I started cellar Dehlinger with the 2004 vintage. Being one would likes some age on his wines, I have been doing way more cellaring than popping corks. I have yet to open an Estate PN and have been occasionally opening a Goldridge. This my third or fourth bottle of the 2006 and the best showing yet.
After an hour of decanting the nose shows spice and background violets. The sensation is in the mid to back nose. The oak is very subdued.
The first thing that hits me in the mouth is the natural texture and acidity. Medium plus bodied, just the way I like it. More spice and red fruits with plenty of Russian River earth. No Cola, maybe a hint of rootbeer. The finish is long and anchored by the fine acidity. Tannins are smooth and this wine is drinking very well now. It seems like 5 years of age for Goldridge is a good drinking window.
I will have to pull a 2004 Estate from the cellar soon to experience an Estate PN.
If you like them with age, there is no hurry. The 95 GR was still really good more than 10 years from the vintage, and the Estates go longer. The 01 Estate was really impressive for me a few months ago.
I’m sipping on a glass of this as I write, and agree with much of your note. I’m an unabashed Dehlinger fan. My only reservation is that tonight’s bottle is showing a smidgeon of heat.
The two largest stablemates in my locker from the 1992 vintage on are Dehlinger and Rochioli. Got on their lists at the same time.
Both outstanding wines with Dehlinger getting the nod for longer aging. Still sitting on '97 reserve Pinots and '99 Octagon Pinots,
and in no rush to drink them. The Goldridge is my go to wine when I want a wine to relax with.
You can never have enough Dehlinger!
Glen, glad to hear that your bottle performed well. Mine did as well, just not as well as the previous three I’ve tried, but I still have high hopes for the remainder that I’ll let sleep.
Ken, I’ve bought several 99 Dehlingers at retail and auction as it’s my anniversary year, and they’ve all performed marvelously to date, especially the High Plains!
Sean> The special bottlings [Cabs, Pinots and Syrahs] that Dehlinger produces are always welcome sights on my allocations.
High Plains Pinot is great quality juice, as well as the South Face Syrah. If you have not had it…look for it.
Timely. I was debating between the 99 High Plains and Octagon on Sat. night. Went with the Octagon and it was about as good as 12 year old CA pinot can get. Silky, spicy, lush and just a marvelous fininsh. Great wine.
The 2004 Estate is gorgeous and in a great spot now. I’ve had it 2 or 3 times in the last year.
I would note that it’s not very representative of Dehlinger’s pinots in general – 2004 was a vintage in Sonoma that produced very voluptuous pinots in general, and the 04 Estate shows that character as well, at least relative to his typical style. Tom Dehlinger also mentioned last summer that he thought that wine was atypical for his pinots, and though he didn’t say it, I got the sense that it wasn’t one of his favorites.
So I wouldn’t pour it when the AFWE are over for dinner, but most wine lovers would be pretty dazzled by it.
My first and only Dehlinger purchase was the '05 Goldridge on release. We opened one right away and thought I’d made a big mistake. The wine was tight as a drum and gave up absolutely nothing, either on the nose or in the mouth. Opened a second bottle a couple of weeks ago, and it was easily my Pinot of the year so far. Perfectly balanced and layer after layer of flavor.
Glenn, if this one bottling is anything to go by, Dehlinger Pinot doesn’t just improve with age, it definitely requires age!
Does anyone have any thoughts on how the Estate compares to the Goldridge?
I have been drinking Dehlinger Pinots since the '93 vintage (still go back as far as the 1997 Estate and Reserve in my cellar) and you are right, they definitely require age. I don’t even think of opening any of the bottlings until they are six years old.
While there is some vintage variation, but to an amazingly small degree, this is what I have found works for me: Goldridge 6 to 11 years, Estate 6 to 14 years, Reserve, Octogon, High Plains, etc. 6 to 16 years.
BTW, this past weekend I had an incredible 1999 Goldridge Syrah. Wow.
I am going to the locker tomorrow and the 2004 Estate is definetly on my pull list.
I was somewhat dissapointed with a recent 2004 Goldridge Syrah. It is only my second Dehlinger Syrah and Syrah is a varietal that I normally enjoy. Is this another case of vintage conditions trumping the Dehlinger style?
Glenn, I concur with Jeff’s drinking windows. I am also hanging on to a few 97’s. I just pulled out a 2003 Goldridge and a 2001 High Plains to try soon.