essentially - it’s my ‘go to’ winery, by a LONG shot. I am pretty stacked on Pinot and Syrah right now, as my wife doesn’t like either varietal, but have gone through multiple cases of Claret/Cab and a case of Chardonnay from Dehlinger over the past 2 years or so. Wondering what the library claret will come in at, but otherwise I’ll max my Chardonnay allocation, and likely little else this time, waiting for the next release in Spring.
I always love Dehlinger pinots whenever I open one. But the price has more than creeped – the Altamont was $60 last time around, and could go up again next spring (I don’t know anything to that effect, but just in the sense that the prices tend to gravitate upwards).
I don’t consider their pinots excellent QPR anymore at those prices, but I buy 4-6 per year total, and I mostly save them for down the road.
I haven’t had much success with the Claret and the cabernets, but most others seem to like them a great deal.
I’ll take em!!
I frankly find that the pinots from the late 90s through 2002 outpace the version from 2003 forward on a general basis. I know Fred Scherrer and Eric Sussman were involved in the making the wines back in the day, although I don’t know the exact time frame.
This isn’t to say that the more modern era pinots can’t be delicious. They just aren’t as consistent. Clearly other posters disagree.
The pinots have trended upward in ripeness and alcohol levels from early 2000s forward. These are not Martinelli or anything, but I think one of the recent vintages was 14.9%, which is higher than producers like Sea Smoke and Kosta Browne are these days (not higher than KB was in the mid 2000s though).
They remain pretty, feminine and velvety, not powerhouses or fruit/oak bombs. But they’re getting riper, and I don’t think they’ve reversed course the way producers like Sea Smoke and KB have in the last five years, not that I’ve noticed anyway (though I rarely drink these young).
Anyone else have thoughts on the trends in Dehlinger style?
Chardonnay can be warm when young, get em out 5-7 years and they’re righteous.
Thanks for the info.
Even if their most expensive Pinot is 60 per bottle, that is considerably less expensive than the cheapest Rochioli SV Pinot. Also, the cost in the same ballpark as the least expensive single-vineyard Williams-Selyem pinots. Might have to get on the Dehlinger list, maybe fade out on Rochioli… We’ll see.
Do not overlook the 10% mixed case discount.