TN: 1990 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Estate

Sean_S · December 6, 2020, 4:25am

1990 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/5/2020)
Really nice wine. Quite youthful for 30 years old. Fairly dark in the glass. no significant bricking. On the nose I get leather and dark cherry with some earth. Nice dark cherry fruit, mushroom, baking spice on the palate. Tannins are very soft. Finish is medium lnegth. Nice bracing acidity throughout. My 3rd aged Dehlinger. Very impressed

Mark_C_Johnson · December 6, 2020, 10:18pm

Yeah, I’ve had a few of these early nineties Dehlinger pinots in the last five years. Always surprise to the upside. Thanks for the note.

John_Webber · December 6, 2020, 10:24pm

I have had the 1999 a few times the last couple of years and would pop them ASAP. Bottles varied from amazing, lovely, and DOA. I sourced them @ Winebid in the mid to late 2000’s for what is worth. The amazing and lovely bottles had no room for improvement imho.

Alan_Rath · December 6, 2020, 11:59pm

I remember drinking this, and later vintages, at Flea Street Cafe, back in the 90s. Expense account dinners with customers were a great way to try lots of wines!

Dennis_Atick · December 7, 2020, 2:32am

Nice note, Sean. Sounds really great.
I love me some aged Dehlinger. The 1988 was absolutely killer about 2 years ago. One of the more memorable domestic Pinot Noirs I’ve had in some time. Cheers!

Eric_White · December 7, 2020, 2:54am

sounds awesome, thanks for the note!

Sean_S · December 7, 2020, 3:05am

So far I am 3 for 3 on great Dehlingers from a friends cellar. Can’t say I’ve ever really drank dehlinger before but I am enjoying these wines a lot. No idea what they taste like young. The Dehlinger 1994 Reserve a few weeks ago was spectacular and still had really gripping tannins. George Chadwick and I both agreed. It would benefit from a few more years in the cellar. I’ve got quite a few of these in the cellar so expect to see quite a few more notes on old Dehlingers.

Sean

Wes_Barton · December 7, 2020, 8:09pm

Note this was the Fred Scherrer era. Maybe the best comparison to how they tasted young would be his wines. I was never impressed with this producer from the current releases my friends poured in the '00s, nor retrospectives of wines from that era. Riper, flabby, unfocused. Now, with Eva Dehlinger as winemaker I’ve been impressed with the new releases I’ve tasted.

T_Welch · December 7, 2020, 8:47pm

That 1994 Reserve is my favorite pinot ever. Bought a 6-pack on release and loved every one of them. I think I drank them from 2000-2012 or so.

Sean_Devaney · December 7, 2020, 8:51pm

The 1990 vintage was great for Dehlinger Pinot’s. Drank my last one about 10 years ago. Wish I had saved some.

Colin_Haggerty · December 8, 2020, 2:16am

Dehlinger’s wines tend to age beautifully. The Syrahs age at a glacial pace. A classic producer in every sense of the word!

Colin

Sean_S · December 8, 2020, 6:14am

So far I am 3 for 3 on great Dehlingers from a friends cellar. Can’t say I’ve ever really drank dehlinger before but I am enjoying these wines a lot. No idea what they taste like young. The Dehlinger 1994 Reserve a few weeks ago was spectacular and still had really gripping tannins. George Chadwick and I both agreed. It would benefit from a few more years in the cellar. I’ve got quite a few of these in the cellar so expect to see quite a few more notes on old Dehlingers.

Sean

Note this was the Fred Scherrer era. Maybe the best comparison to how they tasted young would be his wines. I was never impressed with this producer from the current releases my friends poured in the '00s, nor retrospectives of wines from that era. Riper, flabby, unfocused. Now, with Eva Dehlinger as winemaker I’ve been impressed with the new releases I’ve tasted.

We will share one soon my friend. I can’t see you not enjoying this. I hate bloody wax capsules too!!!

Chris_Seiber · December 8, 2020, 7:01am

So far I am 3 for 3 on great Dehlingers from a friends cellar. Can’t say I’ve ever really drank dehlinger before but I am enjoying these wines a lot. No idea what they taste like young. The Dehlinger 1994 Reserve a few weeks ago was spectacular and still had really gripping tannins. George Chadwick and I both agreed. It would benefit from a few more years in the cellar. I’ve got quite a few of these in the cellar so expect to see quite a few more notes on old Dehlingers.

Sean

Note this was the Fred Scherrer era. Maybe the best comparison to how they tasted young would be his wines. I was never impressed with this producer from the current releases my friends poured in the '00s, nor retrospectives of wines from that era. Riper, flabby, unfocused. Now, with Eva Dehlinger as winemaker I’ve been impressed with the new releases I’ve tasted.

I left during the flabby era. When does Eva’s influence begin? I’m interested to revisit it if they’ve gotten back to their older style.

Wes_Barton · December 8, 2020, 7:20am

So far I am 3 for 3 on great Dehlingers from a friends cellar. Can’t say I’ve ever really drank dehlinger before but I am enjoying these wines a lot. No idea what they taste like young. The Dehlinger 1994 Reserve a few weeks ago was spectacular and still had really gripping tannins. George Chadwick and I both agreed. It would benefit from a few more years in the cellar. I’ve got quite a few of these in the cellar so expect to see quite a few more notes on old Dehlingers.

Sean

Note this was the Fred Scherrer era. Maybe the best comparison to how they tasted young would be his wines. I was never impressed with this producer from the current releases my friends poured in the '00s, nor retrospectives of wines from that era. Riper, flabby, unfocused. Now, with Eva Dehlinger as winemaker I’ve been impressed with the new releases I’ve tasted.

We will share one soon my friend. I can’t see you not enjoying this. I hate bloody wax capsules too!!!

It was a PN from this era Rich brought to a “bring a great bottle” themed birthday dinner for TomP. It kicked the butt of some very respectable Burgs. I’d looked for that specific wine every since, but no dice, until I found exactly the right number of bottles in Rich’s cellar for each of the dinner attendees.

Wes_Barton · December 8, 2020, 7:25am

So far I am 3 for 3 on great Dehlingers from a friends cellar. Can’t say I’ve ever really drank dehlinger before but I am enjoying these wines a lot. No idea what they taste like young. The Dehlinger 1994 Reserve a few weeks ago was spectacular and still had really gripping tannins. George Chadwick and I both agreed. It would benefit from a few more years in the cellar. I’ve got quite a few of these in the cellar so expect to see quite a few more notes on old Dehlingers.

Sean

Note this was the Fred Scherrer era. Maybe the best comparison to how they tasted young would be his wines. I was never impressed with this producer from the current releases my friends poured in the '00s, nor retrospectives of wines from that era. Riper, flabby, unfocused. Now, with Eva Dehlinger as winemaker I’ve been impressed with the new releases I’ve tasted.

I left during the flabby era. When does Eva’s influence begin? I’m interested to revisit it if they’ve gotten back to their older style.

Not sure, exactly. I know she apprenticed and took classes. She poured for our tasting group once before and once after she took over. Iirc, there was a transition where she had some influence. So, maybe a decade?